The CEO of a major New York-based security company is expected to be named New York City’s next fire commissioner, according to local reports, replacing Laura Kavanagh, who drew the ire of rank-and-file firefighters after a group criticized the state’s attorney general.
Kavanagh, the department’s first female director, announced last month that she would step down.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams plans to nominate T&M USA CEO Robert Tucker as his successor on Monday, the city’s three major newspapers reported.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announces resignation amid criticism
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh visits Washington on Thursday, July 27, 2023. (Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Neither the FDNY nor Tucker’s company immediately responded to requests for comment.
Andrew Ansbro, president of the New York City Fire Department’s uniformed officers union, praised Tucker for his role in the role in a statement Monday.
“It’s great that our new chief has such long and deep ties to the FDNY and such high regard for New York City’s brave rank and file employees,” he said in a statement. “He began working early in the communications field, has a lifetime of dedicated activism, and was appointed to the board of the FDNY Foundation. His experience makes him uniquely qualified to understand the changes that can be made to improve the department’s efficiency by increasing unit availability and improving response times.”
T&M USA CEO Robert Tucker is reportedly set to become the FDNY’s next fire chief. He already serves on the board of the FDNY Foundation. (FDNY Foundation)
He added that Tucker’s experience positions him to help save lives in New York.
“I wish him the best of luck and success as he assumes the role of chief of the New York City Fire Department, the greatest fire department in the world,” he said.
Adams was scheduled to hold a press conference at the city’s fire academy and make a public safety announcement at 11 a.m., according to the FDNY Twitter account.
Kavanaugh created controversy in March when Attorney General Letitia James, who sued former President Trump for $350 million, was heckled and booed at her promotion ceremony, with the audience starting to chant the name of the Republican candidate.
Fire department leaders circulated a memo warning that higher-ups would “find out” who was heckling, but the FDNY backtracked days later and denied ever investigating those who booed James.
New York Attorney General Letitia James told members of the agency to “keep quiet” after they were booed and chanted pro-Trump slogans by FDNY members during a promotion ceremony. (New York City Fire Department)
FDNY Fire Chief gets booed during parade after promising to ‘hunt down’ booing firefighters
New York City Fire Department Commissioner John Hodges called the behavior “unacceptable” and said he would review video of the incident, the New York Post reported at the time.
“BITS is investigating and the identities of these members will become clear,” Hodgens warned in an email to FDNY officials. “I encourage them to come forward. The Commissioner has told me it will be better for them if they do so and we won’t have to hunt them down.”
BITS refers to the ministry’s Directorate of Investigation and Trials.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, left, FDNY Chief Laura Kavanagh and Mayor Eric Adams take part in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. (Lev Ladin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
James herself told Politico Playbook in March that she was opposed to disciplining anyone involved in the obstruction.
“The events of last Thursday do not diminish my respect for the brave men and women of the FDNY,” she told media a few days after the incident. “I stand with them today and I will stand with them tomorrow.”
But firefighters still got worked up on St. Patrick’s Day, booing Kavanagh himself during the city’s annual parade.
In addition to altercations with onlookers, her tenure was also plagued by tensions with lower-ranking staff in the department, and last year a group of demoted staffers sued her for age discrimination.
Prince William, Acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and John Hodgens speak at the FDNY Fire Station in New York City on September 19, 2023. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
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New York City Fire Department Chaplain Pamela Holmes, who was honored at the ceremony and is a friend of the Attorney General, had invited the Attorney General to speak at the ceremony.
Like Kavanagh, her potential replacement has never served as a firefighter, but he is an expert on security, particularly in the city’s high-rise buildings, and serves on the board of the FDNY Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the fire department with public safety campaigns and equipment. He also has years of experience in law enforcement.
Tucker, who was previously named honorary fire commissioner and police commissioner of New York City, took the helm of T&M in 1999, according to his company resume.
“His many years of involvement with public service, particularly as a board member of the FDNY Foundation, give him deep insight into the complexities and culture of the FDNY,” said James Brosi, president of the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association. “His leadership and private sector management experience should enable him to effectively address the FDNY’s challenges.”
Fox News’ Jasmine Baer contributed to this report.
