All topics / Public Safety and Access to Justice / Fire Department
Investigations
Protect lives and property from fire hazards and other emergency conditions. — Reduce the risk associated with fire incidents.
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 5,815 investigations |
| FY23 | 5,856 investigations |
| FY24 | 5,335 investigations |
| FY25 | 5,353 investigations |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
5,353 investigations in FY25 — has no numeric target set by the City, and it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The modern FDNY traces to the Metropolitan Fire Department, created by an 1865 New York State law establishing a paid, professional fire department to replace the city's volunteer companies. The shift was driven by the rise of steam fire engines, which made hand-operated volunteer apparatus outdated, the city's rapid growth, and pressure from insurance companies that wanted a more reliable, professionalized fire response. The first professional unit went into service on July 31, 1865. That basic mandate, protecting lives and property from fire and other hazards, remains FDNY's core function 160 years later.
Source: FDNY Bureau of Fire Investigation (BFI) — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: The number of investigations by fire marshals into the causes and origins of fires, fire-related offenses and certain non-fire offenses, such as malicious false alarms.