Lillian Bonsignore
Lillian Bonsignore is an American emergency medical services administrator serving as New York City Fire Commissioner since 2026. A 31-year veteran of the department, she was the chief of Emergency Medical Services from 2019 to 2022. Bonsignore is the first openly gay person and the first uniformed woman to serve as FDNY commissioner.
Early life and education
Bonsignore was born in and raised in the Bronx. She was a single mother when she began her career in emergency medical services in 1991.Career
Bonsignore joined the New York City Fire Department as an Emergency Medical Technician in 1991. During the September 11 attacks, she served as a first responder, deploying from Fort Totten in Queens to the World Trade Center.Bonsignore rose through the ranks of the EMS division. She was promoted to lieutenant in 2002, captain in 2005, and deputy chief in 2009. In 2016, she was appointed chief of the EMS Academy at Fort Totten. She served as deputy assistant chief, a role in which she managed EMS training and oversaw the certification of more than 13,000 EMTs.
In May 2019, Bonsignore was named chief of the FDNY's Emergency Medical Services division. This appointment made her the first woman to head the division and the first uniformed woman to achieve the rank of four-star chief within the department. She was appointed to this role shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Bonsignore retired from the FDNY in December 2022 after 31 years of service.
FDNY Commissioner
In December 2025, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Bonsignore as his choice for FDNY Commissioner, with her term set to begin following his inauguration on January 1, 2026. Her appointment marks her as the second woman to lead the FDNY and the first uniformed woman to hold the position. She is the first openly gay person to be named to the post. The announcement took place at a press conference in Queens.Bonsignore's appointment received endorsements from the unions representing firefighters, fire officers, and medics. Commentators have viewed her selection as a commitment to addressing pay parity for EMTs, a long-standing issue within the department. The appointment also drew criticism from Elon Musk, who stated on social media that "people will die" as a result of the decision.
Following Mamdani's announcement, outgoing mayor Eric Adams appointed interim commissioner Mark Guerra to serve as commissioner for the final eight days of his term, prior to Bonsignore taking office. Bonsignore was sworn in as commissioner by Mayor Mamdani on January 6, 2026.