Mayor Karen Bass has removed Los Angeles Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley. Bass has criticized Crowley for a lack of preparation and mishandling the city's wildfire response, and said the department needs new leadership.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has removed Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, citing a need for new leadership amidst the city's challenges in wildfire response. Crowley, the first female fire chief of Los Angeles, faced criticism from Mayor Bass for her alleged lack of preparation and mishandling of the emergency services during recent wildfires. 

The decision comes shortly after a devastating natural disaster affected the U.S., with Bass stating that public safety was the primary concern for her decision. While Crowley had warned about the impact of severe budget cuts on the fire department's ability to respond to large-scale emergencies, Mayor Bass asserted that the fire department was not subjected to budget reductions. 

Approximately 1,000 firefighters, who could have been deployed to combat the wildfires, were reportedly sent home during the crisis, a fact Bass noted contributed to the firing decision. However, there remains contention regarding the timing of Crowley's removal, as Mayor Bass had previously stated there were no immediate plans to dismiss her during the emergency. 

Mayor Bass's actions and decision-making during the crisis have been scrutinized, especially given her absence on a trip to Ghana during the critical period. Despite the termination, Kristin Crowley has chosen to exercise her civil service rights, enabling her to continue with the department, albeit at a lower rank.



Los Angeles mayor removes fire department chief

just weeks after one of the worst natural disasters in U. S. History. As the mayor of the city, the buck stops with me. Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took action against embattled city fire chief Kristen Crowley, acting in the best interest of Los Angeles public safety. I just met with Chief Crowley and removed her as fire chief. It was a few that had escalated. Even his flames were still consuming thousands of homes in Pacific Palisades on L. A. S. West side. Chief Crowley had publicly released an internal memo warning that severe budget cuts would impact the fire department's ability to respond to large scale emergencies such as wild fires. Was the budget cut? Yes, it was cut and it did impact our ability to provide service. Let me just be clear about the budget. The fire department was not cut. Mayor Bass said the firing is in the interest of public safety. What specifically did she do to endanger public safety? Well, as I mentioned, 1000 firefighters who could have been on the job fighting the fires were sent home. So we knew the 1000 firefighters could have been called in the day after the fire. What changed? What changed? Because you said you weren't planning on firing her on January 11th while the while Los Angeles was on fire. After that, we had rains. I was not going to do anything while we were in a state of emergency. Mayor Bass also tried to deflect criticism about why she was on a trip to Ghana during the fire, despite warnings of life threatening winds and extreme fire danger days before it ignited. Whenever there was a fire emergency, a weather emergency or a hint of a problem, I am contacted directly. Did you see any of the forecasts before you went to Ghana? No. It all marks a stunning turn for L. A. S. First female fire chief terminated by L. A. S. First elected female mayor. Following the news conference, the mayor's office was informed that the former chief has now exercised her civil service rights to remain with the fire department, but at a lower rank.

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