NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh attend the 2023 New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
The head of the New York City Fire Department has notified Mayor Eric Adams that she intends to step down from her post in order to explore other career opportunities, officials familiar with the commissioner's plans told News 4.
"My dedication to the FDNY has never and will never waver. It has been the honor of a lifetime to devote the last 10 years — five as first deputy commissioner and more than two as commissioner — to advocating for the men and women of the FDNY," Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said in a statement.
Kavanagh has served as the commissioner for the city's fire department for nearly two years, after serving as the acting commissioner following the retirement of Daniel Nigro in Feb. 2022. She has been the first female commissioner in the department's 159-year history.
Adams made her appointment overseeing the FDNY's 17,000 firefighters and emergency medical workers official in October 2022.
City Hall is said to have started its search for her replacement, according to the officials. Kavanagh, they said, has agreed to stay in her role as commissioner until a replacement is found.
"While the decision I have made over the last month has been a hard one, I’m confident that it is time for me to pass the torch to the next leader of the finest Fire Department in the world. I look forward to spending the next several months assisting the department’s transition in leadership, before embarking on my next professional challenge. Thank you Mayor Adams for the opportunity you gave me and for your continued support of me and the FDNY." Kavanagh's statement concluded.
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In his own statement, Adams called Kavanagh a trailblazer and thanked her for her years of dedication "keeping New Yorkers safe."
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Kavanagh has never been a firefighter herself. She was a senior adviser to former Mayor Bill de Blasio, and a campaign staffer for de Blasio and former President Barack Obama, before joining the department in an administrative role in 2014. She was named first deputy commissioner in 2018.
As first deputy commissioner and acting commissioner, Kavanagh oversaw the department’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its response to tragedies including a Bronx fire that killed 19.
"Commissioner Kavanagh’s tenure has been marked by sweeping improvements to the FDNY’s technology infrastructure, including the department’s adoption of robotics, smart devices and innovative safety equipment aimed at protecting firefighters and emergency services personnel," according to her bio on the city's website.
