I would like to commend Mayor Bloomberg on his appointment of Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano as the city’s next FDNY Commissioner. Having risen through the ranks of the FDNY after 40 years on the job, Chief Cassano knows the intricacies of the department, and I’m confident that he’ll be able to draw on that breadth of experience to face the challenges presented in the coming years.

The FDNY is much more than a fire-fighting service; this department especially is on the front lines of the country’s emergency response and counter-terrorism efforts. I would like to thank outgoing Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta for his dedicated leadership and service to the City. He admirably commanded the FDNY during its darkest hours following the September 11^th attacks.