On Feb. 15, the Senate approved Michael Chertoff's nomination as the nation's second secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. He replaces former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, who stepped down on Feb. 1.

Chertoff, who is giving up a lifetime appointment as a federal appeals court judge, leads the new federal department that oversees 22 federal agencies, including FEMA, the USFA, the National Fire Academy, and many federal grant programs for fire and emergency services departments.

“The IAFC is committed to working with Secretary Chertoff to improve homeland security and to be sure DHS supports the key role that the fire service has within homeland security,” said IAFC President Bob DiPoli.

During his nomination hearings, Chertoff indicated his willingness to ensure the fire service has a voice within DHS. “I have learned to appreciate the perspectives of state and local officials because I have shared their vantage point,” he said. “From my vantage point on Sept. 11 and in the weeks and months that followed, along with everyone else in America, I saw the heroism and sacrifice and the commitment of firefighters, police and other emergency response professionals.… I look forward to working with them to make the great promise of this still-new department a reality for them and those they serve.”

Before serving in the Third U.S. Circuit Court, Chertoff was an assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice, where he helped trace the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to al Qaeda and worked to increase information-sharing within the FBI and with state and local officials.

Chertoff paid tribute to Ridge and Deputy Secretary James J. Loy, saying that DHS must work as hard as it can to prevent another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. “I know we have done a lot,” he said. “I know there's a lot more to do.”