New York’s first female fire commissioner says she’ll resign once a replacement is found

NEW YORK — The first female commissioner of the New York City Fire Department said Saturday that she plans to step down because it’s time to “pass the torch” after two years on the job.

Laura Kavanagh has not said when she plans to step down, but she said in a statement that she plans to spend the coming months helping with the leadership transition.

“While the decision I made this past month was difficult, I am confident that the time has come to pass the torch to the next leader of the world’s best fire service,” she wrote.

Her appointment by Mayor Eric Adams in October 2022 was seen at the time as an advance for the department, which was seeking to diversify its leadership. As commissioner, she will oversee a department of 17,000, including firefighters and emergency responders.

Adams called her a “trailblazer” in a statement and praised Kavanagh for making improvements to the FDNY’s technology infrastructure, increasing funding for member health and safety and overhauling how the department recruits and retains a diverse workforce, including women.

“While we made it clear that she could have remained in this role for as long as she wanted, we respect her decision to take the next step in her career,” he said.

Kavanagh herself has never been a firefighter. Before joining the department in an administrative role in 2014, she was a senior adviser to former Mayor Bill de Blasio and a campaign aide for de Blasio and former President Barack Obama. In 2018, she was named first deputy commissioner, where she oversaw the department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.