NYC firefighter, lawyer named director of safety and risk management

J. Kevin Culley

NYC firefighter, lawyer named director of safety and risk management

A former commanding officer of the New York City Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Unit and coordinator of the New York Mayor's Office of Emergency Management has been appointed the new director of safety and risk management at the University of Rhode Island.

J. Kevin Culley, a member of the New York City Fire Department for 24 years, who also earned a law degree from the New York School of Law, began his work at URI in February.

He immediately began an inspection of URI's places of public assembly and a review of the University's emergency response guidelines. He and his staff have inspected nearly 100 places of assembly for fire code and alarm compliance and found no violations.

At URI, the director of safety and risk management oversees a wide range of areas, including fire safety, industrial hygiene, hazardous materials storage and disposal, alarm systems and insurance.

"During my 25 years with the University, I have seen the responsibilities of the Safety and Risk Management Department grow in scope and complexity," said J. Vernon Wyman, URI assistant vice president for business services. "We are very fortunate to have an individual of Mr. Culley's caliber join the University's management team. His experience will be a real asset in the oversight and promotion of fire and public safety, emergency response preparedness, and environmental compliance."

Culley said his priorities are the protection of life, property and the environment. "I will be a conduit who will deliver information to as many people as possible on campus," he said. "The New York fire department is almost a cloistered community that is separate from the community at large. Here, I know I will be bouncing things off people all the time. I feel very welcomed here, and I really look forward to being around students because they create a refreshing environment."

In 1979, he began his career as a firefighter at New York's Engine Company 232, and in 1984 became a firefighter/hazardous materials technician. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1989. In 1991, he returned as a lieutenant to supervise a platoon in the hazardous materials unit. In 1997, he joined the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management at 7 World Trade Center as a fire captain/citywide emergency coordinator. He returned to the hazardous materials unit in April 2002 as the commander.

His work for the Mayor's Office put him in the cross hairs of terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. "On Sept. 11, I was in the office of emergency management on the 23rd floor of 7 World Trade Center," Culley said. "People have told me what a beautiful day it was, but all I remember is a gray thick cloud filled with dust and soot."

Culley responded to the north tower as the interagency coordinator, and was still there when the south tower collapsed. "We got out of the north tower when that happened. For the most part, getting out was a matter of luck," he said. "Nobody was smarter or faster, it was just plain luck."

Culley said a great deal can be learned from the terrorist attacks in 2001 and the fire disaster at the nightclub in West Warwick.

"I now have an attentive audience, and I have gotten calls from people in the University community asking for inspections and guidance. My goal here is to provide the safest possible environment at URI, and now all I have to do is get around to see all 300 buildings. That's been a challenge."

By Dave Lavallee