Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh resigned from her position after burning too many bridges with rank-and-file firefighters in the FDNY, according to sources familiar with the situation. The first woman fire boss’s tenure ended following The Post’s recent exclusive report that she texted Attorney General Letitia James an apology for failing to “fix” sexist men in the department’s workforce. Kavanagh resigned after being told officials were lining up another potential job for her within Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.
Kavanagh likely would have remained in the role for longer, as sources said it is expected that it will take Adams several weeks or months to pick a replacement. It’s unclear whether the mayor plans to name an interim commissioner in the meantime. Sources told The Post that at least two potential successors are being considered: Robert S. Tucker, a security firm CEO who was a top contender for the job before Kavanagh’s appointment in 2022, and the FDNY’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Kwame Cooper.
The first job for whoever takes over the FDNY will likely be to quell the burning resentments among older smoke eaters who believe Kavanagh dangerously sought to purge seasoned chiefs with younger, inexperienced staff. A group of older FDNY leaders detailed those accusations in a scathing age discrimination lawsuit against Kavanagh, contending that she and her deputies sought to demote, reassign or otherwise sideline older high-ranking firefighters. The suit—which is ongoing—factored into Kavanagh’s departure.
Though regarded as trail-blazing, Kavanagh has largely been in the hot seat since taking over the FDNY in 2022 from former fire boss Daniel Nigro. Beyond her bombshell age-discrimination lawsuit, the embattled soon-to-be former Commish faced a slew of additional controversies—from rising FDNY emergency response times, to prohibiting political expression, breaches of trust and calls for termination.
