New York City is set to make history. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has named Lillian Bonsignore as commissioner of the Fire Department of New York, making her the second woman, and the first out gay person, to lead the department. Mamdani announced the appointment in Queens. “The FDNY deserves a leader who cares about their work, because she did it herself; she is the kind of leader I’m so proud to have in my administration.” Bonsignore, a Bronx native, joined the Fire Department of New York in 1991 as an emergency medical technician and served for 31 years, retiring in 2022.
She became chief of the EMS division in 2019, the first woman to hold that role and the first uniformed woman to reach four-star chief status. A first responder on September 11 and a leader during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bonsignore emphasized safety and support for FDNY members. She said, “My goal is to ensure that every member of [the FDNY] has the resources and environment they need to perform their role safely and effectively.” Her appointment also marks a milestone moment for LGBTQ+ visibility in city leadership.
