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los angeles mayor karen bass They have selected a 30-year veteran of the fire department as the new fire chief, just months after the previous chief was ousted for his handling of the most devastating wildfire in the city’s history.
Bass announced Friday that it is choosing Deputy Chief Jamie Moore to take the reins Los Angeles Fire Department After a nationwide search with over 100 candidates.
Moore will inherit a department that has faced scrutiny for its response to the Palisades Fire, which started during heavy winds on Jan. 7, destroying or damaging nearly 8,000 homes, businesses and other structures and killing at least 12 people in the affluent L.A. neighborhood.
Bass, a first-time Democrat seeking re-election, fired then-Fire Chief Kristin Crowley six weeks after the fire amid public disagreements over potential fire preparations and finger-pointing between the chief and City Hall over responsibility for the disaster.
Moore said he would work to implement strategic changes such as preparing for major disasters and world events, improving morale and culture, and ensuring the department has adequate staffing and resources.
“I am proud to appoint an Angeleno to this role, and I know he will work to improve the LAFD for everyone in this city,” Bass said.
The firefighters union immediately praised Moore’s appointment.
“Throughout his career with the LAFD, Chief Moore has demonstrated strong leadership and a deep commitment to the department,” United Los Angeles city firefighters wrote on the “His background and experience within the ranks have demonstrated that he is the right leader at the right time to move the LAFD forward.”
Moore currently oversees operations of the Valley Bureau, which covers the northern part of the city including 39 fire stations and more than 980 sworn personnel, according to his fire department biography. He joined the LAFD in May 1995 and has worked in many areas within the department over the years. In 2018, he was promoted to assistant chief.
He was born in Delhi, louisianabut have spent my whole life Southern CaliforniaHis mother was an immigrant from Guadalajara, Mexico, and he was raised speaking English and Spanish.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a master’s degree in public administration and emergency management from California State University, Long Beach.
The appointment comes at a crucial political juncture for Bass, as she prepares to run for re-election next year after a difficult first term. City Hall is struggling with a cash crunch and a homelessness crisis as the 2028 Olympics approach while reconstruction from the January fire continues.
Crowley, the first female head of the department, was named chief by Bass’s predecessor in 2022, when the department was in turmoil over allegations of widespread harassment, assault and discrimination. He worked in the city’s fire department for more than 25 years and held almost every role, including fire marshal, engineer and battalion chief.
Fire officials, including Crowley, expressed concern over budget cuts that left the department understaffed and fire trucks sitting idle in maintenance yards because they did not have mechanics to fix them. The firefighters union sharply criticized Bass’ decision and called Crowley a “scapegoat.”
Crowley filed a legal claim against the city in August, accusing Bass of a “systematic campaign of misinformation, defamation and retaliation” following the wildfire.
Federal investigators determined that the Palisades fire was ignited by a smaller fire that was set about a week earlier on New Year’s Day. A man accused of starting a fire pleaded not guilty to federal charges on Thursday. His attorney has blamed the LAFD for not fully extinguishing the initial fire, while fire officials have said such fires start underground and are impossible to detect.