Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services Assistant Chief Cody T. Norita, center, with DFEMS Commissioner Juan Pua, left, and Deputy Commissioner Steve Mesngon.
DEPARTMENT of Fire & Emergency Services Assistant Chief Cody T. Norita has been accepted to the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. The academy is an entity of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
According to DFEMS, Norita is the first individual from the CNMI to be accepted into the prestigious program.
“Acceptance into this program is highly competitive amongst executive fire officers, with a pool limited to only 500 applicants nationwide, underscoring the significance of Norita’s selection from the CNMI. Norita’s selection not only marks a personal milestone but also represents a step forward for the CNMI’s fire services,” DFEMS said in a statement.
It said the intensive two-year program “is rigorous, engaging participants in a comprehensive study of leadership, management, and executive development while building the knowledge and skills necessary to develop innovative public policy solutions that enhance community safety and resilience and preparing them to address the complex challenges of modern emergency services.”
Norita has a bachelor of science degree in Fire & Emergency Management, numerous fire certifications, and is a former firefighter of the U.S. Navy.
Norita “eagerly anticipates the contributions he will make upon completion of the program, to further enhance the capabilities of the CNMI’s fire and emergency services.”
Norita would like to thank his wife and children for their love and support, as well as DFEMS Commissioner Juan Pua and Deputy Commissioner Steve Mesngon “for their leadership and commitment to building capacity within our department.”
