FDNY Foundation Honored to Help Make Special Reunion Possible
June 6, 2016
FDNY Foundation-Funded FDNY High School Renamed to Honor Firefighter Killed on September 11th
June 30, 2016
Meet the Newest Graduates of the FDNY Officers Management Institute
The FDNY Foundation joins the FDNY in congratulating the most recent graduates of the FDNY Officers Management Institute (FOMI) and thanks these 16 graduates for their dedication to building a stronger Department.
“The impact FOMI has made on our Department is quite clear. More than 200 FDNY members have received high level management training from leaders in the fields of business, homeland security and education – and that training has played a pivotal role in our success,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. “So many improvements for the safety of our members came from FOMI projects – meaning that lessons learned at GE’s state-of-the-art facility were not only for their betterment, they made a true impact in the lives of every FDNY member for years to come.”
FOMI was established in 2002 and is funded by the FDNY Foundation. The program was developed based on a recommendation in the McKinsey Report done in the wake of September 11th. FOMI aims specifically to continue to make the FDNY more resilient and stronger by giving high-ranking officers a solid foundation in management principles and leadership strategy.
“FOMI brings new perspective and new possibilities for not only solving problems, but preventing them in the first place,” said Chief of Department James Leonard. “I can tell you first hand that FOMI made a tremendous impact on me. The knowledge I gained from time in this program has been so important to my career and has helped lead me to the rank of Chief of Department.”
The six-month program is offered through the Columbia Business School and includes instruction from educators at Columbia, NYU, Wharton and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as business leaders from corporations like General Electric.
This class included four Deputy Chiefs, four Battalion Chiefs, six Captains and two Supervising Fire Marshals. Participants in this session completed projects ranging from better utilizing social media to enhance situation awareness and decision making, as well as to disseminate information to continuing to build a more cohesive Department by creating more opportunities for joint Fire and EMS training sessions.
“We are thrilled that by funding FOMI – for the 14th year in a row – we are able to facilitate the effort of these senior members of the Department who are seeking to improve the FDNY and hone their leadership skills,” said FDNY Foundation Chairman Stephen Ruzow. “We are grateful to them for choosing to dedicate their time and efforts by participating in this unique program, recognized by Harvard University as one of the best programs in the country.”
“It is thanks to the generosity of our friends, supporters and partners that we are able to fund important programs like FOMI,” said FDNY Foundation Executive Direction Jean O’Shea. “This is one of the tangible ways we are truly supporting the FDNY in their mission to keep New York City safer by building a stronger Department.”
There have been more than 200 FOMI graduates since the program’s inception.
“This is important work and it will not only make each of you better leaders,” said Leonard. “It’s making us a much stronger Department.”
“FOMI may have begun as a way to rebuild following a tragedy… but today, it is ensuring our continued strength,” said Commissioner Nigro. “And making certain we have a strong foundation for many, many years to come.”
Click here to see more photos from the ceremony.
"The impact FOMI has made on our Department is quite clear. More than 200 FDNY members have received high level management training from leaders in the fields of business, homeland security and education – and that training has played a pivotal role in our success. So many improvements for the safety of our members came from FOMI projects – meaning that lessons learned at GE’s state-of-the-art facility were not only for their betterment, they made a true impact in the lives of every FDNY member for years to come.”
