Chris Sommerfeldt, Leonard Greene
New York Daily News
(TNS)
Robert Tucker, a committed philanthropist with deep roots in civic service and strong ties to public safety, was appointed as New York City’s 35th FDNY commissioner on Monday.
Like the commissioner he replaces, Robert Tucker has never been a uniformed firefighter. But he can trace his FDNY roots back to the early 1980s, when, during his first-ever job as a summer intern in the department, he fetched coffee and mapped fires across the five boroughs.
“From that summer job and paper map I became captivated with the business of public safety,” Tucker said during an appointment ceremony at the FDNY’s fire academy on Randall’s Island. “These people are real superheroes and I couldn’t respect them more.”
Tucker replaces Laura Kavanagh, the department’s first woman commissioner, whose embattled tenure featured clashes with several department chiefs who resigned or were demoted over various disagreements.
Kavanagh’s last day was last Wednesday.
Tucker, who is white, takes over the department amid ongoing friction between the FDNY and some of its Black firefighters, who say they have struggled for decades to diversify the department.
But Mayor Adams insisted Tucker’s appointment came with the blessing of Regina Wilson, president of the Vulcan Society, an organization that advocates for Black firefighters.
“I knew what he was inheriting,” Adams said at Monday’s ceremony.
“He was inheriting more than just a department that had to put out flames inside burning buildings. We have to put out flames that are actually burning inside the agency. It is going to take a level of honesty and the ability to communicate to accomplish that task.”
He said the new deputy has to “mend some of the fences that have been broken for decades.”
“I knew Robert was the one to do it,” he added.
Adams spoke of Tucker’s legacy. His mother worked for 12 years in the administration of former Mayor Ed Koch.
Tucker, 51, is currently the chairman and CEO of T&M Protection Resources and a long-standing member of the board of directors of the FDNY Foundation.
As commissioner, Tucker takes the reins of a department with 17,000 employees, including firefighters and emergency medical workers.
“I can think of no higher calling than serving as fire commissioner of the city of New York,” Tucker said. “This is truly a dream come true.”
Tucker became involved in fundraising for the FDNY after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
In 2014, he was named an Honorary Fire Commissioner for his work at the FDNY Foundation, which previously named him an honorary assistant chief in 2010 and an honorary deputy chief. He formerly served on Mayor Adams’ Public Safety and Justice transition committee.
His appointment was lauded by unions representing New York City firefighters.
“It is great to see that the new commissioner has long and deep ties with the FDNY and a great appreciation for the rank and file of New York City’s bravest,” Andrew Ansbro, President of the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association said in a statement.
“His experience makes him uniquely qualified to understand the changes that could be made to improve efficiency in the department by increasing unit availability, which would lead to a decrease in response times.”
James Brosi, president of the FDNY Uniformed Fire Officers Association, highlighted Tucker’s “executive experience.”
“His long-standing relationship with public services, specifically his work on the board of the FDNY Foundation, gives him an insight into the complexity and culture of the FDNY,” Brosi said.
Tucker has a long record of being politically involved in the city, giving more than $15,000 to various local elected officials over the past two decades, city Campaign Finance Board records show.
None of Tucker’s donations have been directed to Adams. In fact, Tucker gave to Adams’ Democratic opponents in the 2021 mayoral race — including $2,000 to former City Comptroller Scott Stringer and $1,000 to businessman Ray McGuire — as well as $2,000 to Fernando Mateo, a restaurant owner who mounted a failed Republican mayoral bid that year, records show.
©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
