Los Angeles City Council Upholds Fire Chief Crowley’s Firing Amidst Controversy
The Los Angeles City Council has solidified the termination of former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, a decision stemming from her leadership during the January firestorm that ravaged the region. The council’s action follows weeks of heated debate and accusations, highlighting deep divisions within the city’s leadership and sparking concerns about the future of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
During a contentious hearing before the council, Crowley vehemently defended her actions and refuted the reasons cited by Mayor Karen Bass for her dismissal, branding them as "false accusations." She emphasized the importance of open communication regarding the department’s needs and capabilities, arguing that a fire chief should not be penalized for advocating for the safety of firefighters and the community. "The truth is that the fire chief should not be prevented from, or punished for, speaking openly and honestly about the needs and capabilities of the LAFD, or for doing her best to protect our firefighters and our communities," Crowley stated forcefully.
Mayor Bass’s office, in a statement to USA TODAY, reiterated the disputed claims surrounding fire personnel deployment and maintained that the decision was rooted in concerns for public safety and the operational efficiency of the LAFD. "This is an issue of public safety and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department – the City of Los Angeles is moving forward," the statement read.
Crowley required a two-thirds majority of the council’s 15 members to overturn the mayor’s decision, but the appeal fell far short. Only Councilwomen Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park, representing the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, voted in her favor. Rodriguez had previously urged Crowley to appeal the firing, while Park voiced a need for greater accountability in the wake of the devastating wildfires.
The uphill battle Crowley faced was evident even before the council meeting, with several members, including City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, having publicly aligned themselves with Mayor Bass following the announcement of the firing.
Park, expressing her desire for a thorough investigation into the response to the wildfires, which resulted in numerous fatalities and widespread destruction, asserted the need for accountability across multiple city departments. "It might very well mean firing everyone who has culpability across multiple departments, and I have no problem with that. But, I wouldn’t do it without a well-informed record and actual evidence to support that decision," she explained.
Mayor Bass cited two primary reasons for Crowley’s dismissal: alleged mismanagement of pre-deployment strategies in anticipation of the fires and a refusal to participate in an after-action report, both of which Crowley vehemently denied during the hearing. Bass specifically referenced a Los Angeles Times report suggesting that fire officials opted not to deploy approximately 1,000 available firefighters and numerous water-carrying engines to the Pacific Palisades neighborhood prior to the outbreak of the fires.
Crowley countered these claims, stating that she did not send firefighters home and that the department lacked sufficient apparatus to put them on the front lines. Rodriguez previously dismissed this rationale as a "gotcha" and argued that an investigation would reveal the true availability of the necessary equipment for the available firefighters.
The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 echoed Rodriguez’s concerns, asserting that Crowley’s dismissal occurred without a comprehensive investigation. The union highlighted persistent issues within the LAFD, including a significant number of broken-down fire engines, trucks, and ambulances due to civilian mechanic job cuts. "We still have nearly 100 broken down fire engines, trucks, and ambulances in the maintenance yard because of civilian mechanic job cuts," the union stated. "This is a city that has neglected its fire department and can’t even pay our firefighters correctly for the work that we perform every single day."
Crowley also refuted Bass’s accusation that she refused to participate in an after-action report, highlighting the investigation ordered by California Governor Gavin Newsom and the extensive impact of the fire. "I did not refuse to conduct an after-action report,” Crowley said. “Let me be clear: This is a false accusation.”
Rodriguez emphasized the importance of transparency and honesty from city leaders, noting that the funding for an after-action report was scheduled for a committee vote. “I think whats really important is that our responsibility as city leaders, as elected leaders, is to be honest and forthcoming with the facts,” Rodriguez told USA TODAY. “The public has a right to know.”
Prior to Crowley’s firing, both Bass and Harris-Dawson had claimed a lack of adequate communication from the fire chief during the fires, although this was not explicitly cited as a formal reason for her dismissal. "I was acting mayor at the time and I was not getting a flow of information from the chief during that time period," Council President Harris-Dawson previously told City News Service, expressing his support for Crowley’s removal. "Frankly, I did not talk to her until I showed up to a press conference at 4 o’clock that afternoon of the fire.”
Crowley maintained that her department adhered to standard communication protocols during the emergency. Deputy Fire Chief Jason Hing reportedly informed Crowley that he had messaged Harris-Dawson regarding the city’s fire deployment, preparations, and resource needs, according to phone messages obtained by KTLA-TV.
In a local Fox program interview, Bass asserted that Crowley failed to inform her about the impending fire danger and that she was unaware of warnings issued prior to the firestorm. However, the National Weather Service had issued warnings of a "LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm" days before the fires erupted.
Supporters of Crowley’s reinstatement lauded her willingness to openly discuss budget cuts, a subject that became a focal point during the fires. Chuong Ho, director at United Firefighters of Los Angeles City and a Los Angeles Fire Department captain, highlighted Crowley’s courage in speaking out. “We had a fire chief that finally spoke up,” Ho said. “For the first time we had a fire chief speak out in disagreement with our citys elected officials and this is what happens.”
Conversely, Bass’s supporters viewed the movement to overturn the mayor’s decision as politically motivated. Benjamin Torres, president and chief executive of the South L.A.-based group CD Tech, suggested that Crowley was caught in the crossfire of a political power struggle. "This is about (destabilizing) the mayor," Torres said. "I feel like Crowley is really a political football in this herself. I think she deserves more."
The fallout from Crowley’s firing is likely to continue, raising questions about the LAFD’s future leadership, its resource allocation, and its ability to effectively respond to future emergencies. The controversy underscores the importance of transparency, communication, and accountability within city government, particularly when it comes to protecting the lives and property of Los Angeles residents.
