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The first woman has been nominated to lead the Los Angeles Fire Department in its 136-year history, the mayor said Tuesday.
Deputy Chief Kristin Crowley will take over the top position if the nomination is approved by the city council, Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
“There’s no one better equipped to lead the best department in the world and this proud department of the city, and I’m proud to make this history today and to nominate her as our next chief of LAFD,” Garcetti said at a press conference.
Crowley, who is the administrative operations chief deputy and fire marshal, said she would be committed as fire chief to always keeping the department “operational ready.”
“As public servants, we took an oath to faithfully serve the citizens of Los Angeles,” she said. “If confirmed as your new fire chief, I will be fully committed to leading, and inspiring a tremendous department into an exciting future that is filled with new opportunities to grow, to innovate and to empower.”
Crowley is a 22-veteran of the fire department and made history as the department’s first fire marshal and the second woman to hold the rank of chief deputy.
Garcetti on Tuesday praised her as a leader of “exceptional character” with a relentless desire to help the community, noting how she and her wife, who has retired from the LAFD, helped family members evacuate during the Woolsey Fire in November 2018.
“Lacking cell service, they couldn’t call for backup for equipment. They just had their firefighting gear, shovels, buckets of pool water and garden hoses,” he said.
“But they’re LAFD. They knew what to do. And together in the triple-digit temperatures, through the smoke and exhaustion, Chief Crowley and her wife saved nine out of the 10 homes on that street. If that isn’t heroism in action, I’m not sure what is.”
LA City Council President Nury Martinez said Crowley is a problem solver who doesn’t shy away from a challenge.
“She’s someone who identifies a problem, identifies a solution and executes a plan,” Martinez said at the conference. “Today’s announcement is not just important for women, but for all of us. This is incredibly special because she deserves it.”
Crowley would take over the position once Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas retires on March 26 after leading the agency since 2014.
Terrazas, the first Latino to serve as chief, said he was “very pleased” that Crowley will take over his post.
“At every assignment, she has performed at the highest level and I believe she will continue to do so,” said Terrazas.
During his tenure, the department secured technology that assists firefighters to better strategize when fighting fires. The LAFD also has developed software that projects the path of a fast-moving brush fire to help determine evacuation areas, and drone technology.
Under his leadership, the LAFD also supervised the city’s free public COVID-19 testing and vaccination programs, which have administered nearly 4.86 million tests and approximately 1.43 million vaccinations so far, city officials said.
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