A tenth top FDNY chief has requested a demotion following comments that “stabbed him in the back” — a major blow to embattled commissioner Laura Kavanagh, The Post has learned.
Assistant Chief Thomas J. Currao, described as a Kavanagh ally and her top choice to replace John Hodgens as the next Chief of Department, handed in a letter Monday with his request to go back to deputy chief, officials confirmed.
Currao was outraged by reported comments made by Kavanagh’s newly appointed deputy commissioner Joseph Pfeifer, in which he dismissed the mutiny by nine top chiefs in solidarity with three others demoted by Kavanagh, said sources familiar with the fallout.
“I think people can disagree, but they can’t go out on their own and make their own rules,” Pfiefer told New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd.
Pfeifer also suggested the chiefs who requested demotion can be easily replaced with “fresh blood.”
“There’s a lot of very experienced people in the field that we can bring up, that may even have more experience than some of the people that want to self-demote,” he told the outlet.
Currao found the comments wrong and disparaging to all chiefs, the sources said.
After earlier aiming to mend the breach between Kavanagh and the rebelling chiefs, Currao told his bosses he could not remain a part of the senior team, the sources said. “He felt stabbed in the back.”
“FDNY is in free fall,” said Jim Walden, the lawyer who filed an age discrimination lawsuit for the three chiefs Kavanagh demoted. “When people like Chief Currao—a Kavanagh loyalist who tried to broker peace—get fed up and ask for demotions, you know how bad it is.
“Kavanagh can’t even find replacements,” he added. “City Hall knows this is a disaster waiting to happen, and Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor Banks care more about the optics than keeping people safe. Thanks to them, New Yorkers are dealing with a ticking time bomb.”
FDNY spokeswoman Amanda Farinacci fired back: “It’s offensive to the Department, our members, and to our Chiefs to suggest that anyone isn’t doing their job. Under Commissioner Kavanagh’s leadership, the FDNY remains fully ready to respond to New Yorkers who call 911 for help. While we don’t comment on personnel matters, the Department is fully staffed.”
Kavanagh has so far refused to honor the requests for demotion. All 10 chiefs who have requested demotion, including Currao, “remain in their current roles,” officials said.
Currao could not be reached for comment.
Additional reporting by Joe Marino
