Elon Musk Questions New FDNY Head’s Appointement
Elon Musk has expressed strong concerns about New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani’s choice of Lilian Bonsignore to lead the FDNY. He warned that her lack of direct firefighting experience might have serious, potentially fatal, repercussions.
The founder of Tesla and SpaceX tweeted, “People will die from this,” and added a video of Bonsignore admitting that she has never fought a fire. “Proven experience is important when lives are at stake,” Musk reiterated in his post.
Bonsignore, who spent 31 years at the FDNY as an emergency medical technician before her retirement in 2022, is set to become the second woman ever to head the department. She’ll also make history as the first openly gay commissioner.
The appointment has garnered support from three unions representing FDNY firefighters, employees, and medical staff.
Musk’s tweet received over 22 million views and 174 likes within just 17 hours, but it also sparked considerable skepticism among others. For instance, television personality Megyn Kelly wryly remarked, “Here we go again.”
Despite criticism, Bonsignore has defenders. Retired NYPD Lt. John Macari pointed out that the last two FDNY Fire Commissioners under Mayor Eric Adams lacked actual experience in running the department.
Interestingly, Musk referred to the current NYPD Chief of Police Jessica Tisch, stating she also has no law enforcement experience, while emphasizing Bonsignore’s three decades of EMS work, noting that most firefighting calls relate to emergency transports.
Former FDNY Secretary Laura Kavanaugh, the first woman in that role, expressed her support for Bonsignore on LinkedIn. “I’m relieved to see this so soon after my own term,” she remarked, implying the importance of representation. Kavanaugh, who served as fire chief from February 2022 to August 2024, also had no prior fire service experience.
As Mamdani prepares to take office on January 1, Bonsignore’s leadership will begin at the helm of the nation’s largest fire department. This follows an announcement from Mayor Eric Adams regarding the appointment, which comes in the twilight of his administration.
Meanwhile, Interim Commissioner Mark Guerra has been appointed to succeed Robert Tucker, who resigned last month. Messages sent to representatives of Bonsignore and Mamdani have gone unanswered so far.
