los angeles — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has chosen a 30-year Fire Department veteran as her new fire chief months after she ousted the chief. Former president to deal with The most destructive forest fires In the history of the city.
Bass announced Friday that she will select Deputy Chief Jamie Moore to take the reins of the Los Angeles Fire Department after a nationwide search involving more than 100 candidates.
Moore will inherit a department that has faced scrutiny over its response to the case The Palisades Fire, which started during high winds January 7, destroying or damaging nearly 8,000 homes, businesses, and other buildings and killing at least 12 people in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood.
Bass, a first-term Democrat seeking re-election, fired then-Fire Chief Christine Crowley six weeks after the fire amid a public dispute over preparations for a potential blaze and finger-pointing between the chief and City Council over responsibility for the devastation.
Moore said he will 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 Angelino to this role, and I know he will improve the LAFD for everyone in this city,” Bass said.
The firefighters’ union quickly praised Moore’s appointment.
“Throughout his career with the LAFD, Chief Moore has demonstrated strong leadership and a deep commitment to the department,” Los Angeles City Firefighters United wrote on X. “His background and experience within the ranks have proven him to be the right leader at the right time to move the LAFD forward.”
Moore currently oversees operations of the Valley Bureau, which covers a northern area of the city with 39 fire stations and more than 980 sworn employees, according to his fire department biography. He joined the LAFD in May 1995 and has worked in many capacities within the department over the years. In 2018, he was promoted to the position of Assistant President.
He was born in Delhi, Louisiana, but spent his entire life in Southern California. His mother was an immigrant from Guadalajara, Mexico, and he grew up speaking English and Spanish.
He holds 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.
This appointment comes at a critical political juncture for Bass, as she prepares for re-election next year after a difficult first term. City Hall has struggled with cash shortages and an ongoing homeless crisis with the 2028 Olympics looming, while continuing to rebuild from the January fires.
Crowley, the department’s first female president, was appointed chief in 2022 by Bass’ predecessor at a time when the department was In turmoil Due to allegations of rampant harassment, harassment and discrimination. She has been with the city fire department for more than 25 years and has held nearly every role, including fire chief, engineer and battalion chief.
Fire officials, including Crowley, expressed concerns about budget cuts that left the department understaffed and fire trucks sitting idle in the maintenance yard because they didn’t have mechanics to repair them. The firefighters union strongly criticized Bass’ decision, calling Crowley a “scapegoat.”
Crowley filed a lawsuit against the city in August, accusing Bass of an “organized campaign of misinformation, defamation and retaliation” after the wildfires.
Federal investigators determined that the Palisades Fire was ignited from a smaller fire set about a week earlier on New Year’s Day. The man accused of starting the fire He pleaded not guilty Thursday for federal charges. His attorney blamed the LAFD for not completely extinguishing the initial fire, while fire officials said such fires still linger deep underground and are impossible to detect.