A veteran fire official has been tapped as the new chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, LA Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday.
Jaime E. Moore, whose recent assignment was leading the LAFD Valley Bureau as the commander of operations, was chosen to head the beleaguered fire department with his three decades of experience.
“Chief Moore is a proven and admired firefighter,” Bass said while publicly introducing the new LAFD leader, adding that Moore held various executive and operational roles as he moved up the ranks within the fire department.
After an after-action report recommended that the city improve the wildfire alert system to the public without overworking fire crews, Bass alluded that she and Moore had an important task cut out for them.
“Our work together will focus on reforming the LAFD to better prepare Los Angeles for major emergencies and the upcoming major events coming to our region. Also, we will work to improve responses to 911 calls citywide, the mayor said.
The newly appointed chief thanked Bass for her trust and members of the LAFD for their dedication to serve the city as he promised to implement “strategic changes” within the department.
“Those changes include preparation for major disasters, including pre-deployment and staffing,” Moore said. “Improving morale and the culture within the Los Angeles Fire Department. Ensuring our department is equipped with the essential resources, staffing, and the support that is needed.”
The new chief also said under his leadership, the LAFD will try to become more innovative driven by data and technology.
Moore wrapped up his remarks during the news conference, which was held on the day the Dodgers face the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the World Series, by showing his team spirit.
“One last word, go Dodgers,” he said.
Moore grew up in LA’s Westside in a bilingual household with his Mexican-born mother. The Santa Monica High School and UCLA graduate joined the department in May 1995. He moved up the ranks after being promoted to captain, battalion chief then deputy chief over the years.
As the deputy chief of the Valley Bureau, Moore was in charge of five Battalions, 39 fire stations, over 980 sworn personnel and civilian staff, according to the LAFD website.
The LAFD has been under the leadership of Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva after former Chief Kristin Crowley was ousted after publicly criticizing city leadership for cutting the LAFD’s budget in January.
Then in August, Crowley filed a legal claim against the city that accuses Mayor Karen Bass of an “orchestrated campaign of misinformation, defamation and retaliation” during and after the deadly January wildfire in Pacific Palisades.
Following the demotion, Crowley remained with the department at a lower rank, following public spat with the mayor as tensions rose over the response to the the Palisades Fire, the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. Bass was overseas when the fire started on the night of Jan. 7 in a ferocious Santa Ana windstorm that fanned flames and embers in communities on the Los Angeles County coast.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
