Former Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Chief of Operations Robert Sweeney was sworn in Monday as the new fire chief of Yonkers.
“I am so much looking forward to working with the men and women in the Yonkers’ fire department,” Sweeney said at the city hall ceremony, according to a report from the Yonkers Daily Voice (http://bit.ly/Q3pndM). “This city has the right type of people out there who are very dedicated, and I’m looking to hit the ground running out there.”
Sweeney, a 33-year veteran of the FDNY, replaces George Kielb, who resigned in June. Police commissioner Charles Gardner had been serving as interim fire commissioner during the summer.
Sweeney is Yonkers’ second fire commissioner in less than a year. Kielb left after just six months following disagreements with the mayor regarding budget cuts within the department.
Sweeney is known for his work in leading a team of city firefighters to help with recovery efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and he is also credited with helping rebuild the department after September 11, 2001.
Read more about it at http://bit.ly/Q3pndM.
