May 21, 2021 — The New York City Emergency Management Department welcomes back John Scrivani to his new role as commissioner of the agency. Commissioner Scrivani brings a wealth of knowledge to the department, which includes leadership roles within New York City government, including NYC Emergency Management and the New York City Police Department. A member of the public safety community for more than two decades, he is responsible for oversight of the City's efforts to plan and prepare for emergencies, educate the public about preparedness, coordinate emergency response and recovery, and disseminate emergency information.

“As emergency management leaders we learn from every disaster, and that is why there is such a strong effort to communicate and prepare the public on emergencies. In New York City, events like Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic have really showed the importance of communicating between agencies and the public,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani. “What I see as the next challenge in emergency management is protecting the vulnerability of our infrastructure to cyberattacks, like what we saw with the Colonial Pipeline. New York City was not affected, but it showed what potential impact such events can have in our everyday lives.” 

On the latest episode of “Prep Talk,” Commissioner Scrivani discusses his emergency management and public safety experience, in addition to his expectations and goals for his new role. Prior to rejoining NYC Emergency Management, Scrivani held leadership positions in Virginia State government over the last 10 years, including director of safety, security and emergency management for the Virginia Department of Transportation, where he was responsible for overseeing employee health and safety, physical security for all agency facilities and critical infrastructure, and the agency's emergency management and continuity programs. 

Commissioner Scrivani also discusses the leadership traits he has embraced from his mentors, his passion for tennis, sports podcasts, old school hip-hop, and why his Go Bag is an essential emergency tool. You can listen to the latest episode on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spreaker.

Profile: 

John Scrivani returns home to New York City, where he worked in New York City government for more than 20 years. He was special assistant to the deputy mayor for operations working on Hurricane Sandy recovery projects, including the City’s debris removal task force, and as the deputy commissioner for operations at NYC Emergency Management from 2009 to 2011. 

From 2008 to 2009, Scrivani was deputy director of the special operations division at the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), where he also oversaw operations and safety for the World Trade Center Potential Human Remains Recovery Project and managed the special operations response team. For 14 years, he worked as a member of the NYPD, where he retired as commanding officer of the Emergency Service Unit (ESU) Hazardous Materials-Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Team and Training School. He was a member of the ESU and a first responder during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Scrivani is a graduate of the State University of New York, Excelsior College.

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