New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani has appointed Lilian Bonsignore as New York City Fire Department Commissioner, making her the second woman and first gay person to hold the position.
Mamdani made the announcement Tuesday afternoon at a news conference in Queens. “[The FDNY] “She did it herself, so she deserves a leader who cares about her business,” he said. newsweek. “She is the kind of leader I am very proud to have in my administration.”
“My goal is to ensure that all members [the FDNY] They have the resources and environment they need to carry out their roles safely and effectively,” Bonsignore said at a press conference.
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She joined the FDNY in 1991 as an emergency medical technician and served for 31 years, retiring in 2022. She was appointed director of the FDNY’s Emergency Medical Services Division in 2019, becoming the first woman to lead the department and the first uniformed woman to lead the department’s four-star division. During her tenure, she served as a first responder to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and led the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Mr. Bonsignore’s calm and decisive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, when emergency medical professionals have been more important than ever, is exactly the kind of leadership our city needs in a moment of uncertainty,” Mamdani said in a statement. new york city and state before the official announcement.
At the time of her promotion in 2019, she told the New York Daily News: “It’s kind of weird that the things that I get celebrated the most about, people always say, ‘Wow, you’re a woman and you’re gay,’ are the two things that I put the least effort into.”
Appointed by Mayor Eric Adams in 2022, Laura Kavanaugh became the first female FDNY chief. Although she did not serve in uniform, she was a civilian employee of the department. she said city and state Commissioner Bonsignore is “one of the strongest leaders I have ever worked with. No one knows the FDNY and what it means to this city better than Commissioner Bonsignore. “I have seen firsthand her lifelong dedication to the fight against COVID-19, including her work on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and her advocacy for long-awaited pay increases for paramedics.” Kavanaugh will step down in 2024.
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Until Mamdani is sworn in on January 1, First Deputy Commissioner Mark Guerra will serve as New York’s acting FDNY director.
Jessica Tisch is expected to remain as police chief after Mamdani’s appointment, making her the first woman to lead both New York City’s fire department and police department.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
