Lillian Bonsignore Named FDNY Commissioner

By: Paul Goldberg, Senior Editor | JRL CHARTS – LGBTQ Politics New York

NEW YORK, NY — (January 2, 2026) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani named Lillian Bonsignore as the next commissioner of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), making her both the first openly gay person and the second woman to ever lead the city’s fire department.

Related LGBTQ Politics Coverage on JRL CHARTS:

• Get the Latest in LGBT Politics USA Exclusively on JRL CHARTS

• Breaking Military News involving LGBTQ Service Members and Security

• Democrats Enter 2026 Midterms With Momentum with LGBTQ Civil Rights on the Ballot

• Federal Judge Forces California Schools to Out Transgender Students

Mamdani announced the appointment during a December 23 press conference in Queens, praising Bonsignore’s decades-long service and leadership within the department.

“The FDNY deserves a leader who understands this work because she lived it,” Mamdani said. “Lillian Bonsignore is the kind of leader I am proud to have in my administration.”

Bonsignore, a Bronx native, joined the FDNY in 1991 as an emergency medical technician and served the department for 31 years, retiring in 2022. In 2019, she was promoted to Chief of Emergency Medical Services, becoming both the first woman to lead the division and the first uniformed woman to achieve the rank of four-star chief.

Her leadership résumé includes frontline response during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and directing EMS operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most demanding periods in the department’s history.

“My goal is to ensure that every member of the FDNY has the tools, resources, and environment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” Bonsignore said following her appointment.

Mayor Mamdani previously highlighted her pandemic leadership as a key reason for her selection, calling her calm, decisive command “exactly the kind of leadership New York needs in moments of uncertainty.”

Despite her trailblazing status, Bonsignore has often downplayed the attention placed on her identity. Upon her 2019 promotion, she told the New York Daily News, “It’s kind of odd that the thing I get celebrated for the most — being a woman and being gay — are the two things I put the least work into.”

Former FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, who became the department’s first female commissioner in 2022, praised Bonsignore’s qualifications, saying she is “one of the strongest leaders I have ever worked alongside” and emphasizing her dedication to both firefighters and EMS professionals.

Bonsignore has also spoken about her unique credibility as a commissioner who has personally worked in emergency medicine for more than three decades.

“I know what firefighters need. I know what EMS needs. I have been EMS for over 30 years — and now New York will have a commissioner who can start an IV,” she said.

Until Mayor Mamdani is formally sworn in on January 1, First Deputy Commissioner Mark Guerra will serve as acting FDNY commissioner. When Mamdani takes office, Jessica Tisch is expected to remain as police commissioner, marking the first time in New York City history that both the fire and police departments will be led by women.

For breaking LGBTQ political leadership news, New York City government updates, and national civil rights coverage, stay with JRL CHARTS — the trusted voice in LGBTQ Politics and Equality News.

Media Partners: For licensing inquiries, media usage rights, or republication requests, please visit our Contact Us page. All content © JRL CHARTS Media Network. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.