FDNY commissioner Laura Kavanagh announces resignation
NEW YORK (WABC) -- FDNY fire comissioner Laura Kavanagh has announced her resignation.
After just two years on the job, Kavanagh said she will step down from her role in the coming months.
The agency has apparently already been looking for a replacement. Kavanagh says she looks forward to helping the FDNY find the perfect candidate to fill the role.
She was first appointed to the role of fire commissioner in Mayor Eric Adams' administration n October 2022. Kavanagh became the first woman to head up the agency since it began nearly 160 years ago. Adams called Kavanagh a trailblazer.
"She has helped usher in sweeping improvements to the FDNY's technology infrastructure; increased funding for members' health and safety, including for cancer reduction and mental health counseling; and overhauled how the FDNY recruits and retains members of color, leading to the most diverse Fire Department in our city's history, while simultaneously tripling the number of women serving as firefighters," he said in a statement. "Commissioner Kavanagh has dedicated her life to keeping New Yorkers safe and while we've made it clear that she could have kept this position for as long as she wanted, we respect her decision to take the next step in her career. We thank her for every minute she has given to running the greatest Fire Department in the world. To be clear, though, nothing changes today. Commissioner Kavanagh still leads New York's Bravest and has agreed to continue to do so until we find an appropriate replacement. Once that person is found, she or he will have big shoes to fill."
In 2017, she was promoted to second in command and stayed in the role for five years before coming interim fire commissioner when former commissioner Daniel Nigro stepped down.
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