Laura Kavanagh was appointed FDNY commissioner by Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday, the first woman to hold the post in the fire department's 165-year history.

Kavanagh, a 40-year-old civilian and longtime political aide and bureaucrat, has been acting commissioner since February, when Commissioner Daniel Nigro retired after eight years. At the time, she had been first deputy commissioner.

Both started at the fire department under Adams' predecessor Bill de Blasio.

“Yes, this is historic — the first woman to lead the largest fire department in the country,” Adams said on Thursday, making the announcement at FDNY Engine 33/Ladder 9 on Great Jones Street in Manhattan. Adams said the selection was made after a national search.

The FDNY commissioner oversees the FDNY's $2.1 billion budget, 11,000 uniformed personnel and 6,500 civilians — including firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and 911 dispatchers

Source consulted https://www.newsday.com