Chief Information Security Officer
New York City Fire Department · Public Sector
Brooklyn, NY · Onsite
Compensation not disclosed
CISO
CLI Career Level
67
Opportunity
Solid · Last verified 1 hour ago
Cyber leadership profile
New York City Fire Department
The FDNY is the largest municipal fire department in the United States, responsible for fire suppression, emergency medical services, and technical rescue for New York City's five boroughs. The department serves over 8.5 million residents across a highly complex urban environment, maintaining an extensive critical infrastructure network of stations and dispatch centers. For a security leader, the role involves protecting high-stakes emergency communications systems, public safety data, and large-scale operational technology.
- Industry
- Public Sector
- Headcount
- 10,000+ employees
- Headquarters
- Brooklyn, New York
- Ownership
- Government
- Revenue
- Over $10B
- Funding
- Not applicable
- Founded
- 1865
Cyber hiring activity
Open leadership roles
1
1 at Director level or above
Opened, last 12 months
1
1 Director+
Prior 12 months
0
Hiring velocity
Low
Median Opportunity Score 67
1 leadership role observed in the last 12 months. CLI has no coverage of the prior year for this employer. Counts reflect roles New York City Fire Department posted that CLI has observed and published; they are not a complete record of the employer's hiring.
Security leadership
Robert Garafola
Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Planning and Support ServicesHiring influence: HighStated publiclyHigh confidenceAs Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Planning and Support Services, he oversees the Bureau of Technology Development and Systems (BTDS).
Jonathan Perez
Chief Information Security OfficerHiring influence: HighInferredHigh confidenceDirects cybersecurity operations and policy for the department's emergency response infrastructure.
People are recorded only from public sources. Where a role in the hierarchy is inferred rather than stated, CLI labels it so you can weigh it yourself.
Approach
Open any live role below for its full approach path: the likely hiring owner, the decision circle around them, and the strongest route in.
Security organization
Estimated team size20–50 peopleModerate confidence
Security functions reside within the Bureau of Technology Development and Systems (BTDS). The CISO typically reports through the CIO/Deputy Commissioner to the Fire Commissioner, while coordinating with NYC Cyber Command.
Major functions
Emergency Dispatch Systems SecurityHIPAA Compliance and Patient Data ProtectionNetwork Security OperationsPublic Safety Wireless Communications Security
Maturity indicators
- Dedicated CISO role established
- Alignment with NYC Cyber Command (NYC3) standards
- Regular HIPAA compliance audits for EMS data
The FDNY operates a mature security program integrated with New York City's centralized Cyber Command, focusing heavily on the availability of dispatch systems and the privacy of EMS records.
Organization figures are CLI estimates, not disclosures. High confidence
Security events
Mar 2022
FDNY Notifies Patients of Data Breach After Laptop Theft
Security incidentHigh confidenceAn FDNY EMS lieutenant's personal laptop, containing sensitive information of approximately 3,000 patients, was reported stolen.
Source
Technologies observed
CrowdStrikeEndpoint1 posting
KubernetesInfrastructure1 posting
Rapid7Vulnerability1 posting
Extracted verbatim from this employer's security postings. Absence from this list does not mean the tool is not in use.
Open cyber leadership roles
Cyber Leadership Index compiles these dossiers from public sources and the employer's own postings. Inferred figures are labelled with a confidence level; anything CLI cannot establish is shown as unknown rather than estimated. Last refreshed September 21, 2026.