Since its inception, John Jay College has been an institution proud to educate public safety leaders in law enforcement, fire suppression, and emergency medical services. Every day, these brave members of our community work hard to keep us safe. We’re continually grateful for their service, and in recognition of their considerable contributions to our safety, we’re dedicating our “Behind the Badge” series to them. In these articles we get to see the man or woman “behind the badge.” We get to know what inspires them, understand what challenges them, and most importantly learn about their jobs through their own thoughts and experiences.
Many of us know that the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) keeps the major airports in New York and New Jersey safe, but what most of us don’t know is that they have their own Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter (ARFF) Unit—of which alumnus Nigel Thompson ’98 is a proud member. “When people think of the Port Authority, they just think of the bus terminal, but there’s the seaports, the piers, the bridges, the tunnels, the World Trade Center, and airports. There’s a lot of different spaces that the Port Authority manages and has to keep safe,” says Thompson, who majored in Criminal Justice and minored in Police Science when he attended John Jay.
“I was attracted to John Jay College because of the criminal justice focus. My family has a long history of law enforcement back on the islands, so it felt like a natural fit for me.” —Nigel Thompson
Thompson was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and attributes his endless drive to succeed to his immigrant background. After coming to the United States when he was 16 years old, he settled into the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. While studying at the Boys and Girls High School—the oldest public high school in Brooklyn—he learned to be disciplined and focused when it came to reaching his goals. “We had these ‘Dress for Success Wednesdays’ where we had to wear business attire to school. We were introduced to a lot of Black history, and it created a very positive dynamic and set me on the right path,” Thompson recalls, thinking back to his early days in Brooklyn.
As a young immigrant, with only a year and a half of American high school under his belt, he felt the pressure to find a fruitful career in the States. “That’s the immigrant way. We came here for opportunity and we have to figure it out,” he says. “I was drawn to the idea of joining the military police, but because I wasn’t a citizen yet, it wasn’t something that I could explore. Then I was attracted to John Jay College because of the criminal justice focus. My family has a long history of law enforcement back on the islands, so it felt like a natural fit for me.” We sat down with Thompson to learn more about his journey and his work with the PAPD and ARFF Unit.
“I was a SEEK student and that was a great help to me. SEEK assisted me with funds to purchase books. SEEK found some remediation courses for me to take. I had to adjust to the American system, and I needed those courses to build a foundation for the more advanced courses in my future.” —Nigel Thompson
What was your experience at John Jay College like?
It was an adjustment for me because I was an immigrant. Within a year and a half of arriving here, I was in college. I had the academic prowess to get things done, but I was used to a Caribbean education system. It took a little while for me to get the right structure and time-management skills in my studies. Luckily, I was a SEEK student and that was a great help to me. SEEK assisted me with funds to purchase books. SEEK found some remediation courses for me to take. I had to adjust to the American system, and I needed those courses to build a foundation for the more advanced courses in my future. I was always by Carmen Solis’ office. Ms. Solis [SEEK Associate Professor, former SEEK Counseling Coordinator] and her team were always helping me with something—career opportunities, academic advisement, they were always there.
While I was at John Jay, I was working in security and looking for opportunities. At some point, the FDNY (the Fire Department of the City of New York) cadet program was on campus and I met a Black firefighter for the first time. He was with the Vulcan Society [an organization that supports Black firefighters] and they were trying to recruit young Black people. My friend Steve encouraged me to explore it, and he ended up going through the FDNY program. Unfortunately, the EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) training didn’t work for me—the germs and diseases petrified me— but the experience further sparked my interest in firefighting and law enforcement careers. I happened to see a Port Authority Police Exam flier at the Career Center, and I took the exam. After I graduated, I became a New York City public school teacher for a short time. Then in October of 2000, I got an acceptance package from the Port Authority. It felt like a pure, positive opportunity and I took it. I went to the Port Authority Police Academy.
“In our line of work, it’s not a good day unless the plane lands safely and you see the pilot give you a thumbs up. When your training comes into play, nothing good is happening. You’re looking at death and mayhem.” —Nigel Thompson
What does a typical day look like for you on the job?
The airport is like a city. There’s a constant flow of people. The same crimes and problems you’d have in a city, you have in the airport. Part of the process of working at the airport is that you have to have basic aircraft rescue training. We have the firetrucks. We have everything we need so that if a disaster happens everybody is trained to take care of business. I’m part of the fire unit. If there’s a problem with a plane, my unit responds. Let’s say a pilot can’t put down the nose gear, let’s say the pilot has something called “hot breaks” or problems with the hydraulic system, there are so many problems that planes can have. The passengers might not know it, but in those situations, there are Port Authority firetrucks following the plane that’s in trouble and we’re ready to help. We might take out some fans to cool the hot breaks. If there’s an actual fire, we might need to throw some product on it to take care of it. Passengers might be inconvenienced a little bit afterward, but they’re alive. That’s the goal.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
When you talk about aircraft rescue firefighting, the worst case is when a plane crashes. When there’s a really bad plane crash, there really isn’t much saving to do. Five years ago, there was a plane coming in to land and it was having some sort of technical difficulties. The plane crashed about two miles off the airport and the pilot and copilot died. Thankfully, no passengers were on the plane and only a few cars were destroyed in the parking lot on the ground. In our line of work, it’s not a good day unless the plane lands safely and you see the pilot give you a thumbs up. When your training comes into play, nothing good is happening. You’re looking at death and mayhem. A good day is when everybody makes it home safely. As kids, when you grow up, you want to be a cop, you want to be a firefighter, you want to save the day and help people, but it’s different with aircraft. When somebody dies, you feel horrible and you wonder about the “what ifs,” but we can’t control what happens in the air.
How has your John Jay education enhanced your career in law enforcement?
So many foundational classes have shaped how I think about the world and what I think policing should be. There was a course that focused on the gangs of New York, talking about what groups controlled what areas and organizations, who had opportunities and who didn’t. The issues of that time can be applied to our current lives, thinking about the plight of different people feeling disenfranchised, or the imbalance of resources and opportunities. I’ve always had that level of consciousness, but how we deal with people is based on our experiences and our education, so courses like that really impacted the way I relate to people in my job. John Jay reinforced how I was raised to interact with people, making sure that I see their humanity. There should always be a human component to being a law enforcement officer.
“Don’t be discouraged by the climate that we’re in right now. There is a need for reform. There is a need for change, but that change will come from you.” —Nigel Thompson
What advice would you give to future law enforcement officers, firefighters, or emergency medical professionals?
Anybody who wants to get into law enforcement needs to get a full education. Get a full picture of the world—sociology, psychology, criminology. Everything at John Jay is designed to help you get a grand understanding of what law enforcement should be. Take your education seriously. It’s the foundation of what you’ll need to succeed professionally. No matter which organization you end up in—NYPD, FDNY, Port Authority—your education will keep you whole and propel you forward. Don’t be discouraged by the climate that we’re in right now. There is a need for reform. There is a need for change, but that change will come from you.
