The events of Sept. 11, 2001, undeniably changed the world. Nowhere is this truer than in the little corner of it known as the New York City Fire Department. Just ask FDNY Chief Salvatore Cassano, a 40-year department veteran who no longer is physically present at incidents — a post-9/11 mandate after the FDNY lost 21 chiefs at the Twin Towers.

"We no longer send our top echelon to the scene," Cassano says. "It's hard for me because I've been doing this for so many years and now we have to take a different approach. But it's a much more sensible approach."

State-of-the-art technology is somewhat easing Cassano's angst. Today, he runs the FDNY remotely from its fire department operations center (FDOC) in Brooklyn. From there, the chief oversees the bureau of operations for fire and EMS, which oversees communications, fire prevention, training and safety, among other disciplines. He's also the guy who meets with high-level city officials to procure funding.

"I've built up a level of trust with city officials," he says. "So when I ask for money for new projects, they take me seriously and know it's important."

It took three years and funding from both the city ($3 million) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ($14 million) to upgrade the FDOC. The technology upgrades were a result of recommendations made in the McKinsey Report, which provided a comprehensive review of fire department operations in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. They have enabled the FDNY to improve interoperable communications with other city agencies, including the police department, office of emergency management and department of transportation. In addition, the FDOC now lets senior fire commanders manage multiple, large-scale incidents across the city — and monitor operations at its 198 engine and 143 ladder companies — from a single, centralized, remote location.

The center is used for both day-to-day operations and command-and-control for large-scale emergency incidents. For daily operations, it operates as the communications hub for all incident data. Cassano explained that firefighters, officers and apparatus are deployed via several brick-and-mortar dispatch centers located in each of the city's five boroughs. Personnel usually handle 1,200 to 1,300 calls daily. In addition, the FDOC receives calls from an emergency medical dispatch center located in Brooklyn, which receives approximately 3,330 calls daily.

Cassano notes that in the next eight months, personnel from all of the city's boroughs will be moved to a single public-safety answering point. In addition, a second PSAP site will be used as a backup center. "But in the meantime, before that is built, we are going to have a backup communications office in the Bronx and in Queens," he says.

The FDOC is divided into several areas. It includes an emergency operations center that supervises daily responses; an incident support center that is used for large-scale disasters; and two divisible command center conference rooms. During larger emergencies, the joint information center located in the FDOC is used to draft and disseminate tips and information to the public.

All areas are separated by transparent glass that can be switched to appear opaque for privacy during emergency response meetings. Cassano says the private areas were set up as secure locations where high-level officials with top-secret clearance can meet and be in contact with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.

Cassano notes that New York City always will be a target for terrorism. In his heart, he hopes the city won't suffer another terrorist attack. But if it does, "we will be ready," he says.