In a “new look” on Thursday, Fire Department of New York welcomed its first ever female fire commissioner, Laura Kavanagh, who is credited with leading the department’s exemplary response during the 2015 Ebola outbreak, and more recently, during the COVID19 pandemic.
In a comment to CNN, Kavanagh remarked that “This moment – me being first – only matters if I am not the last,” adding that this change is an opportunity for the betterment of the department.
“This is a new look for the New York City fire commissioner, but we should remember that our department has changed very much over its 157-year history, and it has always emerged better for it over the years,” Kavanagh told CNN.
Kavanagh, 40, is also credited for directing a firefighter recruitment campaign that yielded the most diverse applicant pool in the department’s history and led to more women serving as FDNY firefighters than ever.
She was appointed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams as the fire commissioner, following her stint as the acting fire commissioner since February, when former Commissioner Daniel Nigro announced his retirement.
“Laura Kavanagh is a proven and tested leader, and I'm proud to announce her historic appointment today,” the Democratic mayor said in a comment to The Associated Press.
Kavanagh has been a firefighter herself and has served as a senior adviser to former Mayor Bill de Blasio and as a campaign staffer to former President of the United States, Barack Obama.
