It’s been just a few days since Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced her resignation and it is still unclear who will replace her.  

Mayor Eric Adams said Kavanagh will serve until a replacement is found.

What You Need To Know

  • It’s still unclear who will replace outgoing Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh

  • Kavanagh was the first woman to lead the FDNY and served less than two years 

  • Kavanagh’s planned exit comes amid controversies like an FDNY “DMO List” for fire inspections and a lawsuit filed by former officials claiming age discrimination

Over the weekend, he thanked the commissioner for her work on improving the department’s technology and her work on diversity and recruitment. 

“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,” said Adams in a statement on Saturday.

Adams appointed Kavanagh on October 2022 — marking a milestone for the department.

“Yes, this is historic, the first woman to lead the largest fire department in the country,” Adams said at Kavanagh’s appointment announcement in October 2022. 

Though who will succeed Kavanagh is unclear, that person will have some controversies to contend with. 

The department, in 2023, came under fire after reports and NY1 reporting showed that there was a list to prioritize certain buildings and developers for fire inspections. The list, known as the “DMO List,” prioritized high end buildings like Hudson Yards and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. 

Meanwhile, the city and Kavanagh are facing a lawsuit from multiple former senior officials who sued claiming they were the victims of age discrimination when they were demoted by Kavanagh. 

The next commissioner will also have to work with local officials.

“I will try my best to work with that new person and I look forward to it,” Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Queens Republican, said.   

Ariola heads the City Council’s Committee on Fire and Emergency Management and said she had a difficult relationship with Kavanagh. 

“I found her to be extremely difficult to work with and oftentimes combative when needing to address issues that were very important to the fire department,” Ariola said.  

Ariola mentioned disagreements over reinstating fire fighters coming out of covid and promotions at the department as some top issues. 

As the first woman to head the fire department, Kavanagh, in a recent interview with Cheryl Wills for NY1’s “In Focus,” stated that she was very proud of the increase in women at the agency. 

“We’ve seen much more diverse classes graduating from the academy. If we keep doing that, we’ll see those numbers keep growing,” said Kavanagh in June.  

The department is made up of more than 17,000 employees and has a multi-billion budget.