Discover Resilience: The Podcast At the helm of crisis: Leading New York City’s Watch Command
Jan 20, 2026
Stacey Martinez, Director of Watch Command at NYC Emergency Management and former FDNY EMT, leads the city's 24/7 operations center. She talks about real-time multi-agency coordination and the tools behind citywide monitoring. She reflects on her journey from street EMS to leadership, the weight of representation as the first Black woman in the role, and on responding to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.
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Career Shift After Hurricane Sandy
- Stacey moved from being an FDNY EMT to emergency management after working through Hurricane Sandy.
- She realized she could impact more people by coordinating response at a citywide level.
Street Lessons Applied To Leadership
- Field experience taught Stacey humility, situational awareness, and empathy.
- She applies those street-level lessons to leadership and team care in Watch Command.
Constant Citywide Situational Awareness
- Watch Command is a 24/7 operations center that continuously monitors multiple information streams.
- The team coordinates agencies and provides decision-makers with timely situational awareness.