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Stateside comment FIRE’s US Correspondent Catherine Levin reports from the world’s largest fire service: the Fire Department of New York
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oving from London to New York it’s hard not to constantly make comparisons. The populations are about the same, just over eight million; we sort of speak the same language and Central Park is the same size as Hampstead Heath, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. With 10,277 uniformed staff (2012 figures), the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) is nearly twice the size of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) and yet geographically, New York City is half the size of Greater
London. Naturally the budget for the FDNY is bigger too − $1.78 billion for 2012 (c £1.15 billion) not including $231 million for emergency medical services, but even accounting for this makes it more than twice the size of the LFB’s budget. So, a flurry of figures but what’s the FDNY really like? I’ve seen Commissioner Salvatore Cassano speak a few times now and he’s an impressive man. He’s FDNY to the core; he spent 40-odd years in uniform before becoming Commissioner in 2010, appointed by Michael Bloomberg, current Mayor of New York City. I attended a ceremony where he spoke outside the fire house which is located next to the 9/11 Memorial Site. He presented a very proud testimonial to those who died in the tragic events of 9/11. Standing in front of the memorial wall of the fire house with its proclamation ‘May we never forget’, it is hard not to shed a tear. Recovering from but still remembering 9/11 is at the heart of the FDNY. I have spent some time with the FDNY Foundation, a charity
set up in the early 1980s to raise money for the FDNY, primarily for fire safety education but also for training. It’s grown to be able to raise millions of dollars each year, with $1.9 million raised from their annual dinner alone. There’s no FDNY budget for fire safety education, so the Foundation is crucial to fire prevention work being funded. Teams of uniformed staff travel the five boroughs of New York City with their bespoke trailers and extensive range of literature spreading the fire safety word. I have been out with them and it’s great to see their enthusiasm and realise that the core messages are the same, even if the delivery is a little different. So far, 2013 has been a year of celebration on two fronts. In January, Mayor Bloomberg proudly announced the lowest number of fire deaths in the history of the FDNY. And for the first time since 2008, the FDNY Fire Academy hosted a probationary class of firefighters. After 18 weeks of training, 285 out of the original class of 318 graduated in mid-May. The first class of 2013 was hailed by the
“Recovering from but still remembering 9/11 is at the heart of the FDNY” FDNY as ‘the most diverse class in FDNY history’, with 40 per cent of members declaring themselves as Latino, African American or Asian. But with only six women in the class and five going on to graduation, there’s a long way to go in getting more women into the FDNY ranks and getting the number of uniformed women above one per cent of the total. 2013 will end with a period of great change as the elections for New York Mayor take place on November 5, the first change in Mayor in 12 years. With the Commissioner being a Mayoral appointment and the top posts in the gift of the Commissioner, a change in Mayoral administration could have a major impact on the FDNY. This is a fascinating year to be here.
Warwickshire appoints interim Chief Officer Warwickshire County Council has announced a new interim County Fire Officer, Andrew Hickmott
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ndrew has been appointed as interim Chief Fire Officer for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service whilst the process to find a new Chief Fire Officer is undertaken. Starting his career in Royal Berkshire and transferring to London Fire Brigade five years later, Andrew has a wealth of experience in service delivery, fire safety, operations, personnel and training, and technical services. In 2009 Andrew took on the role of Assistant Commissioner for Service Delivery and Community Safety in London Fire Brigade where he was responsible for
53 wholetime stations and over 2,000 operational staff. He also held brigade wide responsibility for all community safety work overseeing policy development, arson prevention and youth engagement. In 2011, Andrew took on the role of Assistant Commissioner for Technical Services with responsibility for the brigade’s physical assets including fleet, equipment and property. In addition to his operational role, Andrew is a qualified member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. He also has a Master of Science in Public Service Management and
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successfully completed the Fire Service Executive Leadership Programme at the Fire Service College in 2010. Warwickshire County Council’s Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Sue Evans, said: “We are delighted to welcome Andrew to the Service. Andrew comes to Warwickshire with extensive experience at a strategic level and was Assistant Chief Fire Officer at Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service prior to his appointment at the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. “He is a well-respected and experienced fire and rescue
professional, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge which I am sure will help to provide fresh impetus on the work being undertaken here in Warwickshire.”