City Council denies former LAFD Chief Crowley's appeal for reinstatement after firing by Mayor Bass
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In a contentious and emotional hearing, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to deny former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley's appeal, supporting Mayor Karen Bass's decision to terminate her as head of the Los Angeles Fire Department following January's wildfires.
Bass fired Crowley on Feb. 21, six weeks after the fire started. Last week, the former fire chief appealed to be reinstated.
The mayor said she fired Crowley because she said she was acting in the best interests of public safety and that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Crowley's watch. Another stated reason was because Crowley was asked to put together an after-action report on the fires by the president of the fire commission and allegedly refused to do so.
Before the council voted 13-2 in support of Bass's decision to fire Crowley, the former fire chief delivered impassioned remarks at the meeting and received a standing ovation from her supporters in the council chambers audience.
Addressing the councilmembers, Crowley said "multiple false accusations" had been made against her when she was fired two weeks ago by Bass over her handling of the Palisades Fire.
"Now I will set the record straight. First, I did not refuse to conduct an after-action report...This is a false accusation," said Crowley. "I recommended simply to collaborate with Gov. (Gavin) Newsom's already selected and funded agency, the Fire Safety Research Institute or FSRI, because they are already conducting an independent analysis of the wind storm and fire events in the Los Angeles and Ventura counties."
"Second, on the morning of the fire, I did not send home 1,000 firefighters...Nor did I leave 40 available fire engines on staff," Crowley said, adding that "we did not have enough apparatus to put them on."
She blamed the shortfall on a lack of funding for maintenance that left more than 100 fire trucks and other vehicles inoperable in a maintenance yard. She also denied that Bass was not informed about severe winds that were forecast on Jan. 7, noting that the mayor's office itself issued "multiple messages" to the public warning about the wind conditions
"It is never the wrong time to do the right thing and to speak the truth, and the truth is that the fire chief should not be prevented from or punished for speaking openly and honestly about the needs and the capabilities of the LAFD," the former fire chief said.
After the city council's vote, Mayor Bass released the following statement through her spokesman Zach Seidl:
"After testimony by the former Chief confirming she sent firefighters home on the morning of January 7th, her appeal was rejected 13-2 by members of the City Council. 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."
Crowley also released a statement Tuesday afternoon:
"Although I am disappointed in the outcome of today's appeal vote, my heart is full of gratitude for the outpouring of love and support that I received. I especially want to thank UFLAC President Freddy Escobar, the many other UFLAC leaders, and the members who supported my efforts to shine the light on LAFD's needs. Standing up, speaking out, and advocating for our LAFD firefighters, their families, and the communities that we serve will always be the right thing to do.
It has been an absolute honor of a lifetime to serve and represent the incredible men and women of the LAFD for nearly three years. The LAFD deserves to be properly funded, staffed, and resourced so we can meet the ever-changing needs of our communities. We owe that to the LAFD and to those we serve."
After her firing, Crowley exercised her civil service right to remain with the LAFD at a lower rank in a different position. Eyewitness news has learned that she will be the assistant chief assigned to the Operations Valley Bureau.
Before voting, council members heard a mix of reactions from residents, activists, city employees and others, with some supporting Bass' decision and others urging the panel to reinstate Crowley. The city's unionized firefighters were among her most vocal supporters, saying she had been scapegoated and fired for speaking out about the need for more staff and funding.
Prior to the council meeting Tuesday morning, Crowley gave brief remarks to reporters at City Hall, marking her first public appearance since she was dismissed.
Crowley said she was grateful "to exercise the opportunity to appeal, very grateful for our labor organization that is here, supporting our efforts," she added, gesturing toward some of the approximately 50 firefighters union members who showed up in solidarity with her.
"In the end, we'll see where the votes are, but I'm so grateful for the love and support," she said.
Asked if she could work with Bass if reinstated as fire chief, Crowley replied: "I have every expectation that as a professional, in the end, we want the same thing -- and that's to support the community, that's to provide the optimal public safety, that's to take care of the boots on the ground so that they can do their jobs -- every expectation. I know that's where I'm coming from."
MORE: Mayor Bass admits Ghana trip before wildfires was a mistake
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.
