Security executive Robert Tucker is the new FDNY commissioner

NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – Robert Tucker, CEO of a private security company, is the new Commissioner of the FDNY .

Tucker was officially appointed Monday at a ceremony at Randall’s Island.

Tucker is the secretary of the FDNY Foundation and honorary fire commissioner of the City of New York, according to his profile on his company, T&M . He is also on the Board of Trustees for the New York City Police Foundation.

“When I was a young boy growing up in Manhattan, I was a fire buff,” Tucker said on his FDNY Foundation profile. “I used to chase fire engines on my bicycle.”

Before starting at T&M, Tucker spent many years working in law enforcement management, including as special assistant to the District Attorney of Queens County.

“It is great to see that the new commissioner has long and deep ties with the FDNY and a great appreciation for the rank and file of New York City’s bravest,” said Andrew Ansbro, President of the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association. “From his early start in communications and his hard work and life-long dedication, which led to his appointment to the Board of Directors for the FDNY Foundation, his experience makes him uniquely qualified.”

Mayor Eric Adams said Tucker’s qualifications go beyond these titles to his family, to his childhood looking up to the FDNY and his first job with the FDNY communication office in Central Park.

“If you look through the resume of Robert, you will miss some of the things that he has done, the legacy of his mother and her role with Mayor Koch, and how he started up looking starry-eyed at the beauty of being a member of this department, and always wanted to have a role in giving back to the city,” Adams said.

On Monday, Tucker acknowledged some of the ways the conditions for the department have changed since he was a boy, noting the prevalence of lithium-ion battery fires and climate change.

Regina Wilson, president of the Vulcan Society , said Tucker comes as the department makes internal improvements, Wilson said.

“We look forward to working with Mr. Tucker as we improve the conditions of the Fire Department, dealing with a lot of issues…  for him to add on to some of the great work our organization has done to make this job more fair and equitable,” Wilson said.

Tucker said improving firehouse culture will be a top priority.

“Firehouse culture has come under scrutiny, it is important to remember that a house needs to be just that, a home for everyone who signs up for this line of work,” Tucker said.

Former Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh announced she would resign in July, and finished her tenure on Aug. 7.

“The department needs a commissioner who can give it 100% of their all every day,” Kavanaugh wrote in an essay on Medium. “I gave that to the FDNY for 10 years.”

Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered New York City since 2023. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.