NYFD Commissioner Von Essen Will Not Seek Reappointment
In an article that is as much a short biography as it is a news account, The New York Times is reporting that NYFD Commissioner Thomas Von Essen will not seek reappointment to his post in the Bloomberg Administration. Von Essen is a 31 year veteran of the department, who began his career at Ladder Company 42 in the Bronx.
This is another in a series of revelations about the New York Fire Department that is difficult for outsiders to understand. Everyone knows about the protest that rank and file firemen made at Ground Zero and City Hall in response to cutbacks in the number of firemen involved in the recovery effort. But, no credible explanation has been given for the humiliation of the Fire Commissioner by the men of the Department in the manner illustrated in this article. Regardless of the explanation, it reflects badly on the Department and the entire recovery effort.