Valerie A. Loubriel
Disability rights coordinator, EEO
1. Please introduce yourself—your name, your title and the year you joined the FDNY.
My name is Valerie A. Loubriel, Esq. I joined the FDNY in April 2013 and serve as a disability rights coordinator.
2. Where are you currently assigned, and what are your main responsibilities?
As the disability rights coordinator, I lead a team of dedicated staff who respond to requests for religious- and disability-related accommodations by FDNY personnel. My main responsibilities are to respond to members’ requests in a respectful and timely manner, ensuring that the Department can provide the requested accommodation or an effective alternative without an undue burden to the members’ unit or the Department as a whole.
3. What inspired you to choose a life of public service with the FDNY?
I come from a family tradition of public service. My paternal grandmother was a community activist, fighting for fair housing in our East Harlem community. My father was a postal worker for more than 30 years. Various family members were educators and worked in the East Harlem community. Additionally, my father, uncles, cousins and I are military veterans, collectively having served since World War II.
4. Can you share one of your most memorable moments on the job?
During my interview for this position, one of the interviewers asked me if I was able to multitask at an instance. I responded that I was a single mother with two children, so the answer is yes.
5. When you hear the words “We Are FDNY,” what does that mean to you?
Membership in a diverse first responder and civilian organization, dedicated to serving our city.
6. What would you say is your “superpower”—a strength or skill you bring to your work?
I wouldn’t say I have a superpower; I would say my team is my superpower. I have been able to surround myself with staff who share the same work ethic, compassion for others and ability to listen and hear the needs of the members requesting accommodation. The Religious Accommodations Unit is small—currently me, another attorney, Brian Angelone; Paramedic Damian Romero, who has revolutionized the RA data reporting systems; and the EEO office manager, Aisha Emanuel, who has assisted me for almost 10 years, answering calls and providing members with information and the necessary forms. [
7. How does your role help advance the FDNY’s mission of public safety?
When the needs of the staff are met, they can perform their essential job functions and ensure that the mission of the Department is met.