Mayor Eric Adams appointed Laura Kavanagh FDNY commissioner Thursday morning, making her the first woman to lead New York City’s Fire Department in its 157-year history.

Kavanagh was tapped as acting commissioner of the FDNY after Daniel Nigro retired in February.

Kavanagh, who joined the FDNY in 2014, previously served as first deputy commissioner before being named acting FDNY commissioner. Among her touted accomplishments is helping with the FDNY’s response to the 2015 Ebola outbreak and graduating one of the most diverse classes of women firefighters in the last three decades.  

The new commissioner acknowledged that a female leader is something different especially for a department that has traditionally been male-dominated. 

Overall, the FDNY has almost 2,000 female employees of which about 144 are firefighters and close to 1200 are EMTs. 

As FDNY commissioner, Kavanagh will oversee the day-to-day administration of the agency’s 17,000 employees and $2 billion budget.

“Laura Kavanagh is a proven and tested leader, and I’m proud to announce her historic appointment today,” said Mayor Adams. “No matter her role, Commissioner Kavanagh has always been a leader — from helping to lead the FDNY’s response to the Ebola outbreak in 2015 to steering the ship during the COVID-19 pandemic, to directing a firefighter recruitment program that resulted in the most diverse applicant pool in the department’s history.”

“For nearly a decade, I have served, learned from and worked on behalf of the New York City Fire Department,” said Kavanagh in a statement afterwards. “I have seen the sacrifices our men and women make, the talent and training they possess, and the bravery they display saving lives and protecting our city. This is the greatest city in the world and the greatest fire department in the world. To serve both is the honor of a lifetime.”

When asked why it took so long to make Kavanagh’s appointment permanent, Adams said he wanted to make sure he made the right decision, and admitted he didn’t fully understand the inner workings of the FDNY when he first took office.

“I didn’t know FDNY,” Adams, a former NYPD transit officer himself, said. “The culture, I didn’t understand the agency. This is an organization that is rooted in tradition, and you can’t just drop anyone in FDNY.”

But Adams said after numerous conversations with Nigro, union leaders and rank and file members of the FDNY, Kavanagh became the clear choice.

“I knew that I needed her leadership, and it was the right fit, the right time,” Adams said, quipping towards the end, “In fire safety month, before we get out of the month, let me put the fire out and say we have a fire commissioner.”