Manhattan, NY Last month, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater New York (BOMA New York) hosted a seminar with New York City Fire Department (FDNY) chief of counterterrorism and emergency preparedness Joseph  Pfeifer to educate property owners and building managers on effective fire and terrorism prevention plans for high-rise buildings.

The seminar was titled “High-Rise Preparedness in an Uncertain World,” and hosted at Club 101 in Midtown. 

“As the threat environment changes, preparation is key,” said BOMA New York president James Kleeman. “Terrorist attacks no longer fit into single-method categories, or operate solely on a horizontal plane. At BOMA New York, we want to do our part to ensure that building owners and property managers are educated and informed to reduce potential risk and save lives.”

Chief Pfeifer has commanded some of the largest fires and disasters in New York City’s history. He was the first Chief at the World Trade Center attack on the morning of September 11th, 2001, played a major command role during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and helped manage the Ebola crisis response efforts. 

Chief Pfeifer is the founding director of FDNY’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness. He serves as a strategic leader assessing the Department’s emergency response, identifying new budget and policy priorities and overhauling management practices. Chief Pfeifer produces weekly analyses of threats and crisis response throughout the world. He is also a citywide command chief, responsible for managing emergency response teams.

BOMA New York is the Greater New York area association of BOMA International, which represents 91 local associations throughout the United States and sixteen affiliates in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. BOMA/NY represents one of the largest industries in commercial real estate, responsible for the ownership and management of some of the world’s most prestigious properties. 

BOMA New York serves as the first line of defense for New York’s working public, accountable for the safety, physical well-being and security of the city’s three million office tenants.