We've likely seen the last of the blizzard deaths, but blame game is just beginning. Last night Chief John Peruggia, head of the Emergency Medical Services Command, was sacked by Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano. Peruggia, who will stay on with the FDNY in a "new role to be determined," is being replaced by 25-year FDNY veteran Abdo Nahmod.
In a statement introducing Nahmod, Cassano said that "despite Chief Peruggia’s dedicated service to this Department, I felt new leadership was needed at this time. Last week’s blizzard presented tremendous challenges for the Department that are currently being addressed with an eye toward improving performance going forward.”
Peruggia is the first (but likely not the last) to be pushed out over the slow storm response. And the backlog of 911 calls isn't the only mark against him. He was allegedly already in trouble for taking a trip funded by a defibrillator vendor used by the city.
His replacement was raised in Beirut, Lebanon, before coming to the States in 1969. Once here he worked in a volunteer ambulance company for six years before joining the EMS as an EMT in 1986. And he has spent the past three years as Deputy Assistant Chief overseeing Emergency Medical Dispatch—so at least he's no Cathie Black.
