Private security company CEO Robert Tucker was sworn in as the new chief of the New York Fire Department on Monday morning, officially taking over the leadership of the agency, which has a workforce of 17,000 firefighters and paramedics.
The ceremony, held at the Randalls Island Fire Academy, came a week after Laura Kavanagh – the first woman to lead the department since its founding in 1865 – resigned from her position as commissioner.
“I can’t imagine a higher calling than to be the fire commissioner for the city of New York,” Tucker said after his father held the Bible with which he was sworn in. “It’s truly a dream come true.”
Here are five things to know about Tucker as he takes over as head of the city’s fire department.
He is a white man
Tucker comes to a department that has long struggled with complaints of sexism and racism. Firefighting remains a male-dominated field in New York City. In 2020, just over 1% of the FDNY’s 11,000 firefighters were women, according to City Council data. Racial disparities also persist. About 54% are white, 23% are other/unknown, 13% are Hispanic, 7% are black and less than 2% are Asian. Kavanagh, Tucker’s predecessor, made history as the first woman to lead the department, but her tenure became tumultuous after she demoted a group of male fire chiefs. Although she has said her decision to leave had nothing to do with sexism, attention to problems within the department was heightened by her resignation.
He is not a fireman
Tucker, a self-described “firefighter,” has been connected to the New York Fire Department since childhood, though he never worked as a firefighter. During his speech at Monday’s ceremony, he recalled as a young boy growing up in Manhattan in the 1970s, chasing fire trucks on his bike – “a pretty tough time, especially for firefighters.” As a teenager, Tucker interned in the fire department’s Manhattan Communications Office, where he “became obsessed with learning how to map multiple fire alarms throughout Manhattan.” In the process, he learned that most of the borough’s fires were concentrated in certain areas of the city. While Tucker explored other careers as an adult, he remained connected to the fire department through fundraising as a longtime board member of the FDNY Foundation, having become involved with the nonprofit after 9/11. To honor his work for the foundation, then-FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano named Tucker an Honorary Fire Commissioner in 2014.
He runs a private security company
Tucker most recently served as chairman and CEO of T&M Protection Resources, a Manhattan-based technology company specializing in cybersecurity, surveillance, background investigations and personal protection, according to the company’s website. He began working at T&M Protection Resources in 1999.
He is a lawyer with experience in public service
After graduating from George Washington University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Tucker attended Pace University School of Law. He graduated in 1996 and began working as a special assistant to Judge Richard Brown, former Queens County District Attorney. He also served as chairman of the New York State Security Guard Advisory Council until 2021 and as a member of the Committee on Character and Fitness for the Ninth Judicial District of the New York State Supreme Court.
In addition to his long-standing service on the board of the FDNY Foundation, Tucker also serves on the board of trustees of the New York City Police Foundation and is a commissioner of the Westchester County Police Department’s police department. Tucker also has some ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as he was appointed to the Mayor’s Transition Team for Public Safety and Justice in late 2021.
He immediately recognized the FDNY’s tough struggle for diversity
Many eyes will be on Tucker in the coming months to see how he handles the challenges facing the FDNY. The department’s tight-knit culture has long been plagued by criticism of racism and sexism. Like Kavanagh, Tucker was never a firefighter. While the former commissioner faced intense internal criticism for her lack of experience as a firefighter, it remains to be seen whether Tucker – a man – will reap the same kind of reaction. His early ties to the FDNY and his existing relationships at the highest ranks could help.
Both Adams and Tucker addressed criticism of the New York FDNY’s corporate culture on Monday. Adams said Tucker has the honesty and communication skills needed to “put out the flames that are actually burning within the agency.”
“Anyone in a firehouse will tell you that what affects one person affects all. The culture in firehouses has been put under scrutiny. It’s important to remember that a house must be just that – a home for everyone who chooses this profession,” Tucker said. “I will work to ensure that our houses provide the culture and experience that everyone deserves.”
