‘You Have Failed’: LA Fire Chiefs Demand Current LAFD Head Be Thrown Overboard In Scathing Letter

A number of battalion chiefs have signed a letter calling for Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Chief Kristin Crowley to step down over the mismanaged response to wildfires devastating Los Angeles, NewsNation reported.

Multiple wildfires rapidly spread through Pasadena and other localities around Los Angeles, destroying thousands of buildings and leaving at least 27 people dead. The chiefs accused Crowley of being “disingenuous,” saying she “failed” to have the department prepared for wildfires in the letter obtained by NewsNation.

“You have been the Fire Chief since March 25, 2022,” the chiefs wrote. “You have been aware of the budget issues of the LAFD prior to your appointment as Fire Chief, yet now you publicly proclaim that you have been sounding the alarm about the LAFD budget to no avail? Please do not be disingenuous as we know better. You went along with the budget cuts and now that they have come back to haunt you, you appear to be in CYA mode.”

The city cut the LAFD’s budget by almost $20 million last year, with the bulk of the cuts hitting the department’s operational supplies. The city later restored money to the LAFD budget after negotiations with the fire union in November.

“We all know that residents residing in any residential wildland urban interface are at risk during a wind driven brush fire. Yes evacuation alerts went out, however they were too little too late. They were not coordinated or organized as they should have been. What happened with the Bureau Commanders working with their respective LAPD Bureaus/Divisions on evacuation orders/plans prior to these catastrophic incidents occurring?” the letter says. “Where were the Community Fire Patrols, High Hazard Brush Patrols, etc.? When was the last fire station first in district quarterly drive through conducted (no longer in effect under your command) which would have identified potential brushfire issues.”