Lillian Bonsignore, a 31-year veteran of the FDNY and former Chief of EMS Operations, sworn in as Department's 37th Fire Commissioner

January 6, 2026

Mayor Zohran Mamdani swore in Lillian Bonsignore as the 37th FDNY Commissioner on Jan. 6, 2026, at the Department's headquarters in Brooklyn.

"Standing here today, I'm struck by a profound sense of coming home. For 31 years, I had the privilege of wearing the FDNY uniform. I know the weight of the turnout gear, the adrenaline of the tones and the calls, and the sacred bond that forms in the firehouses and EMS stations," Commissioner Bonsignore said after being sworn in. "To lead this Department is the greatest honor of my life, but I do not mistake this ceremony for an achievement, but a deeper commitment to those who do the work. I do not lead to stand above you. I lead to stand behind you—providing the tools, the trust and the tenacity you need to save lives, whether you're at the nozzle, the stretcher or the computer terminal."

Mayor Mamdani said: "I have appointed Lillian to this role—not solely for her wealth of experience, not solely because of her vision and ideas for how we take the FDNY into its latest year of existence—but also because of the respect she holds for this work and all those who do it. The person entrusted with this leadership, with being the Commissioner of this Department must be someone who cares about each corner of New York City and whose expertise lends itself to a moment of both change and new challenges. Lillian Bonsignore both has that expertise and is that leader. In the hardest moments that this city has faced, Lillian has stepped up and has done that noble work of saving lives."

Commissioner Bonsignore was appointed as a New York City EMT in 1991 and initially assigned to EMS Station 14 at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. She moved up the ranks to become a lieutenant in 2005 and later became a paramedic in 2007. Commissioner Bonsignore was appointed as Chief of the EMS Academy at Fort Totten in 2016 and then named Chief of EMS Operations in 2019, becoming the first female to achieve a four-star rank in EMS in the history of the FDNY.

Commissioner Bonsignore led FDNY EMS through the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of unprecedented medical call volume across New York City.

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  WATCH: Mayor Zohran Mamdani swears-in Lillian Bonsignore as 37th FDNY Commissioner at ceremony in Brooklyn