DOB Celebrates Graduation of 78 Inspectors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2026
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DOB CELEBRATES GRADUATION OF 78 NEW INSPECTORS

New Staff Assigned Across the Agency's Enforcement and Development Teams to Improve Public Safety and Protect Quality of Life New Emergency Response Vehicle Dedicates in Honor of Former Deputy Commissioner Joseph Esposito at Ceremony

New York, NY - Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg and Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani celebrated with 78 new employees of the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) who recently graduated from the agency's Inspector Academy training program. The graduation ceremony held this week at the Great Hall at Cooper Union Manhattan signaled their ceremonial entrance into the agency's ranks of Enforcement and Development inspectors. Each of the members of the three graduating classes that took part in this week's ceremony have completing 16 weeks of intensive training and have been assigned to units across the agency.

"We are proud to welcome these 78 new inspectors to the Department of Buildings family," said Commissioner Tigani. "These new colleagues will serve as our front lines and will be the most recognizable face of the agency for most New Yorkers. Their critical work to enforce our city's buildings and construction regulations will help us build a safer and more prosperous city for all New Yorkers."

The 78 graduating inspectors represent eight different home countries, and combined they speak 12 different languages in addition to English, including Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Marathi, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, and Tamil. A representation of the diverse city they now work for, their new career will have them routed to neighborhoods throughout the city, enforcing the NYC Construction Codes and Zoning Resolution across the five boroughs.

During the 16 weeks of training at the agency's Inspector Academy, these inspectors received a total of 520 combined hours of intensive classroom instruction and on-the-job field training under the supervision of senior inspectors. The Academy was created at the Department to provide the necessary training in code enforcement, zoning regulations, building regulations, and DOB policies necessary for new staff to effectively carry out their duties as representatives of the city at buildings and construction sites across the city.

Following the graduation ceremony, Commissioner Tigani stood with representatives of New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), and family members of former DOB Deputy Commissioner of Enforcement Joseph Esposito, for a ribbon cutting of the Department's new emergency response mobile command center vehicle. The vehicle was named after Deputy Commissioner Esposito, affectionately known by his colleagues as "Espo", who tragically passed from 9/11-related illness in 2024. Prior to his time at DOB, Deputy Commissioner Esposito served as Commissioner at NYCEM and Chief of Department at the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The all-electric vehicle was officially named "Espo 1", and will be used by the Department when responding to large scale buildings-related emergencies.

A video of the graduation ceremony, which was attended by graduating inspectors, their families, city officials, as well as former DOB Commissioner Melanie La Rocca, Rick Chandler, Robert LiMandri, Patricia Lancaster, and Gaston Silva, is available on the Department's YouTube page.

"We are thrilled to supply the Department of Buildings with a new all-electric and high-tech command center to assist response to emergency events citywide," states DCAS Deputy Commissioner for Fleet Management and NYC's Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman. "It was particularly fitting that the command center, Espo 1, was dedicated to one of New York City's most impactful career public servants, Joseph Esposito, who served across six decades at NYPD, Emergency Management, and Buildings, and protected New York against every type of threat and emergency."

"Joseph Esposito, who also served as commissioner of NYC Emergency Management, dedicated much of his life to assisting his fellow New Yorkers and we are proud to honor his legacy," said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Chirstina Farrell. "Espo-1 is such a fitting name for vehicle that will respond to large-scale events, just as our dear colleague who with a storied career, made a tremendous impact on the city's resilience over the span of decades."