New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointment of, and swore in, Robert S. Tucker, Esq. as the 35th commissioner of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). Tucker serves as secretary of the FDNY Foundation, is an honorary fire commissioner of the City of New York, and his first job ever in 1985 was at the FDNY. Additionally, Tucker brings decades of additional public safety experience to the role, previously serving as a special assistant to the Queens County district attorney and, most recently, as chairman and CEO of T&M Protection Resources, a globally recognized leader in security solutions and cyber intelligence. As FDNY commissioner, Tucker will oversee the day-to-day administration of the agency’s 17,000 employees and a $2 billion budget.
“It is my privilege to announce the appointment of Robert S. Tucker as the 35th commissioner of the FDNY,” said Mayor Adams. “Commissioner Tucker brings decades of experience in protecting public safety to this role, as well as strong personal ties to the FDNY. His very first job as a young man was working at the FDNY communications office in Central Park and I can’t think of anyone who knows this department better. I want to thank Commissioner Kavanagh for her nearly decade of service to the FDNY where she led the greatest Fire Department in the world to new heights. I am confident Commissioner Tucker will continue Commissioner Kavanagh’s legacy of success supporting our firefighters and protecting our city. New York City is grateful to have a leader with so much experience ready to take the helm at this critical moment.”
“Public safety has been my life’s work. I’ve had a long career in the public and private sector and being appointed commissioner of the FDNY is the biggest honor of my life,” said FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker. “Firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics do the work that most of us only ever read about in comic books. They are heroes and they embody the best of all of us. My message to the members of the FDNY is simple: while you have New Yorkers' backs — I’ve got yours. I know the work we will accomplish together will make this department even greater and we will make this city an even safer place to live, work, and raise a family.”
“I congratulate my friend Robert Tucker on his historic appointment as FDNY commissioner,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “Tucker has devoted his life to the safety of others, beginning with working in the FDNY’s communications office as a teenager. His illustrious career has also included serving as secretary of the FDNY Foundation, special counsel to the Queens County District Attorney, and chairman and CEO of a preeminent security consulting firm. I was proud to serve with Commissioner Tucker on Mayor Adams’ transition committee, and I look forward to partnering with him to protect the safety of all New Yorkers.”
“Congratulations to Robert Tucker on his appointment to Commissioner of the FDN," said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. "We wish him the best in his command of New York’s Bravest, and we look forward to working with Commissioner Tucker to better protect Staten Islanders.”
“I am looking forward to a fresh start and a brighter tomorrow for the FDNY with Robert Tucker now at the helm,” said New York City Councilmember Joann Ariola. “The FDNY has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years, and it no doubt will face a number of challenges in the future. With the support and leadership of Mr. Tucker, who has a deep pool of experience when it comes to running major organizations and a history of advocacy for the men and women of the Fire Department, I am certain that New York’s Bravest will be able to endure whatever bumps in the road the years ahead bring their way and emerge stronger than ever.”
About Robert S. Tucker, Esq.
For 25 years, Robert S. Tucker has directed the strategic growth and diversification of T&M, since becoming a principal of the company in 1999. Prior to that he spent nearly a decade in law enforcement management, serving as special assistant in the Office of the Queens County District Attorney, where he developed an extensive network of contacts in the law enforcement community while managing administrative aspects of a major urban prosecutor’s office. This experience enabled him to work closely with executive level members of the New York City Police Department and the city administration, as well as with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and the different local U.S. Attorney’s Offices, where he still maintains valuable relationships.
Among his many professional, civic and philanthropic affiliations, Tucker currently serves as secretary of the FDNY Foundation and as an honorary fire commissioner, a member of the Board of Trustees and treasurer of the New York City Police Foundation and an honorary police commissioner, and past president of the Associated Licensed Detectives of New York state. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of White Plains Hospital and a former member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, Metro Chapter.
In 2009, former New York Governor David Paterson appointed Tucker to serve as a vice chairman of the New York State Security Guard Advisory Council and, in 2013, he was appointed as the council’s chairman, where he served until 2021. In 2014, the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department of the Supreme Court of the State of New York appointed Tucker as a member of the Committee on Character and Fitness for the Ninth Judicial District. In 2018, he was appointed to Pace University's Board of Trustees.
Tucker has been honored by the New York Board of Rabbis and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City.
He is a graduate of The George Washington University and Pace University School of Law.