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John Biggs joined Campus Life Safety & Regulatory Compliance in 2017 and was promoted in 2022 to associate director of Facilities Compliance, where he coordinates regulatory compliance activities in the Facilities Management department and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders. He also oversees and assists in planning, organizing, and directing all Site Safety and Compliance Manager activities.

John first joined the medical center in October 2011, working in Public Safety first as a sergeant; he was then promoted to manager of Technology and Projects in September 2013. He is now a fire safety director for the Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion, and has held that qualification for five years with CUIMC and for 15 years while he worked for NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. John also has a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Certifications

• New York City Fire Department Certificates of Fitness
  • F-85 Certificates of Fitness as Fire Safety Director with Active Shooter and Medical Emergency Preparedness
  • S-56 Certificate of Fitness as Construction Site Fire Safety Manager
  • F-89 Certificate of Fitness as Fire Life and Safety Director for the ARB building
• OSHA 10 hour certification
• NYC Department of Buildings 4-Hour Supported Scaffold User
• NYC Department of Buildings Site Safety Coordinator 
• NYS Division of Criminal Justice, General Topics Security Guard Instructor
• MOAB Training International, Management of Aggressive Behavior Instructor
• Numerous FEMA courses
• OSHA 30 hour certification

Carol Duarte joined the Campus Life Safety and Regulatory Compliance team in November 2022. Carol is an experienced safety and compliance professional with more than 16 years of experience in the security and safety industry. Carol’s passion for safety can be tracked back to her start in the security and safety field in 2006 with Youth Services International, where she spent significant time working on safety procedures and protocols for the benefit of both staff and juveniles. In 2009, Carol transitioned into healthcare and security/safety at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Security department where she held various roles including working for the Investigations unit and hospital ID center. In her latest position as a Fire Safety Specialist, she gained unparalleled experience in fire safety, compliance, as well as ILSM (Interim Life Safety Measures) program management while also establishing herself as a respected Fire Safety Director. 

As a Site Safety and Compliance Manager at CUIMC, she looks forward to mainstreaming her past work experiences while learning and contributing to her team’s growth. 

Hector Nieves began his career at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in 2015 as a security officer in Public Safety, where he eventually became a supervisor. In 2016, he joined Facilities Management and Campus Services, where, as a fire safety specialist, he is a vital part of the Fire Safety team. Hector implements and administers systems, technologies, and processes to protect CUIMC against fire and non-fire emergencies. His responsibilities include inspecting, testing, and maintaining fire alarm and fire suppression systems and running fire drills on campus.

For more than eight years, Hector served in the United States Army, where he gained insight into information technology and communications; he also earned a bachelor's degree in business management. His pastimes include cooking and creating dishes. When he is not playing ping pong and billiards with family and friends, he can be found reading a good book.

Certifications

New York City Fire Department Certificates of Fitness:

• F-01, Citywide Fire Guard for Impairment
• F-03, Indoor Place of Assembly
• F-04, City Wide Indoor/Outdoor Place of Assembly
• F-60, Fire Guard For Torch Operations and Construction Sites
• S-12, City Wide Sprinkler System
• S-13, City Wide Standpipe System
• S-14, Standpipe for Multi-Zone System
• S-95, Supervision of Fire Alarm Systems and Other Related Systems
• T-89, Temporary Fire Life Safety Director
• W-07, City Wide Fire and Emergency Drill Conductor