FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore delivers 2026 State of the FDNY: 'We are unstoppable together'

February 5, 2026

FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore addressed the FDNY Foundation on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, delivering the 2026 State of the FDNY and outlining the challenges and priorities that will shape the Department's future.

In the annual address to FDNY Foundation members and public safety leaders in Manhattan, Commissioner Bonsignore provided a comprehensive look at how the FDNY is adapting to meet the evolving needs of New York City, from strengthening its workforce and supporting member wellness to ensuring emergency resources are available when they are needed most.

"We have lots to do. Our Department is the greatest fire department in the world, but we have things that we have to solve. We have to keep up with this growing city around us," Commissioner Bonsignore said.

Highlighting the more than 1.6 million medical calls the FDNY responds to each year, Commissioner Bonsignore said the Department will educate the public on making informed decisions that help keep the city's emergency response system running effectively.

"We need to engage in public education about how to use 911. It is a finite number of resources, and we are being outrun by the call volume," Commissioner Bonsignore said. "The call volume leads to higher response times-it's a cascading event."

Commissioner Bonsignore, who joined the FDNY as an EMT and rose through the ranks during her 31-year uniformed career, emphasized the Department's ongoing efforts to attract the next generation of members and retain those already here.

"There are heroes all around us, and we have to make sure we find them," she said. "We have to strengthen the pipelines that we have to the FDNY from every angle, from every corner of every community."

For more information and to support the FDNY Foundation, the official nonprofit organization of the Department, visit FDNYFoundation.org.