NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Outgoing FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said Monday that he has not heard from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani or his team after handing in his resignation letter last month over Mamdani's win.
“I have not heard from the mayor-elect or anybody on his team,” Tucker told 1010 WINS. “And I suspect even if they didn't want to speak to me, they could reach out to other staff.”
After Mamdani’s win about six weeks ago, Tucker announced he’d step down as head of the FDNY. He said being a Jewish New Yorker, as well as the mayor-elect’s stance on Israel, played a role in that decision.
Tucker said he’s not hurt by the silence but is surprised, with just weeks to go until the new administration takes the reins.
"The truth is it's not about being heard, it's about the public safety role that the fire department plays in the City of New York,” he said. “It's a critical player, not just from the fire service but the pre-hospital care, all of the ambulances.”
1010 WINS has reached out to Mamdani’s team for a response.
Tucker said he hopes things are handled properly when he departs from the role as commissioner on Friday.
"This is a big, complicated, glorious department filled with some of the greatest human beings I've ever met, but a little direction and transition is prudent,” he said.
Tucker said stepping down was a tough call but the right one for him.
"I've made the hard decisions, and I've never been afraid of making decisions. I think at this point in my life I'm as good at making decisions as I have ever been,” he said.