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Nicholas ScoppettaChief of the New York City Fire Department
Country:
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Early Life and Education
Nicholas Scoppetta was born in Manhattan in 1932 to Italian immigrant parents. He spent several years of his childhood in an orphanage during the Great Depression. After his family reunited, Scoppetta graduated from Seward Park High School and served in the army before earning a degree in construction from Bradley University in 1958. He went on to study law at Brooklyn Law School, graduating in 1962.
Career in Public Service
Scoppetta began his career as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan in 1962. He later served as a prosecutor in Brooklyn and as a counsel to the Knapp Commission, which investigated corruption in the police department. After briefly serving as legal counsel to Mayor Abe Beame, Scoppetta lost his position with the election of Edward I. Koch. He then entered private practice and taught at New York University School of Law.
In the 1990s, Scoppetta returned to public service as a special commissioner for children for the City of New York. His most prominent role came in 2002 when he was appointed Fire Commissioner of New York City by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Fire Commissioner
As Fire Commissioner, Scoppetta implemented measures to improve coordination within the department and between the fire and police departments. However, his tenure has been marked by controversy, including his order in 2005 requiring Bronx firefighters to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in uniform, which was met with a boycott by firefighters and widespread criticism.
Scoppetta also oversaw the elimination of six fire companies in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens in 2003 as part of budget cuts. While fire deaths did not increase in those areas, the city's overall fire fatality rate rose in 2003 compared to 2002.
Budget Challenges
Like other city agencies, the Fire Department has faced budget constraints in recent years. In 2011, evening shifts were eliminated for several fire companies and those companies were later disbanded. Scoppetta has stated that measures are in place to mitigate the impact of these reductions.
Personal Life
Nicholas Scoppetta is married with two children and resides in New York City.
