Carlos M. Rivera (1934 – October 12, 2020)[1] was the first Hispanic commissioner in the New York City Fire Department's 127-year history.
[2] He was appointed the 27th Fire Commissioner[3] of the City of New York by Mayor David Dinkins on January 1, 1990 and served in that position until his resignation on August 31, 1993.
[4][5] Rivera's parents moved from Puerto Rico to New York City, where he was born in 1934.
[7] During the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Rivera was in charge of the response of the fire department.
However, it is believed that Rivera was under pressure from the moment he was appointed, in December 1989, as the Dinkins administration tried to hold down costs citywide.