New York City Fire Commissioner

The New York City Fire Commissioner is the civilian administrator of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), and is appointed by the Mayor of the City of New York. Prior to 1865, the New York City Fire Department was staffed by volunteers. On March 30, 1865 the New York State legislature passed a law organizing the Metropolitan Fire Department as a paid firefighting force that took control of all the powers and authority of the volunteer department, as well as all the assets such as the fire trucks, equipment, and buildings. The law also created a commission to oversee the department, and for its administration and functioning.^[1] After a lawsuit contesting the constitutionality of the law was dismissed by the New York Court of Appeals,^[2] it immediately started to operate.^[3][4]

During the remainder of the 19th century, the number of commissioners was periodically changed by the New York State legislature, until a single commissioner was put in charge of the FDNY when Manhattan and the Bronx consolidated with Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island to form The City of New York on January 1, 1898. Since then, there have been 35 commissioners excluding Acting Fire Commissioners, and 39 commissioners including Acting Fire Commissioners. The current commissioner is Robert Tucker, who was appointed on August 12, 2024.