Embattled FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh is quitting her $243,171-a-year post, she told The Post Saturday.
The stunning development comes amid a slew of controversies that left some members of Mayor Adams’ administration questioning her ability to lead the country’s largest fire department.
Kavanagh, who Adams tapped as the city’s first female fire commissioner in 2022, said in an email to The Post she feels it’s “time for me to pass the torch” and explore other career opportunities. She plans to stay on the job for now and help pick a replacement, Kavanagh wrote.
“My dedication to the FDNY has never and will never waver,” she wrote. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to devote the last 10 years — five as first deputy commissioner and more than two as commissioner — to advocating for the men and women of the FDNY.
Kavanagh sent the email mere minutes after Adams gave her a huge vote of confidence and tried to squash rumors her resignation was imminent.
“I love her style — I want her in my administration, whichever she decides to do,” he told The Post following an unrelated Brooklyn event. “She sat down with me some time ago and said ‘I’m looking to do some other things in my life at this moment,’ and whenever she decides to do so, she will. As long as she wants to be my fire commissioner, she will be my fire commissioner.”
Although Adams remains supportive of Kavanagh, she’s felt plenty of heat within the administration over a slew of firestorms under her watch.
They include rising FDNY emergency-response times, surges in lithium-ion battery fires citywide, repeated criticism from underlings and an age-discrimination lawsuit filed by department honchos she demoted.
“She was a political operative – not a firefighter – so her selection [as commissioner] was always an unusual choice, and she’s been unable to do what she was brought in to do: put out political fires,” a City Hall insider said.
Kavanagh, who began her career working campaigns for ex-President Barack Obama, ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio and other Democrats, has dealt with a series of public relations nightmares since Adams named her commissioner, in part to tackle the department’s longtime struggle to diversify.
This woman's entire career before being anoninted FDNY commissioner was being a publicist, and she even couldn't do that right
Lithium Ion Laura couldn't fight a fire by blowing out a match.
17 comments:
Some good news....
DEI fails again....
All these jobs need to be appointed to people who actually worked the jobs they will be bossing. ....
A desk job or being a NYPD house rat filing "reports" and making PR appearances like mayor Adams x amount of years don't count.
No boots on the ground = you cant be boss.
Women in positions of power has been a disaster.
I think it’s because they have a hard time taking criticism. Not sure.
She’s incompetent...
Thank goodness the DEI hire is gone. Now they should put someone in there who actually deserves it and worked as being a firefighter. Nomore DEI hires!!
NO MORE DEI!
She checked certain boxes, but not the 1 that said is she capable of doing the job.
Clearly she was a DEI hire gone very wrong.
@"DEI fails again...."
Where is the DEI?
Clueless.
No crazy cat ladies allowed
Someone is suffering from very sever DEI Derangement syndrome.
New York’s Fattest don’t like women.
NYC is a one party swamp. Time to drain it. VOTE#2024
According to the Q-Anon drone, this lady imported all those faulty batteries to NYC and personally started the fires.
Weird.
Who is this cuck Justine Brannan?
In May 2021, a former aide to ex-City Councilman Vincent Gentile, Michael Bistreich, settled a lawsuit with New York City for $850,000 where he alleged Justin Brannan bullied him.
In June 2023, 72-year-old Democratic District Leader Charles Ragusa filed an ethics complaint with the New York City Council alleging that Justin Brannan threatened him.
Just another tolerant Democrat!
"Where is the DEI?"
On the way out TA Commie...
How about a Battalion Chief ?
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