NYC Emergency Management commissioner fired by de Blasio has new city Building Department job

A former Office of Emergency Management head who was fired for mishandling the city’s response to a snowstorm — but refused to immediately leave office — has landed a job with the city’s Department of Buildings.

Joseph Esposito, a longstanding city official who was also the NYPD’s longest-serving chief of department, was named the DOB’s new Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement, the agency announced on Twitter Friday.

“Joe brings decades of NYC civic leadership experience to the Department and will work to keep the City’s building environment safe and code-compliant,” the agency said.

In a statement, Esposito said it is “an honor to continue my service to the people of New York City at the Department of Buildings.”

Esposito, 72, was fired as OEM commissioner in 2018 following a will-he-stay-or-will-he-go drama involving former Mayor Bill de Blasio and his aides, who seemed incapable of directly firing him.

After accusing him of mishandling a surprise snowstorm on Nov. 15, 2018 that sparked a commuter nightmare, Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin demanded his resignation, but Esposito flat out refused and continued to work through that weekend and into the next week.

The marching orders, apparently, had to come from de Blasio, who repeatedly waffled on the decision and wouldn’t commit to firing the longtime cop.

On Dec. 3, two weeks after the snowstorm and three days after being fired by Anglin, de Blasio finally had a sit down with Esposito.

Later that day, de Blasio announced that the city was going to look for a new OEM commissioner.

But Esposito still didn’t leave: he was allowed to stay as OEM head until a replacement could be found. He ultimately left in June 2019.

“Looking forward to taking a vacation and a break from Twitter!” he joked on social media at the time.

Esposito joined the NYPD in 1968 and was named chief of department in 2000. He spent the next 13 years as chief of department, serving two police commissioners, until he retired in 2013. He was named OEM commissioner a year later.