Current:Home > FinanceNew York’s first female fire commissioner says she will resign once a replacement is found-InfoLens
New York’s first female fire commissioner says she will resign once a replacement is found
View Date:2024-12-23 10:52:39
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! (77)
Related
- Whoopi Goldberg Shares Very Relatable Reason She's Remained on The View
- Hawaii nurses union calls new contract a step in the right direction
- Karen Read seeks delay in wrongful death lawsuit until her trial on murder and other charges is done
- Singer El Taiger Found With Gunshot Wound to the Head in Miami
- Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
- 'Devastating consequences': Climate change likely worsened floods after Helene
- AP Week in Pictures: Global
- International fiesta fills New Mexico’s sky with colorful hot air balloons
- Mega Millions winning numbers for November 8 drawing: Jackpot rises to $361 million
- Los Angeles prosecutors to review new evidence in Menendez brothers’ 1996 murder conviction
Ranking
- DWTS’ Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran Prove They're Closer Than Ever Amid Romance Rumors
- What Is My Hair Texture? Here’s How You Can Find Out, According to an Expert
- South Carolina fire chief, volunteer firefighter killed after a tree fell on their truck during Helene
- Why Jordyn Woods and Boyfriend Karl-Anthony Towns Are Sparking Engagement Rumors
- Dave Coulier Says He's OK If This Is the End Amid Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Battle
- Jennifer Hudson Hilariously Confronts Boyfriend Common on Marriage Plans
- Amazon hiring 250,000 seasonal workers before holiday season: What to know about roles, pay
- Texas man sought in wounding of small town’s police chief
Recommendation
-
Repair Hair Damage In Just 90 Seconds With This Hack from WNBA Star Kamilla Cardoso
-
Port strike may not affect gas, unless its prolonged: See latest average prices by state
-
Costco goes platinum. Store offering 1-ounce bars after success of gold, silver
-
'Nation has your back,' President Biden says to Hurricane Helene victims | The Excerpt
-
Hurricane forecasters on alert: November storm could head for Florida
-
Lizzo Strips Down to Bodysuit in New Video After Unveiling Transformation
-
Blac Chyna Reassures Daughter Dream, 7, About Her Appearance in Heartwarming Video
-
Former county sheriff has been appointed to lead the Los Angeles police force