NYC.gov: New York City Fire Department

General Gene Renuart, head of the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) met with Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano and many other FDNY commissioners and chiefs on Nov. 6 to discuss disaster preparedness and homeland security issues at FDNY Headquarters.

(L to R) General Gene Renuart, Chief of Counterterrorism Joseph Pfeifer, Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. (FDNY)

The fire commissioner, chief of department and First Deputy Commissioner Frank Cruthers and Chief of Counterterrorism Joseph Pfeifer told the general about the FDNY’s preparedness programs and interoperability, and the four-star general discussed his agency’s operations and communications. The two groups also spoke about ways to further improve information sharing between the military and the FDNY.

“The fire service is similar to the military,” said General Renuart, who is based at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. “We anticipate the needs states may have and put those supports in place.”

USNORTHCOM was developed in the aftermath of Sept. 11, to conduct homeland defense and civil support operations in the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico and surrounding waters out to approximately 500 nautical miles.

“[One of USNORTHCOM’s] main objectives is to build ongoing relationships with government agencies that play a role in homeland security and defense,” said Commissioner Scoppetta. “The emergence of your command, General, is a great step forward in ensuring that the limitations we faced before 9/11 never hinder us again.”

The commissioner told General Renuart of the Department’s participation in 2007’s inaugural Fire Service Intelligence Enterprise conference with Homeland Security and many of the country’s major fire departments, where the agencies discussed the fire service’s ability to gather, receive and analyze intelligence.

The General’s wife, Jill, also met with the Family Assistance Unit during the visit.

General Renuart is a has given 37 years of service to the military and served as Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense prior to his current assignment.

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