Current:Home > MyNew York’s first female fire commissioner says she will resign once a replacement is found-LoTradeCoin
New York’s first female fire commissioner says she will resign once a replacement is found
View Date:2024-12-23 16:25:15
NEW YORK (AP) — The first female commissioner of the Fire Department of New York said Saturday that she plans to step down because it’s time to “pass the torch” after two years in the job.
Laura Kavanagh didn’t say when she plans to resign. But she said in a statement that she plans to spend the next several months helping with the transition in leadership.
“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,” she wrote.
Her appointment by Mayor Eric Adams in October 2022 was seen at the time as progress for the department, which was seeking to diversify its leadership. As commissioner, she oversees a department of 17,000, including firefighters and emergency medical workers.
Adams called her a “trailblazer” in a statement, crediting Kavanagh with making improvements to the FDNY’s technology infrastructure, increasing funding for members’ health and safety, and overhauling how the department recruits and retains a diverse workforce, including women.
“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,” he said.
Kavanagh has never been a firefighter herself. Prior to joining the department in an administrative role in 2014, she served as a senior adviser to former Mayor Bill de Blasio, and a campaign staffer for de Blasio and former President Barack Obama. She was named first deputy commissioner in 2018, overseeing the department’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
veryGood! (5778)
Related
- Chiefs block last-second field goal to save unbeaten record, beat Broncos
- X's initial shareholder list unveiled: Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Jack Dorsey, Bill Ackman tied to platform
- Chris Olsen, nude photos and when gay men tear each other down
- NFL roster cut candidates: Could Chiefs drop wide receiver Kadarius Toney?
- US Election Darkens the Door of COP29 as It Opens in Azerbaijan
- Travel TV Star Rick Steves Shares Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
- How Jay Leno Was Involved in Case of Missing Hiker Found After 30 Hours in Forest
- RHOC Trailer: Shannon Beador Loses Her S--t After Ex John Janssen Crashes a Party
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- Escaped Mississippi inmate in custody after hourslong standoff at Chicago restaurant
Ranking
- Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake
- Stranger Things' Priah Ferguson Talks Finale & Bath & Body Works Drop—Including an Eddie’s Jacket Candle
- For many Asian Americans, Ferguson unrest set them on a path of resistance and reflection
- Zoë Kravitz is 'much closer' to Channing Tatum after directing 'Blink Twice'
- Knicks Player Ogugua Anunoby Nearly Crashes Into Anne Hathaway and Her Son During NBA Game
- Stranger Things' Priah Ferguson Talks Finale & Bath & Body Works Drop—Including an Eddie’s Jacket Candle
- 3-month-old baby is fatally mauled by dogs in attic while parents smoked pot, police say
- Too early or not soon enough? Internet reacts to Starbucks dropping Pumpkin Spice Lattes Aug. 22
Recommendation
-
Bridgerton's Luke Newton Details His Physical Transformation for Season 3's Leading Role
-
Tropical storm forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to Hawaii this weekend
-
Michigan State Police trooper to stand trial on murder charge in death of man struck by SUV
-
Sicily Yacht Tragedy: All 6 Missing Passengers Confirmed Dead as Last Body Is Recovered
-
'Bizarre:' Naked man arrested after found in crawl space of California woman's home
-
U.S. applications for unemployment benefits inch up, but remain at historically healthy levels
-
4 former Milwaukee hotel workers plead not guilty to murder in D’Vontaye Mitchell's death
-
ChatGPT bans multiple accounts linked to Iranian operation creating false news reports