Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro appointed two veteran EMS officers to the top ranks in the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on Jan. 21, James P. Booth to Chief of EMS, and Michael J. Fitton to Assistant Chief of EMS.
Chief Booth, a 31-year veteran, who most recently served as Division Chief in the Bronx, will now supervise 3,700 EMS officers, paramedics, EMTs and civilian employees in the EMS Bureau, and will be responsible for overseeing operations, planning, strategic initiatives and logistics.
Chief Fitton, a 30-year veteran, who until recently was Chief of Emergency Medical Dispatch, will serve as Chief Booth’s second-in-command.
About James P. Booth
Chief Booth was appointed as a New York City EMT in 1983 and was assigned to the Yorkville Station in Manhattan. In 1988, he became a paramedic and was assigned to the EMS Station at Jacobi Hospital. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1992, serving out of the Lincoln Hospital EMS Station before joining the Emergency Response Squad (ERS) – now the Hazardous materials and Tactical Patrol Unit, or HazTac.
After his promotion to Captain in 1997, he was assigned to the Bronx and served first in Williamsbridge and then in Morris Park. In 2003, after promotion to Deputy Chief, he served in Brooklyn and the South Bronx. He then was promoted to Division Commander, serving in Staten Island and the Bronx before being assigned to EMS Operations.
Chief Booth has worked on several major technology and equipment projects, including the multiple-casualty incident patient tracking system, the roll-out of a new Handie-Talkie radio communications program, institution of EMS post command radios, and improving Fire-EMS radio interoperability.
He also responded to bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He served as part of the response team to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, and participated in FDNY missions to the Dominican Republic following Hurricanes Georges and New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
Chief Booth studied Emergency Management at the John Jay College of the City University of New York, and graduated from the FDNY Fire Officers Management Institute (FOMI), as well as FDNY’s Advanced Leadership Course. A native of the Bronx, Chief Booth lives in City Island with his wife.
About Michael J. Fitton
Chief Fitton was appointed as an EMT in 1984 and assigned to EMS Communications where he processed and dispatched 911 calls for two years before his first field assignment at Jacobi Hospital’s EMS Station.
After completing his paramedic training as part of the first New York City EMS class in 1986, he was assigned to the Lincoln Hospital Station, later transferring to the Jacobi Hospital Station, where he and Chief Booth worked together for seven years.
Following his promotion to Lieutenant in 1993, he worked in Harlem and the Bronx. After the merger of FDNY and EMS in 1996, Chief Fitton taught Certified First Responder courses at the FDNY Academy on Randall’s Island, and later worked on Paramedic Response Units in Queens. He was promoted to Captain in 1997, Deputy Chief in 2006, and Division Chief in 2008, serving in all five boroughs. He then was appointed Chief of Emergency Medical Dispatch in 2011.
Chief Fitton spent two months aiding in the recovery effort at the World Trade Center site after Sept. 11, 2001.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management and Community Affairs from Empire State College of the City University of New York, attended the West Point Counterterrorism Course, and graduated from the FDNY Fire Officers Management Institute, as well as FDNY’s Advanced Leadership Course. He is a native of the Bronx.
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