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Who is Robert Tucker, Mayor Adams’ new pick for FDNY commissioner?
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Aug 12, 2024
Modified Aug 12, 2024
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Robert S. Tucker via Linkedin
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Aug 12, 2024
Modified Aug 12, 2024
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Mayor Eric Adams is expected to name Robert Tucker as the FDNY's new commissioner on Monday, according to City Councilmember Joann Ariola, who chairs the New York City Council’s fire and emergency management committee.
Tucker will take the helm of a department with 17,000 firefighters, emergency medical workers and other employees. Most recently the CEO of a private security company, he follows Laura Kavanagh, who stepped down last week after less than two years on the job.
Kavanagh was the first woman to serve as fire commissioner and her tenure was marked by internal strife. Ariola and some of Kavanagh's other critics sounded a note of optimism on Monday for a better relationship with Tucker.
While people within and outside the department criticized Kavanagh over the fact that she had never been a firefighter, Tucker was never a firefighter either. He previously led T&M Protection Resources, a tech company headquartered in Manhattan that specializes in cyber security, executive protection, surveillance and background investigations. He has been a longtime board member of the FDNY Foundation, the not-for-profit organization that raises funds for the department.
A self-identified “fire buff,” according to his biography on the foundation's website, Tucker has said he used to chase fire engines on his bike while growing up in the city. As a teenager, he worked at the FDNY’s Manhattan Communications Office, then located in Central Park.
The Daily News first reported the selection on Sunday night.
Tucker will be closely watched for how he handles a tight-knit culture that has for years been criticized for racism and sexism. In the wake of Kavanagh’s departure, several women firefighters spoke out about their personal experiences, including derogatory language and bullying.
In his remarks at Monday’s swearing-in ceremony at the FDNY Fire Academy on Randall’s Island, Adams alluded to decades-long tensions within the department over complaints of racism and sexism.
“He was inheriting more than just a department that had to put out flames of burning buildings,” he said. “We had to also put out the flames that are actually burning inside the agency.”
The mayor said that prior to appointing Tucker, he asked Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Phil Banks to reach out to Regina Wilson, the president of the Vulcan Society, an influential association of Black firefighters.
In an interview with Gothamist, Wilson said that Kavanagh had not addressed the complaints of women and people of color in the FDNY. She said knew little about Tucker, but that her group is willing to work with him to institute better staffing and oversight — and is placing its trust in Adams.
“We are going to stick by the mayor with hopes that we can get the needle moved a lot more than we did with the last commissioner,” she said.
But Wilson said she does not want to wait long to see changes in the department.
“We will call out anything that is not useful to recruitment and decent working conditions,” she said.
The Uniformed Firefighters Association union did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tucker’s appointment.
According to his online biography, Tucker went to law school at Pace University and worked his way up to special assistant to the Queens district attorney. He also served as a member of the Committee on Character and Fitness for the Ninth Judicial District of the New York state Supreme Court, which reviews potential candidates for legal licenses, and served as chairman of the New York state Security Guard Advisory Council until 2021.
Tucker remained close with several members of the FDNY's top brass. In 2014, then-Commissioner Salvatore Cassano named him an honorary fire commissioner. Tucker is on the board of trustees of the New York City Police Foundation and serves as police board commissioner of the Westchester County Police Department.
Councilmember Ariola said in a statement on Monday morning that the FDNY "has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years, and it no doubt will face a number of challenges in the future.” She said she hoped that Tucker’s leadership would represent a “fresh start and a brighter tomorrow.”
But it remains to be seen whether Tucker, with his long-standing relationships to FDNY leaders, will bring the change and accountability that critics have said the department needs.
At his swearing-in ceremony, Tucker said that becoming commissioner was a “dream come true” and spoke of his obsession with firefighting that began when he was a child chasing fire trucks on his bicycle.
But he also acknowledged problems with the FDNY’s culture.
“It is important to remember that a house needs to be just that — a home for everyone who signs up for this line of work," he said.
This story has been updated with statements from Mayor Eric Adams' event announcing Robert Tucker's appointment as FDNY commissioner.
Tagged
fdny
new york city
public safety
fires
eric adams
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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