Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro today appointed Daniel Flynn to Chief Fire Marshal of the FDNY Bureau of Fire Investigation (BFI) at FDNY Headquarters in Brooklyn. In this newly appointed role, Chief Flynn oversees approximately 150 Fire Marshals of BFI who are responsible for investigating the cause and origin of more than 7,000 fires each year in New York City. FDNY Fire Marshals are law enforcement officers with the power to arrest those who commit arson and other crimes within New York City. Investigations by Fire Marshals provide critical information used by the Department to improve the safety of FDNY members at fires and other emergencies and provide fire causes that are used to direct fire safety education efforts for the public.
“Chief Flynn has spent his entire career bravely serving and protecting New Yorkers. As a Firefighter, he battled fires and rescued others from harm. In his career as a Fire Marshal, he investigated fatal fires and brought to justice those who used fire as a weapon to endanger lives and destroy property,” said Commissioner Nigro. “Now, as Chief Fire Marshal, he will utilize all these skills, supervising an outstanding group of Fire Marshals who work diligently each day to ensure the safety of our city and the members of this Department.”
About Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn
Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn reports directly to Fire Commissioner Nigro. Prior to this role, Chief Flynn oversaw the FDNY Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which is responsible for conducting complex and high-profile criminal investigations. Chief Flynn supervised the work of numerous Fire Marshals handling a wide range of arson cases where fire was willfully and maliciously used as a weapon. Chief Flynn has been cross designated as a Federal Supervisory Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) since 2017, responsible for coordinating local investigative efforts with State and Federal partners at the site of any major arson incident. Having undergone extensive training in the field of advanced fire scene examination, Chief Flynn has served as a qualified technical and legal expert in the determination of origin and cause of fires to support criminal prosecutions. He received 38 total citations for tenacity and resourceful investigative work from 2010 – 2018. Most notably, the recipient of the Deputy Commissioner Christine R. Godek Medal in 2012 for his efforts in uncovering a criminal conspiracy that included arson, kidnapping, assault and robbery following a 3-alarm fire on Staten Island where 10 Firefighters had been seriously injured. That long-running investigation concluded with the incarceration of four violent felony offenders.
Chief Flynn joined the FDNY in 2005 and his first assignment was at Ladder Company 114 in Brooklyn. He worked there until his promotion to Fire Marshal in 2009. Five years later, he was promoted to Lieutenant and worked in the 8th Division. In November of 2016, he was promoted to Supervising Fire Marshal. Before joining FDNY, Chief Flynn served as a Police Officer for the New York City Police Department from July 1999 – May 2005.
