Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro Appoints Robert R. Turner II as First Deputy Fire Commissioner

Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro today appointed Robert R. Turner II to First Deputy Commissioner, the second-highest civilian rank in the FDNY.  Commissioner Turner has been an FDNY member for the last 36 years, rising to the rank of Battalion Chief.  As First Deputy Commissioner, he is charged with managing the day-to-day operations and activities of the FDNY across all offices and bureaus. 

“I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Bob Turner since he was a young Lieutenant in Manhattan more than 20 years ago,” said Commissioner Nigro.  “For more than three decades he’s been an outstanding firefighter and a strong leader, and he’s exactly the person I need to work with me in further strengthening and improving the Department so that we can do an even better job protecting and serving our City.” 

Commissioner Turner began his career in 1978, first assigned to Engine Company 222 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, and later Ladder Company 175 in East New York, Brooklyn.  In 1986, he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to Engine Company 1 in Midtown Manhattan.  Following his promotion to Captain in 1992, he returned to Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn to lead Engine Company 214.  In 1999, he was promoted to Battalion Chief and assigned to Battalion 46 in Elmhurst, Queens.  Most recently, Commissioner Turner served as the director of the First Line Supervisor Training Program (FLIPS), overseeing the training of all newly promoted FDNY Lieutenants, as well as fire officers throughout New York State.  In addition, Commissioner Turner is a graduate of the FDNY Officers Management Institute, and has received advanced leadership training from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School. 

In 1985, Commissioner Turner was cited for bravery and awarded the Brooklyn Citizens Medal for responding while off-duty to a fire in his Queens neighborhood.  Two hours into January of 1984, Turner ran barefoot from his home to aid and remove three residents from the fast-moving fire, before returning to attempt to remove a fourth occupant. He suffered serious burns and lacerations to both arms during the fire, operating on his own and without protective gear before additional units arrived.

Commissioner Turner holds a Bachelors’ degree in Public Administration from John Jay College, where he also served as an adjunct instructor teaching courses on emergency action plans and training fire safety directors.  Born in Brooklyn, Commissioner Turner was raised in Queens, where he currently resides with his wife Tamara.  His father, Robert R. Turner, also held the rank of Battalion Chief, serving the Department for 41 years.