The new FDNY chief is facing a tough test.
Robert Tucker, who was named fire chief on Monday, is already facing new criticism from rank-and-file employees upset with the way the city handled its inauguration.
Sources said Mayor Eric Adams infuriated many of New York’s “brave people” when he praised former Commissioner Laura Kavanagh’s work in fighting lithium-ion battery fires and promised to put out fires in the department that broke out during Kavanagh’s tenure.
Others were surprised when Regina Wilson, a New York City Fire Department veteran and president of the Vulcan Association, a black firefighters group that has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the department, took to the stage to speak during the ceremony in what appeared to be a last-minute addition by City Hall.
“The fire was raging and it looked like a self-inflicted injury,” one source said.
“You’re equating lithium-ion battery fires with the culture within the fire department, where there are 9/11 related deaths almost every week,” the source noted.
In his speech introducing Tucker at the New York City Fire Academy Building on Randalls Island, Adams cited long-standing “cultural fires that have been burning within the department” that some sources say are only reigniting, rather than quelling, the debate over discrimination.
He praised Tucker’s record and argued he could repair relationships within the department that had been broken for decades.
“I knew Robert could do it and take this fire department to the next level,” Adams said of the New York City Fire Department’s new chief, a businessman and lawyer with no direct firefighting experience but a lifelong connection to the department.
“It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the role Chief Kavanagh has played,” he said, paying tribute to her efforts as the FDNY’s first female leader and her role in combating the growing scourge of lithium-ion battery fires.
Tucker’s appointment was an expected and largely secret choice by Adams after the previous fire chief, Kavanagh, announced his intention to step down after a difficult two-year term.
As the first woman to lead the FDNY, Kavanagh has repeatedly clashed with the department’s male-dominated culture, including filing an age discrimination lawsuit alleging she rejected older officers in favor of younger, less experienced chiefs.
One FDNY source said the speakers sounded more like they were speaking to a judge in an age discrimination case than to ordinary smokers.
The rancor betrayed a promise made by Tucker in his post-swearing-in speech to make things easier for the beleaguered Bravest.
“I know my role here. You guys have a tough job and I’m here to make it easier,” he told the firefighters.
“I can think of no more noble calling than serving as FDNY Commissioner.”
Tucker said, Security giant T&M The CEO and chairman recounted his time working as an intern in the FDNY communications department as a teenager, showing off his badge.
He serves as chairman of the FDNY Foundation and was named an honorary fire chief in 2014.
Tucker’s appointment, who has had a tumultuous relationship with Kavanagh, was met with hopeful praise from firefighter union bosses who met with the new chairman after the swearing-in ceremony.
“His longstanding involvement with public service, particularly as a board member of the FDNY Foundation, gives him deep insight into the complexities and culture of the FDNY,” James Brosi, president of the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association, said in a statement.
“His leadership and management experience in the private sector should enable him to effectively address the FDNY’s challenges.”
Andrew Ansbro, president of the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association, said Tucker’s experience will help the department increase unit availability and improve response times.
Rep. Joan Arriola, chairwoman of the Legislature’s Fire Protection Committee, said Tucker brings a “fresh start.”
“The FDNY has faced many challenges in recent years and will undoubtedly face many challenges in the future,” she said.
“With his extensive experience running a major organization and a history of advocating for the men and women of our fire department, I am confident that with Tucker’s support and leadership, New York’s brave firefighters will be able to withstand any challenges ahead and emerge stronger than ever.”
Tom von Essen, who served as New York City’s fire commissioner during the 9/11 attacks and as head of FEMA for the New York region during the COVID-19 pandemic, said he was hopeful about Tucker but added that he has a lot of work to do.
“He admires the mission and respects the unit,” von Essen said of Tucker.
“Being a solid businessman, you would be surprised at how poorly he is managed. [the FDNY is]To be successful, he needs a great team around him.”
— Additional reporting by Carl Campanile
