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FDNY commissioner in tense standoff with top chiefs

Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh speaks to the media. (Photo by⁤ Spencer Platt/Getty ⁤Images)

OAN’s Brooke Mallory

10:42 AM – Sunday, July ⁤30, 2023

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh is reportedly⁣ in a ‌“standoff”‌ with ten senior chiefs who have sought to be demoted in protest of her contentious department shake-up.

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In February, Chief of⁢ Department John‍ Hodgens and ‍Chief of Operations John Esposito requested⁣ demotions after Kavanagh had removed ⁢three staff chiefs without consulting them, citing a⁤ “breach ⁤of trust.” The ⁣revolt⁣ spread to​ eight other ‌leaders, who also‍ asked ​to⁤ be demoted in⁤ solidarity.

Kavanagh later requested a 90-day “cooling-off period.” However, she has not ⁤acted⁤ on⁤ any requests in the last six months, keeping tensions high.

“It’s a Mexican standoff,” said an insider source familiar⁢ with FDNY operations⁤ who spoke to the press.

According to the insider, Kavanagh placed herself in a bind by ⁣inciting the ⁤protest. Her ⁢decision to replace so ⁢many seasoned chiefs “could be disastrous” in the event of a big fire or major catastrophe.

Insiders say Kavanagh, the FDNY’s first female commissioner, is hampered ⁣since Phil ‌Banks,‌ Mayor Adams’ deputy mayor of public safety, is now calling the shots. According to reports, he will‍ not⁢ let‍ her grant the demotions.

The fire department officers were enraged after Kavanagh’s ‍first deputy, Joseph Pfeifer, told a New ‌York Times journalist that he could not ⁣imagine any of the⁤ mutineers being a part of‌ the ​squad going‍ forward.

“There’s ⁤a lot ‍of ​very experienced people in the field that we can bring up, that may even have​ more experience than some of the people that want to self-demote,” Pfeifer said ⁣in the April 8th piece.

“No one has replaced the chiefs because ‌no one else ⁣has the​ necessary incident-command experience,” said Jim Walden, a lawyer for ‌the ‍demoted chiefs and other FDNY staff who have joined an age discrimination⁢ lawsuit against Kavanagh and Banks. “It’s⁢ total‍ paralysis.”

According to a​ reliable source, Hodgens and Esposito urged Kavanagh more than two months ago ​to ‌replace those⁢ she had demoted, those on medical leave, and ⁣those⁢ who requested demotion “because chiefs are filling double and triple Incident command responsibilities‍ and are exhausted.”

Yet, ‍they received no reaction from Kavanaugh.

Additionally, deputy and⁢ battalion commanders have not indicated any‌ desire to occupy the positions of demoted higher-ups.

According to James McCarthy, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, Kavanagh will not grant the demotions. He ​claims the absence ⁢of available civil service jobs for the chiefs demanding demotions is a big ⁢impediment.

The chiefs that were demoted by Kavanagh are now deputy chiefs, a‍ civil service position in his union.

McCarthy took on an optimistic outlook, stating that he does‌ not believe the infighting will have an impact on FDNY‍ operations.

“Everybody⁣ is‌ still doing their⁣ jobs… After Sept. 11, we lost⁣ a⁣ tremendous amount of ​people, 343, a lot of leaders, a lot of officers, a lot ​of firefighters, and the⁢ men and women of the fire department ‌still responded and did their jobs ⁤as best they could. So we are going to⁤ step up and do what we are asked to do ⁤and‌ meet⁤ all the‍ challenges,” ‍he said.

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