FDNY: Buff is New Commish
Von Essen warns of “old boys club.”
Mayor Adams has replaced Laura Kavanagh, FDNY’s first woman commissioner, with Robert Tucker, a security executive and fire buff.
Kavanagh did battle with the staff chiefs, a group Tom Von Essen, himself a former FDNY Commissioner, refers to as the “old boys club.”
Von Essen, FDNY firefighter and one-time president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, praised Kavanagh’s goal if not her execution of it.
[Kavanagh] “was on target with trying to get more of the younger, talented lieutenants, captains and battalion chiefs to come to headquarters with loftier goals than padding comp time and pensions.” (NYP)
That last part, “padding comp time and pensions” alludes to the apparent fixation the staff chiefs have with the perks of their position including take-home vehicles.
Of Tucker, the incoming commissioner, Von Essen said, “admires the mission, respects the troops” before adding of him, “Solid businessman so he will be surprised at how poorly managed [the FDNY is].” (NYP)
In his swearing-in remarks Tucker said, “I know my role here, you are out doing the hard job and I’m here to make that easier.”
The Old Boys Club must have been purring in satisfaction at that admission.
Mr. Tucker’s job is not to make the job easier but rather to ensure that FDNY is effective — they are two very different things.
If Tucker is an effective businessman he will likely be whipsawed by his buff’s view of the department versus the entrenched reality of FDNY.
He’s about to follow the yellow brick road.
FDNY operates nearly as an (Emerald) city within a city. Firehouses are “polling places” while battalions and divisions make up mini-districts.
Atop it all is the Commissioner or “mayor” who is allowed to think they are running the show until the firehouse “citizens” weigh in.
In between are the two unions, Firefighters and Officers, a “city council” of sorts, who are heavily invested in the status quo.
That’s why Von Essen’s comments are so crucial — he was not only a “citizen” and “mayor” in the FDNY, he also led the Firefighter’s union.
Of him we can say he has, “Been there, done that.”
Von Essen suggests that like Toto in the Wizard of Oz, Tucker is about to get a look behind the curtain and it won’t be pretty.
We’ll see if he is really up to the job.
