The FDNY will not comment on the ongoing lawsuit, telling NBC that Kavanagh, like many fire commissioners before her, is building her executive team and making changes where she sees fit. “This has to do with the fire commissioner’s treatment of her executive staff.” “This has absolutely nothing to do with the fire commissioner being female,” he said. “The mental anguish its caused me and my family, it’s devastating,” the chief said, adding that morale in the fire houses was “very low.” speak to reporters near the scene of fatal fire early morning, Sunday April 29, 2018. New York – FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala Jr. The ongoing strife has had ripple effects outside of FDNY headquarters, Massucci said. “We don’t have problems working with females. Nobody ever explained anything to me,” Gala said, refuting allegations he and the demoted chiefs had issues taking orders from a woman. Gala, who had successfully sued the department previously claiming that his career was stalled because he wrote harshly critical letters in the Chief-Leader Newspaper years ago about the FDNY’s efforts to hire more Black firefighters, told NBC he had no idea why he was demoted to deputy chief. At 40, Kavanagh, the city’s first woman fire commissioner, is also one of the city’s youngest commissioners. The demoted chiefs are currently suing the department, accusing Kavanagh of ageism. Kavanagh hasn’t signed off on any of the demotion requests and has asked everyone to stay on as she fine tunes her leadership team. Between those who have been demoted and those out on medical leave, there are only seven active staff chiefs citywide, sources said. There are 23 staff chiefs in the entire FDNY, including several on medical leave. So far, 10 staff chiefs have either been demoted by Kavanagh or have asked to be lowered in rank, sources with knowledge of the turmoil said. In response, seven other staff chiefs, including Massucci, FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens and Chief of Fire Operations John Esposito, have asked to be demoted to deputy chief and moved back into the field. She was said to have wanted “out-of-the-box thinking” from the chiefs but was peppered with requests about overtime and department-issued take-home cars, according to a recording of the gathering shared with The News. Kavanagh also complained that her staff chiefs hadn’t brought her any new ideas about how to improve the department.
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