Laura Kavanagh, the New York City Fire Department Commissioner, recently announced her resignation amid various controversies and challenges.
In a personal essay by Kavanagh on Medium, she expressed her love for the department and the reasons behind her decision to step down.
Kavanagh shared: “COVID and its aftermath brought into my life all of the most human of struggles — deaths of some of my closest family members, divorce, a cancer scare, every type of heartbreak.”
She cited a lack of energy for the next phase of the department’s recovery as a critical factor in her decision to resign.
In her essay, Kavanagh detailed the personal and professional challenges she encountered during her tenure.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant hardships, including the deaths of close family members, divorce, and a cancer scare.
Additionally, she faced the daunting task of supporting the FDNY around the clock during the pandemic.
Kavanagh described her experience with the Twin Parks fire in January 2022, New York City’s deadliest fire in three decades, which claimed 17 lives: “When I arrived on scene I saw members I had known for years so covered in black soot that I didn’t even recognize them at first.
“Our members who see tragedies every day, with a look in their face that said this one was different.”
The event, along with the subsequent deaths of FDNY members and the department’s recovery efforts, further compounded her challenges.
“In those tragic moments, I could not turn away from the people I cared about so much,” Kavanagh noted.
Kavanagh’s decision to resign was not made lightly.
She reflected on her time with the FDNY, expressing a deep connection with the department and its members: “I have loved every minute of this job.
£Leaving is a decision I’ve wrestled with for months because my love for the FDNY is so profound.”
Despite her love for the job, Kavanagh acknowledged the difficulty in balancing her professional and personal life.
She emphasized the importance of having a commissioner who can dedicate 100 percent to the department, a commitment she felt she could no longer fulfill after a decade of service: “The Department needs a commissioner who can give it 100 percent of their all every day.
“I gave that to FDNY for 10 years. It’s time for me to give that time back to all the people who made it possible in the first place for me to serve our beloved city for so long.”
Kavanagh shared her hopes for the future during her address at the Christian Cultural Center.
She expressed a desire for future generations, particularly women, to find courage and stand up for their beliefs within the FDNY: “I hope in that crowd at CCC Sunday morning, there were not only future heroes and heroines, but maybe even a future female fire commissioner.”
Reflecting on her time away from the job, Kavanagh reconnected with her family and friends, which brought her both joy and sadness.
She realized the personal moments she missed due to her professional commitments and decided it was time to prioritize her personal life: “Life is short. No place has taught me that more profoundly than the FDNY. Nothing is more important to me than my community.”
