The dismissal of Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has sparked a wave of criticism, following the recent wildfires that wreaked havoc on the city.
The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City President, Freddy Escobar, has accused Bass of scapegoating Crowley, stating that she was "terminated for telling the truth."
The wildfires that engulfed Los Angeles in January were nothing short of catastrophic, claiming 29 lives, obliterating 16,255 buildings, and scorching 37,700 acres, as per the Fire Safety Research Institute's analysis. The city's leadership, both civic and political, is under scrutiny for its handling of the disaster.
Mayor Bass, in particular, faced calls for her resignation, with critics pointing to her presence at a presidential inauguration in Ghana when the fires ignited and her alleged budget cuts in areas pertinent to firefighting.
In a move that has stirred controversy, Mayor Bass announced on Friday that she had relieved Crowley of her duties, arguing it was "in the best interests of Los Angeles' public safety." She accused Crowley of sending "1,000 firefighters home on the day the fires broke out" and later refusing "to do an after action report on the fire."
However, as reported by Newsweek, this decision was met with fierce opposition from Escobar, the union president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City. He expressed his outrage at Crowley's termination, stating, "In our opinion, Chief Crowley is being made a scapegoat, and she is being terminated for telling the truth."
He refuted Bass' claims about the firefighters being sent home and Crowley's alleged refusal to conduct an after-action report, asserting that such a report was already underway by the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), as mandated by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The tension between Bass and Crowley escalated when Crowley told CNN's Jake Tapper that the budget cuts had adversely affected her department's ability to fight the wildfires. Crowley was reportedly summoned to Bass' office "hours later." Following Crowley's exit, former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva was appointed as the interim fire chief of Los Angeles.
The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, in a statement on Facebook, expressed their solidarity with Crowley, describing her as a "strong leader who has the respect of our firefighters and wasn't afraid to tell the truth." They condemned her termination, arguing that she was being scapegoated without a thorough investigation into the actual events surrounding the devastating fire.
Rick Caruso, a billionaire property developer who lost to Bass in the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election, also voiced his disappointment over Crowley's dismissal. He criticized the Bass administration for its "severe and profoundly ill-conceived budget cuts" to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Despite the backlash, Mayor Bass announced in July 2024 her intention to run for another term as Los Angeles mayor in 2026. However, her handling of the wildfires and the subsequent fallout is likely to be a significant point of contention for her political rivals.
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