FDNY Pro

Training for an athletic event with a team brings lots of benefits, including improved performance and accountability. Even when participants compete as individuals, the opportunity to connect with others is there. In this episode, FDNY Firefighters David Guilford and Michael Reno talk about their involvement with the Department’s Triathlon and Boxing teams—from training to game day—and the many advantages sport lends to their careers as first responders.

The Fire Department of the City of New York is continually looking to advance the opportunities for young people to become part of the City’s Bravest. To help support this goal, the Department has created a Youth Workforce Development Initiative. To date, this initiative’s programs have helped many New Yorkers pursue and accomplish their dream of becoming a member of the Department. In this episode, listeners will hear from Assistant Commissioner for FDNY Youth Workforce and Pipeline Programs, Michele Maglione, as well as an outstanding, young alumnus of the FDNY High School, Denzel Adonis. Chief of Staff Elizabeth Cascio hosts.

Frequent drilling and communication prior to arrival at a fire is critical to proper apparatus positioning. Veteran FDNY members, Battalion Chief Christopher Eysser and Lt. Ray McCormack discuss efficient and effective placement techniques of the FDNY’s fleet that can elevate performance on the fireground and even help save lives. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.

During the early morning hours on September 17, 2016, Bronx Box 2759 was transmitted for a commercial occupancy fire. While entering the occupancy and on their initial size-up, no units had encountered any signage for steel plating and were surprised to find it both on the exterior and interior of the building. In this episode, Lt. Michael Ciampo, a member of the FDNY since 1991, recounts this challenging operation and highlights how the FDNY successfully overcame obstacles at this fire. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.

Chief James Booth is a 35-year veteran of the FDNY with experience responding to some of the most significant natural and manmade disasters to occur during his career. Chief Booth responded to the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 and the terrorist attacks on September 11th. He served as part of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) response team to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and has also participated in USAR deployments to the Dominican Republic following Hurricane Georges and New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. He was appointed Chief of EMS in 2015. In this role, he supervises 4,300 EMTs, Paramedics, EMS Officers and civilian employees and is responsible for overseeing operations, planning, strategic initiatives and logistics. In this episode, hear how Chief Booth’s leadership is fueled by his reminiscences. Chief of Staff Elizabeth Cascio hosts.

On August 2, 1978, twelve FDNY Firefighters plunged into a burning Waldbaum’s Supermarket when the bowstring truss roof collapsed at the center of the store. Six of the Firefighters made the Supreme Sacrifice. In this episode, retired FDNY Captain Howard Venetsky, who was working in Rescue Co. 2 on the day of the fire, talks about the event. Captain Venetsky was inside the building when the collapse occurred, impressing upon him inestimable lessons learned from the fireground. Because of this fire, all FDNY members are now taught from Probationary Firefighter School on the dangers of bowstring truss construction. Captain Sean Newman hosts.

Pre-hospital care providers face many potential job hazards, including exposure to and handling of hazardous chemical substances. In this episode, FDNY EMS Lieutenant Robert Carlo discusses the types of chemical exposures Department Emergency Medical Services members are exposed to, how to identify the symptoms of a chemical exposure and some measures used to protect themselves and their long-term health. Captain Farooq Muhammad hosts.

Nearly 26 years ago, the first NYC EMS Museum opened on the grounds of Fort Totten in Bayside, Queens. In 2013, it was closed to make way for some much needed construction. The NYC EMS Museum reopened in May 2018 to display how the FDNY’s EMS grew from humble beginnings as the nation’s very first municipal ambulance service to the busiest provider of pre-hospital emergencies—responding to more than 1.4 million calls annually. Chief James “JP” Martin, who retired in 2010, spent years researching the history of the ambulance service while Captain Jack Quigley managed the construction of the 400-square-foot museum. The museum is curated with antique uniforms, equipment, and highlights those who have dedicated their lives in keeping New Yorkers safe. Chief of Staff Elizabeth Cascio hosts.

The FDNY’s Reduce Your Risk project was established in 2017 by the Department’s Contamination Reduction Workgroup to increase awareness of the cancer risk faced by Firefighters and promote the proactive measures that should be taken to combat this deadly, but frequently, avoidable occupational hazard. FDNY Deputy Chief Joseph Jardin, Acting Chief of Safety, wrote about this important initiative in the WNYF 1st/2018 article, FDNY and Cancer Risk Reduction. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.

On March 16, 2018, FDNY Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kerry Kelly retired after 37 years of dedicated service. The FDNY has set the standard for monitoring the health and well-being of its members and Dr. Kelly was instrumental in getting that done. Dr. Kelly began the FDNY program of Annual Medicals, which is a yearly medical examination that became even more essential after 9/11. Because the FDNY performed yearly medical exams on all first responders, this Department had the baselines that helped illustrate (and actually prove in some circles) that 9/11 debris and dust did impact the health of first responders. Hear more about this and Dr. Kelly’s background and experiences in this episode. Chief of Staff Elizabeth Cascio hosts.

In 2017, for the first time ever at the FDNY Academy, the majority of Rescue Paramedic trainees were women. Rescue Paramedics bring advanced pre-hospital care to any civilian or member of service in a precarious position while extrication procedures take place. Members selected for this program must undergo and complete intensive training at the Department’s Technical Rescue School which includes confined space training, collapse training, trench removal and high-angle rescue operations. In this episode, veteran Rescue Paramedic, Silvana Uzacategui, and recent program graduate, Krista O’Dea, recall and compare their experiences training and in the field. Chief of Staff Elizabeth Cascio hosts.

Given the rigorous demands of first responders’ jobs and increased risk for cardiac events, finding a fitness routine that works is critical. In this episode, the head of the FDNY Fitness Unit, Captain Thomas Tanzosh, gives listeners an inside look at how the FDNY trains its Probationary Firefighters and incumbent members, what it takes to earn the Deputy Chief Orio Palmer Fitness Award—the Department’s highest honor awarded by the Fitness Unit—and more. Lieutenant Jon Paul Augier hosts.

The FDNY, in partnership with the FDNY Foundation, is proud to have spearheaded the annual Medical Special Operations Conference (MSOC). MSOC continues to be the conference that military, federal, state and local emergency medical responders attend to share their experiences, best practices, and ideas. In this podcast, FDNY Medical Director Doug Isaacs and Rescue Paramedic Juan Henriquez give listeners an inside look at how MSOC came to be and continues to evolve to include current hot topics, the latest medical technological updates, and recent case studies from around the world. Continuing Education Units (CEU) are available at the conference to paramedics, nurses, physician assistants and physicians. At this time, the MSOC takes place over four days and consists of workshops, lectures, panel discussions, hands-on skills scenarios, and a vendor showcase with the latest equipment, and products. The optional pre-conference workshops have several choices and include a visit to the FDNY Fire Museum and the World Trade Center site. Chief of Staff Elizabeth Casio hosts.

The chain of survival is a series of steps, which give a victim of cardiac arrest the best chance of survival. Early CPR is an important link in this chain, but far too often it is administered too late, or not at all. FDNY Deputy Chief James Darnowski discusses the importance of bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest, and some of the work the FDNY Mobile CPR Unit is undertaking in training the public to become potential lifesavers. Captain Elizabeth Cascio hosts.

FDNY Battalion Chief Robert Ingram and Firefighter Joseph Iovino, both founding members of HazMat Company 1, discuss their unit’s origins, specialized training and protocol, and role in modern day disaster response. They examine major incidents they’ve personally been involved in, and discuss what it takes to be part of a city-wide response team. Captain Sean Newman hosts.