Kristin Crowley to be sworn in as 1st woman to lead the Los Angeles Fire Department
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Friday will be a historic day for the Los Angeles Fire Department as it is set to swear in its first female, LGBTQ and paramedic fire chief.
Kristin Crowley, a 22-year veteran of the department, will officially become the city's 19th fire chief at a 3 p.m. ceremony at City Hall.
She was nominated to the position by Mayor Eric Garcetti back in January, and was unanimously confirmed by the City Council on March 1. She will replace Chief Ralph Terrazas, who is retiring.
Before being appointed fire chief, Crowley had already made history within the LAFD when she became the city's first female fire marshal in 2016.
"I am humbled and proud to have earned the opportunity to represent each and every one of our 3,779 strong civilian and sworn personnel of our department. They are truly dedicated, hard-working and committed to meeting and exceeding the mission to preserve life and property while promoting public safety," she said.
Crowley took the firefighters' exam in 1998 and placed among the top 50 scores out of 16,000 applicants, according to the department. During her 22 years at the LAFD, she rose through the ranks as firefighter, firefighter paramedic, engineer, fire inspector, captain I, captain II, battalion chief, assistant chief, fire marshal and deputy chief.
"Throughout her distinguished career, Kristin Crowley has proven her brilliance, determination and bravery on the job again and again," Garcetti said in announcing Crowley's nomination on Jan. 18. "She's also shown this city her heart, with her tireless commitment to helping students access life-changing educational opportunities. There is no one better equipped to lead the LAFD at this moment than Kristin. She's ready to make history, and I'm proud to nominate her as the department's next chief."
As deputy chief, Crowley helped develop a five-year strategic plan aimed at fostering a culture within the department that is more open to change, according to the mayor's office. She said she will build on that effort to deepen existing efforts and create new ways to foster equity and inclusion within the department, the mayor's office added.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center celebrated her appointment as the first fire chief to be an open member of the LGBTQ community.
"Crowley now joins a handful of pioneering LGBTQ fire chiefs nationwide who are out and proud, and we salute her for being an LGBTQ role model who has been making a positive contribution to our city," the center said.
City News Service contributed to this report.
