New York City Mayor Eric Adams is anticipated to select Robert S. Tucker as the next commissioner of the New York Fire Department (FDNY), according to a news conference scheduled for Monday. Tucker will become the 35th leader of the FDNY, succeeding Laura Kavanagh, who resigned last week following a term marked by controversy and a purportedly hostile workplace.
Tucker has never worked as a fireman, much like his predecessor. Growing up in Manhattan, he became interested in the fire service at a young age. He even worked as a teenager in the FDNY’s Manhattan Communications Office, mapping out multiple-alarm incidents. Later on, he held positions as a commissioner on the Westchester County police board and on the board of directors of the FDNY Foundation, while also serving on Mayor Adams’s transition team, where he oversaw justice and public safety.
Daniel A. Nigro, who served as fire commissioner before retiring in February 2022, described Tucker as “level headed” and familiar with the department’s operations. He batted off worries about Tucker’s lack of prior firefighting expertise by noting out that a large number of former commissioners were also outsiders.
Laura Kavanagh, Tucker’s predecessor, made history as the first woman to serve as FDNY commissioner, but her tenure was filled with scandal. When she was appointed temporary commissioner in October 2022, she encountered opposition from agency employees right away. A lawsuit was brought by four senior chiefs against her and the FDNY on the grounds that they were unfairly demoted and that this put the safety of the city at risk. Former chiefs further accused Kavanagh of age discrimination in a different complaint.
As Tucker steps into his new role, he will oversee a department of 17,000 employees, including firefighters and emergency medical workers.
