Overview
- Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Lillian Bonsignore will become FDNY commissioner when he is inaugurated on Jan. 1.
- Bonsignore is a 31-year FDNY veteran who led EMS operations during the COVID-19 crisis and retired in 2022.
- She has never served as a firefighter and would be the department’s first openly gay commissioner and its second woman leader.
- Elon Musk criticized the selection on X, writing, “People will die because of this,” as other conservatives, including Sen. Ted Cruz, echoed objections online.
- Supporters argue the commissioner role is a managerial post and note EMS handles most city emergency calls, while Bonsignore says she knows what firefighters and EMS need.