Dan Nigro Announced as FDNY Commish

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced his appointment of Daniel Nigro to serve as New York City’s fire commissioner. A 32-year veteran of the FDNY and former chief of department, Nigro brings decades of operational and administrative experience to the department. Mayor de Blasio charged Nigro with ensuring the safety of New York City’s residents and firefighters, increasing diversity among the ranks, and maintaining the department’s commitment to swift FDNY response times in neighborhoods across the city.

“Every day, New York City’s bravest rush toward danger to protect our children, parents and neighbors—and the FDNY’s heroic men and women deserve a leader who shares their unwavering commitment to this noble profession. In the aftermath of 9/11, Daniel led the FDNY through some of its darkest days with an unrelenting determination to rescue and protect our fellow New Yorkers,” said the Mayor.  “Our administration is committed to building on this department’s impressive record, increasing diversity in the ranks, and improving response time—and I know Daniel has what it takes to lead the FDNY forward.”

A well-respected leader who has held every uniformed rank in the FDNY, Nigro returns to the department with years of first-hand knowledge, deep operational familiarity, and extensive leadership experience from his time with the FDNY. Appointed chief of department on the afternoon of September 11, 2001, Nigro led the FDNY through search, rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero, and provided operational leadership for FDNY and EMS response units and personnel. Nigro was also instrumental in merging the cultures and operations of FDNY and EMS into an exemplary medical response and care program, which resulted in a substantial increase in the diversity of department staff.

“For more than 30 years, I’ve watched the men and women of the FDNY perform fearlessly in the face of tremendous hardship, and I couldn’t be prouder to lead this team of heroic New Yorkers. Our courageous firefighters sacrifice to protect this city each day, and I will ensure these first responders are protected and cared for as well. The Mayor has outlined a strong vision for the future of this department—one that provides for all our residents equally and reflects our city’s diverse communities—and I look forward to making this vision a reality,” said incoming FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

Raised in Bayside, Queens, where his father was a FDNY captain, Daniel A. Nigro has spent his life serving New York City’s fire department. Nigro began his career as a firefighter in 1969, and served as a lieutenant, captain and battalion chief in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, before his promotion to assistant to deputy fire commissioner in 1988. Nigro has held positions as chief of uniformed personnel, chief of health services, battalion and deputy chief, deputy assistant chief of operations, chief of emergency medical service, and citywide tour commander, among others, during his years with the FDNY.

In 1999, Nigro was appointed chief of operations, where he maintained preparedness, staffing and availability of units for fire and emergency response, and instituted a program similar to CompStat to measure and oversee key areas of accountability. On September 11, 2001, Nigro was appointed chief of department upon the death of Chief Peter J. Ganci Jr. in the collapse of the WTC North Tower. As the highest ranking uniformed member of the department and its chief operations officer, Nigro was instrumental in guiding the department through its loss after September 11, and assisted in providing plans to move the department toward better training and equipment to respond to all levels of emergency.

Bronx Councilwoman Vanessa L. Gibson, Chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, weighed in on the choice:

“I welcome Daniel Nigro’s return to the service of our city and its people as the leader of New York City’s Fire Department. As a lifelong city resident and chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, I know the essential role that the FDNY and its many hardworking firefighters play as they confront danger and save lives each and every day, and it is good to see a steady and experienced hand take the helm of New York’s Bravest.”

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