About > People > Donald P. Bliss

Donald P. Bliss is the President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Infrastructure Institute Foundation (NI²). He oversees the activities of the NI² Center for Infrastructure Expertise, a not-for-profit applied research group dedicated to strengthening the security and resiliency of the nation’s built critical infrastructure and key resources. The Center is responsible for projects such as the Canada-U.S. Cargo Security Project, the CARVER2® Critical Infrastructure Analysis Tool, the SMART School Tool™ for multi-hazard risk assessment, and on-going work related to cargo supply chain security, maritime domain security, and U.S.-Canada cross-border emergency preparedness. The Center is a co-sponsor of the International Symposium on Tunnel Safety & Security.

Bliss served as the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal from August 1992 until November 2003. As state fire marshal, Bliss oversaw fire investigations and the enforcement of the state’s fire and building codes. In addition, he administered the state’s modular building program, the statewide fire incident reporting system and coordinated the state’s response to hazardous materials incidents. In the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Bliss took over responsibility for New Hampshire’s emergency management and homeland security efforts. He chaired the Governor’s Commission on Preparedness and Security, and transitioned the Governor’s Office of Emergency Management to the newly f ormed Division of Fire Safety & Emergency Management within the NH Department of Safety. He also served as homeland security advisor to both Governor Jeanne Shaheen and Governor Craig Benson.

From 1983 to 1992, Bliss served as the fire chief in Salem, New Hampshire. From 1989 to 1992, he served as both fire chief and the town’s emergency management director. In 1990, Bliss served as interim town manager for nine months. From 1980 to 1983, Bliss served as the director of the University of Connecticut Fire Department and as fire marshal for the University of Connecticut system. He began his career with the Durham-UNH Fire Department in 1970, rising from call firefighter to fire marshal/deputy chief.

Bliss has served in leadership roles in numerous professional organizations, including National Association of State Fire Marshals, the National Fire Protection Association, and the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs. He is a past president of the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs and a former chair of the New Hampshire Emergency Medical Services Coordinating Board. He served as President of the National Association of State Fire Marshals and chair of the association’s Consumer Product Safety Task Force. Bliss chaired the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Uniform Fire Prevention Code Technical Committee and served two terms on the NFPA board of directors. He chaired the National Electrical Code (NEC) panel on homeland security and mission critical facilities and currently chairs NEC Code Making Panel 13 (emergency systems). He also serves on the NFPA Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity and is a trustee of the Fire Protection Research Foundation. He is an adjunct professor in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of New Hampshire and currently serves as the chair of the New Hampshire Building Code Review Board and as a governor’s appointee to the New Hampshire School Building Authority. Bliss is a subject matter expert on critical infrastructure protection with the Mobile Education Team of the Center for Homeland Defense Studies at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He has extensive experience with European Union policy and research related to fire protection, safety and security and is on the advisory board of the European Aviation Security Center.

Bliss received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of New Hampshire in 1973 and he received a Master of Public Administration degree, also from the University of New Hampshire, in 1979. He has completed numerous courses at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.