By Alexander Dworkowitz
Rushing to the scene of a three-alarm fire is plenty of work for many people. But for Beechhurst's Joe Governale, responding to a blaze is often just the beginning of his day.
The 50-year-old liaison to the FDNY commissioner is in the midst of preparing for two major exams. He is working to get his master's degree from John Jay College in protection management with a concentration in security management in counter terrorism. At the same time, Governale is studying to become a battalion chief in the Fire Department.
“They're not straightforward questions,” Governale said of the FDNY's exam in a recent interview in his home. “They're tricky questions. You have to be on top of your game.”
Juggling roles is not an uncommon task for Governale. He is one of the more visible figures in greater Whitestone community, serving as fourth chairman of Community Board 7, an active member of Whitestone's Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church and one of the founders of Son of Italy, a Queens group dedicated to promoting Italian heritage.
As safety liaison to the safety commissioner of the FDNY, Governale is charged with responding to every three-alarm fire in the city, sometimes on call 7 days a week.
Governale started with the Fire Department in 1977. He had already served as a police officer for three years but decided to quit the force, saying the state's lenient penal laws allowed criminals to stay on the street and did not protect police officers on the streets.
Governale rose through the ranks of the Fire Department, serving in companies in Bushwick, Corona, Midtown Manhattan and South Jamaica. In 1991, he was promoted to captain and took charge of a Bronx company. In 2000, he transferred to his current job at the FDNY's headquarters in Brooklyn.
Governale said he will be a member of the new FDNY's terrorism task force, which is in the process of being formed.
In studying terrorism at John Jay College, the possibility of further attacks on the United States is often on Governale's mind.
“In my heart, I really don't feel you are going to beat the terrorists,” he said. “But in order to curtail the damage, you have to think like a terrorist.”
In order to prevent attacks, governmental agencies must share more information, Governale said. Unfortunately, government officials are often reluctant to give intelligence to their colleagues in other agencies, Governale said.
“Everyone has their own agenda,” he said. “They want to be the heroes of the day. And that's a very wrong attitude to take.”
Governale is not only passionate about fighting terrorism, but improving his own church, said the Rev. Marcello Latona of Holy Trinity.
Latona, who said Governale frequently volunteered at the church, described him as a dedicated person who “lives by his word.”
“He will not excuse himself for saying anything that he should say,” Latona said. “He's a firebrand in the sense that he's intense. He'll say, 'If this is your job, do it correctly.'”
In his years with Community Board 7, Governale has advocated for greater police and fire protection in Northeast Queens.
The firehouses and police stations were built in northeast Queens when the area had a relatively sparse population and the protection does not meet the needs of today's residents, Governale said.
“I think this community is being shortchanged,” he said.
With his visibility in northeast Queens and his desire for change, Governale has thought about the implications of running for office.
Governale said he has “a love for politics.” But for now, he has decided against a political career, saying he would not give up time with his wife and two daughters to run for office.
“My family is always No. 1,” he said.
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300 Ext. 141.
