The recent tragic Bronx 5th Alarm hopefully might impact leadership selections for FDNY. NYC has a new mayor who was a career cop, with limited senior management experience. He has just picked a NYPD Commissioner with no department leadership experience to lead a 55,000 member police department. Maybe he believed his own NYPD career will mitigate the limited credentials of his police commissioner. But leadership of the fire department is very different. Following the terrible loss of life at a fire, maybe he will recognize fire experience is important. Maybe he will appreciate extensive FDNY fire experience and job knowledge available in the many senior FDNY fire officers, both active and retired, who would make a competent Commissioner and a good COD. Maybe he will select candidates who have proven themselves with up-through-the-ranks successful leadership. If he wants his administration to be successful, he can't take too many risks that might gain headlines but result in unnecessary learning headaches. He may take a lot more time with interim FDNY leadership before deciding and announcing replacements.
