By Thomas Tracy and Anusha Bayya
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — Joseph Pfeifer has been ousted from his role as the FDNY’s second-in-command by the department’s new fire commissioner, who is just a few days into the job, sources told The New York Daily News.
Robert Tucker was named commissioner on Monday and City Hall expressed support for any staffing changes he seeks to make in a statement Saturday.
“As every commissioner before him has done, commissioner Tucker will build a staff that will move forward his and the administration’s vision for the FDNY,” a city hall spokeswoman said.
Pfeifer’s tenure as first deputy commissioner, which lasted a little over a year, was marked by internal conflict partly stemming from what staff chiefs at the time described as a flippant dismissal of their concerns. Some demanded that he be demoted from the post.
The 9/11 hero of the FDNY had been yanked out of retirement by former Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, who left her post earlier this summer, after repeatedly butting heads with some of the department’s senior officials.
“The heart of FDNY is the ability to unify efforts to solve complex problems in the face of great tragedy,” Pfeifer said at the time. “Our united team is a sign of resilience to reflect on the past and envision the future so that we can enhance the present.”
Tucker was tapped for the post to assuage the rank-and-file and field concerns about Kavanaugh’s ability to lead the department successfully, sources said.
The next step will have department rank-and-file and chiefs watching closely for who Tucker hand-picks to shape the new top brass of the department.
“The department will announce any leadership changes when they are officially made,” City Hall said in a statement.
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