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Thirty-four senior Fire Department officials are now prepared for the worst, after graduating from the FDNY's Combating Terrorism course Monday.
The students studied several scenarios during the 14-week session, including a chemical attack in the subway and a nuclear attack on Manhattan.
The class used a curriculum adapted from the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Some 160 firefighters applied for the 34 spots in the program.
NY1's Amanda Farinacci has more on the partnership between the FDNY and West Point in the following report.
By Amanda Farinacci
A nuclear bomb in Lower Manhattan, a chemical attack on the subway, or a contaminated water supply; these aren’t things most New Yorkers think about. But they're all topics in a special FDNY graduate-level terror training course.
“The question is not ‘if,’ but ‘when’ the next terrorist attack will occur, and many believe that the war on terror is likely to get worse before it gets better,” said Colonel Russ Howard.
For 14 weeks, 34 senior officers studied at West Point's Terrorism Center. They learned about Al Qaeda, weapons of mass destruction, nuclear bombs, suicide bombers, explosive devices, and chemical and biological weapons.
“We recognized the need to take a look at the [Fire] Department's vulnerabilities, and assess the vulnerabilities and address the limitations the department has,” said FDNY Assistant Chief of Operations Pete Hayden.
Since 9/11, the FDNY has conducted several training drills with other city agencies. But this is the first training to focus on the theoretical aspects of terrorism, without leaving the classroom.
“It is all part and parcel of trying to anticipate what we will do in an emergency before we are actually confronted with the emergency,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta.
“It's something that we lacked before in a more specific sense, and it gives us the opportunity to create day-to-day tactical abilities to operate,” said Battalion Chief Mike Puzziferri.
Students worked in small groups to come up with responses to worst-case scenarios. The class presented its findings to the fire commissioner, and the department will study those reports to help develop contingency plans.
“They went into every aspect of how terrorism affects the city - how to try and prepare ourselves, how to try to expect the unexpected,” said Chief Fire Marshal Rich Lemonada.
“We're not there yet; no one is there in the country, but we're trying to build on what we have,” said Deputy Assistant Chief of Operations Joseph Pfeifer. “When you build on something where you have a strong foundation, it's not like starting from scratch.”
The FDNY will continue its partnership with West Point this fall, when some 30 additional senior officers enroll in the training course.
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