Top Black Woman at FDNY Reportedly Prepares for Termination

Top Black Woman at FDNY Reportedly Prepares for Termination


She was told she was headed for the door.

FDNY lawyer Terryl Brown is the highest-ranking Black woman at the agency, but reportedly, she is preparing her final days with the New York Fire Department after she was told on Monday that she was getting fired.

The New York Post reported that a well-informed source said the termination was decided by FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, who Brown allegedly became a threat to after she was previously backed by the fire officers and chiefs union for commissioner.

The source said several deputy chiefs have recently been demoted, while others have resigned as a result of the turmoil Kavanagh has caused in the agency. Brown’s firing is also being joined by the termination of Deputy Commissioner for Public Information Frank Dwyer, a longtime spokesman for the FDNY.

“You have all these negative stories [about the department now], and they don’t involve a scandal. They created all these problems,’’ the source said about the current FDNY administration.

According to another source, Brown and Dwyer were described as “consummate professionals, always maintaining the interest of the Fire Department,” adding that “They had a respect that was deep-seated and sincere. It’s really a disgrace what [foes are] doing to these two people. … There was reverence for them and always a compass that pointed true north. Absolutely a disgrace.’

“Like every commissioner, Commissioner Kavanagh is putting together a leadership team that will help her deliver on the priorities set out for the FDNY,” the FDNY said in a statement Tuesday.

“On behalf of all New Yorkers, we thank these members for their service to the Fire Department and to the City of New York, and wish them well. New Yorkers can rest assured that the FDNY is as prepared as ever to keep them safe and respond to any and all emergencies.”

Reportedly, neither Brown nor Dwyer were given an official termination date as of yet, and four higher-ranking chiefs have filed a lawsuit to prevent the demotions.


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