Joseph Pfeifer

Joseph Pfeifer retired from the New York City Fire Department in 2018 as an Assistant Chief and founding director of the FDNY’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness. In 2023–2024, he was brought back to FDNY as First Deputy Commissioner and then Acting Fire Commissioner. During his thirty-nine-year career in FDNY, he commanded some of the most significant fires and emergencies in New York City’s history, including being the first Chief at the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, the Superstorm Sandy fire, and many other extreme events. Pfeifer is an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University, a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a senior fellow at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. He holds master’s degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Immaculate Conception. Joe lives in New York City with his wife and family.