Fire Chief Laura Cabana, who confirmed she was resigning last weekend, was fired for having too bad a relationship with Bravest’s rank-and-file staff, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Post on Monday.
The New York City Fire Department’s first female fire chief’s tenure has finally evaporated following a recent exclusive Washington Post report that she sent an email of apology to Attorney General Letitia James for failing to “improve” sexist male behavior on the department’s staff, people familiar with the matter said.
Kavanagh faced repeated criticism during his nearly two years as head of the department, but he resigned after he was told the agency had another position lined up for him within Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, according to people familiar with the matter.
Kavanagh will likely stay on in his role longer, as Adams is expected to take weeks or months to select a replacement, according to sources. It’s unclear whether the mayor plans to appoint an interim commissioner in the meantime.
FDNY sources said Adams wants Kavanagh to stay in city administration, but that he is also looking for a job outside of city hall and may leave the administration.
Kavanagh did not immediately respond Monday. City Hall and NYC Fire Department officials dodged requests for comment about the rumored firing, quoting Adams in a statement to The Washington Post that she was “free to stay in her position as long as she wishes.”
“We will leave it to the commissioners to decide what she does next,” said Fabian Levy, deputy mayor for communications. “As the mayor’s statement makes clear, she is a trusted member of the administration.”
Sources told The Post that at least two potential successors, both men, are being considered: Robert S. Tucker, the CEO of a security company who was the leading candidate for the job before Kavanagh’s appointment in 2022, and Kwame Cooper, the chief diversity and inclusion officer for the New York City Fire Department.
Whoever takes over at the FDNY, their first task will be to quell simmering resentment among older officers who believe Kavanagh made a dangerous attempt to flush out a seasoned chief with a younger, less experienced staff member.
Older leaders at the New York City Fire Department detailed these accusations in a bitter age discrimination lawsuit against Cabana, alleging that he and his subordinates tried to demote, transfer or otherwise remove older, senior firefighters.
Sources told The Washington Post that the ongoing litigation was a contributing factor to Kavanagh’s resignation.
Jim Walden, an attorney for the chiefs suing Kavanagh, said the chiefs are grateful for her departure.
“It’s not surprising,” he said.
“Mr. Kavanagh has disrespected and victimized some of the NYPD’s most decorated heroes. The City can now choose to either settle the claims in our lawsuit or require Mr. Kavanagh to make a damning statement. Either way, our clients will get justice.”
Though Kavanagh is credited with being a trailblazer, he has found himself in a tough position primarily since taking over the New York City Fire Department from former Fire Chief Daniel Nigro in 2022.
Besides the shocking age discrimination lawsuit, the embattled former commissioner has faced numerous controversies, including accusations of increasing FDNY emergency response times, banning political expression, breach of trust and calls for his termination.
Kavanagh was recently booed by the crowd at New York City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade after he publicly apologized to Attorney General James for pro-Trump protesters booing her during an FDNY promotional ceremony.
Kavanagh also personally apologized to Attorney General James, saying he “wanted to right the wrongs” of the FDNY’s mostly male employees but was ultimately unable to do so.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them,” Kavanagh wrote to James, according to text messages obtained by The Washington Post.
According to sources, frustration within the Adams administration over the emails prompted Mayor Kavanagh to meet with Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks last week.
Another meeting between Kavanagh and Banks was abruptly cancelled.
But time seems to be running out for Kavanagh, who has long been under fire.
Joan Arriola, a Queens Republican who chairs the City Council’s Fire Protection Committee, tweeted that she was pleased the mayor had “taken the step to remove her from office.”
“If there’s one thing that needs to be fixed at @FDNY, it’s her. I’m pleased the administration made this decision before she causes any more harm to New York’s brave firefighters,” Arriola wrote.
—Additional reporting by Zoe Hussain and Susan Edelman
