Department celebrates 22nd graduating class of the FDNY Officers Management Institute

May 30, 2024

The FDNY and the FDNY Foundation celebrated an exceptional group of leaders from the 22nd class of the FDNY Officers Management Institute (FOMI). FOMI was established in 2002 and is funded by the FDNY Foundation. The program was developed based on a recommendation in the McKinsey Report that was completed in the wake of September 11th. FOMI aims to make FDNY more resilient and stronger by giving high-ranking officers a solid foundation in management principles and leadership strategy. 

"Congratulations to all of our graduates. I am extremely proud of their accomplishments," Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said. "I commend them on their dedication to furthering their education through FOMI because it will undoubtedly benefit them, the people they lead and the Department."

A graduation event was held at the Commissioner Robert O. Lowery Auditorium at FDNY Headquarters in Brooklyn on Thursday, May 30, 2024. 

"Enrolling in such an intensive program, you took it upon yourselves to take your leadership and management skills to the next level," FDNY Chief of Staff Luis Martinez said at Thursday's graduation. "This will serve you well as you lead our members who look to you for guidance. Your accomplishment today makes the Department more effective, efficient and resilient."

"Every day at FOMI, we learned another lesson," said Captain Matthew Quinn, the class speaker for the 2024 graduating class. "We learned management in communication, but we also learned psychology, sociology, design thinking and game theory. Fields like these don't seem like they would matter at even the best Fire Department in the world. But that education — and the understanding that came from it — is exactly what we need if we're going to meet the challenges we're going to face every day and the challenges we don't even know are going to happen next. FOMI's value to the Department is tremendous."

The six-month program is offered through Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and includes instruction from educators at Columbia, NYU, Wharton and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as business leaders from major corporations.