LAFD: Kristin Crowley not getting fired over Fire Chief's comments on $17.6M budget cut
Mayor Bass denies firing LAFD Chief Crowley
Mayor Karen Bass reportedly called LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley into a closed-door meeting shortly after Crowley told FOX 11 that the city had failed the department in preparation for the deadly wildfires scorching the area. Bass' office has denied a report that she fired Crowley after the meeting.
LOS ANGELES - Karen Bass' office denied a report of the Los Angeles Mayor firing Kristin Crowley over the Fire Chief's candid interview with FOX 11.
Earlier in the day, Crowley spoke with FOX 11's Gigi Graciette on Los Angeles Fire Department's response to the ongoing fires popping up across the region. In the interview with Graciette, the LAFD Chief aired her frustration with the city.
"My message is the fire department needs to be properly funded," Crowley said on Friday. "It’s not."
Crowley's message shared to FOX 11 comes in response to LA City cutting funding towards the fire department by $17.6 million in the 2025 fiscal year, which started on July 1, 2024. The information of the budget cuts, particularly towards LAFD, started to draw the public's attention this week as the fires have killed at least 11 people across Los Angeles County, displaced the area's residents after thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed.
LAFD Chief slams budget cuts, says department was let down
As California's wildfires continue to spread, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley criticized the city's decision to cut mor than $17 million in funding for the department, and says that the city let her and her firefighters down.
Hours after the Jan. 10 interview, a report from the Daily Mail suggested that Bass was on the verge of firing Crowley. FOX 11 reached out to Bass' office for comment on the report and the Mayor's staff said the fire chief has not been fired.
LAFD also denied that its chief is getting the boot on Friday. The department issued the following statement saying Crowley will continue to lead the way:
"On Friday, January 10th, Fire Chief Kristin Crowley of the Los Angeles City Fire Department met with Mayor Karen Bass. Their foremost priorities continue to be fighting the current wildfires and safeguarding Angelenos. It is important to note that the Fire Chief was not dismissed and is in full command of the LAFD."
According to Graciette, firefighters told the FOX 11 reporter that there were initial concerns that Bass had either reprimanded or demanded that Crowley resign over her candid Q&A with the TV station.