Meet Joe Terranova, Director of Fire Safety 

A veteran fire protection engineer was recently appointed as NYCHA’s first Director of Fire Safety.  

After more than five years as Engineering Manager for fire protection systems at MTA-Long Island Railroad (LIRR), the nation’s busiest commuter railroad, Joe Terranova has joined NYCHA to oversee the new Fire Safety Department. Mr. Terranova – who previously served as Senior Fire Protection Engineer and Site Fire Marshal at Brookhaven National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy facility on Long Island – said he “was looking for a new challenge.”    

“I’ve done big things like working in the nuclear and scientific world at Brookhaven and the transportation world with the MTA, and now I’ve moved to the largest public housing agency within the great city of New York, so I’m excited to be here,” said Mr. Terranova, a Brooklyn native who now lives in Suffolk County. “I get to use all of my education and experience to hopefully improve the quality of life and the safety of the folks that are here.”  

As part of recent organizational improvements within NYCHA Operations, the former fire safety unit will transform into a full department under the Technical Services Department. Mr. Terranova said he has been tasked with overseeing the Fire Safety Department’s growth, while managing the inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair of all existing fire protection systems, such as sprinklers and fire alarms.   

“I’m working to develop a comprehensive fire safety program for both our staff and residents,” said Mr. Terranova, noting that many of the director’s responsibilities were handled by the former Fire Safety Administrator. “We’re establishing oversight of all the fire and life safety systems for the administration. Eventually, this will grow into a true fire protection program where there’ll be a focus on fire prevention and fire safety education for staff and residents.”  

Director of Fire Safety Joe Terranova is managing the inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair of all existing fire protection systems at NYCHA.

Having spent more than 30 years in fire protection, Mr. Terranova said his interest in public service developed as a youth and he took his first CPR class at age 12.  

“I always wanted to help,” he recalled. “From an early age, I thought fire protection would be my thing.”    

Mr. Terranova began his career as an engineer designing smoke detectors, and he has also had previous roles in emergency services, including as a paramedic, professional and volunteer firefighter, and hazardous materials specialist. While at the LIRR, he managed and directed fire protection system replacements, upgrades, renovations, and capital projects. He additionally provided building code consultation for infrastructure development projects such as Hudson Yards and the Penn Station rehabilitation.  

In accepting the NYCHA position, Mr. Terranova saw an opportunity to serve the community and help keep residents safe. Among his goals is to address the challenges of aging infrastructure, which may require maintenance, repair, or replacement of existing systems.  

A key focus will be on fire prevention measures, he said, adding that the department will also seek to implement a fire safety training program for property managers and superintendents across the Authority.  

“The best fire to have is the one that never gets started in the first place,” he noted. “We’re going to try to protect people to the best of our ability. We all need to work together to help make sure that the next event never happens.”