FDNY’s burning ‘snitch’ question

The FDNY has failed to identify the snitch who secretly recorded a meeting between a dozen staff chiefs and Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh a year ago — a recording that chiefs fumed was leaked to make them look bad.

The unsolved mystery has irreparably eroded the chiefs’ confidence in Kavanagh, insiders say.

“One of the big trust issues is that the meeting was recorded. And that remains a huge problem,” a high-ranking chief told The Post.

“Nobody knows who recorded it, and there doesn’t seem to be a concern that a meeting of the executive staff of the New York City Fire Department was recorded and then leaked to the press. As far as we know, there’ve been no steps taken to figure out who did it.”

During the Feb. 3 meeting, Kavanagh, then under fire for demoting several veteran chiefs without consulting her executive team, called for “innovative, outside-thebox thinking,” and warned she would not tolerate bullying among members. The chiefs asked questions about logistical matters such as use of FDNY cars, vacation and capital projects.

Soon after, one of the chiefs filed a complaint about the clandestine recording with the city Department of Investigation.

The DOI kicked the case back to the FDNY’s own investigative arm, the Bureau of Investigations and Trials (BITS), where it apparently was quashed, insiders believe.

“There was no word of anyone being interviewed,” the chief said.

Another complaint was filed with the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board, because the fire commissioner oversees BITS. The DOI investigates complaints to the COIB.

“This is not a DOI matter and we decline further comment,” said spokeswoman Diane Struzzi.