In case you havent already heard, theres a new commissioner in town. Congratulations to FDNY commissioner Daniel Nigro! New FDNY Commissioner Sworn In by Mayor The new head of the Fire Department of New York, Daniel Nigro, pledged to continue reforming the nation’s largest firefighting agency as he was formally appointed fire commissioner Monday. Mr. Nigro—a 32-year veteran who retired in 2002 as the top uniformed officer— promised a “new tone” in the department at an afternoon ceremony at FDNY headquarters in downtown Brooklyn. He replaces outgoing commissioner Salvatore Cassano, who held the post since January 2010. “We will move forward and make the department even greater,” Mr. Nigro said, after arriving at the venue on a fire engine and being sworn into the role by Mayor Bill de Blasio. He added that the theme of his tenure would be, “it’s time.” The commissioner takes charge of an agency with a legal mandate to diversify its staff and amid reviews into ambulance response times. He will also have to negotiate new labor agreements. Acknowledging the on-going need for greater diversity within the department and touting his own longtime union membership, he said: “We will do what’s right, because it’s right.” He received a standing ovation from those gathered in the audience, which included his father, retired FDNY Captain Daniel Nigro Sr. Mr. Nigro is only the sixth person to hold every rank in the department in its 149-year history. Following the ceremony, he told reporters he was “honored” to be fire commissioner. “For someone whose life has been the fire department, this is the greatest thing that could happen to me,” he added. The commissioner said he had already hit the ground running and “started unofficially a few weeks ago,” meeting FDNY staff members “to evaluate what they do and how they do it.” Mr. de Blasio, in his remarks at the ceremony, heaped praise on Mr. Nigro as a “battle-tested leader” who understood the changes needed in the department. Turning on the podium to his choice as fire commissioner, the mayor told Mr. Nigro: “You are the right man for this job. … I’m 100% convinced.” blogs.wsj/metropolis/2014/06/09/new-fdny-commissioner-sworn-in-by-mayor/
Posted on: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 17:25:01 +0000
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