The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday denied former L.A. Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley’s appeal of her dismissal in a 13-2 vote.
Councilmembers Traci Park and Monica Rodriguez were the only two votes in favor of her reinstatement. Crowley needed 10 of the 15 council members to be reinstated, and the majority was unwilling to overrule the mayor’s statutory power to dismiss any appointee with or without cause.
Mayor Karen Bass fired Crowley on Feb. 21, citing the “best interests of Los Angeles public safety,” and criticized her handling of the Palisades Fire.
According to Bass, Crowley decided to send about 1,000 firefighters home on the morning the Palisades Fire broke out on Jan. 7, despite dire warnings from the National Weather Service about extreme fire danger due to hurricane-force Santa Ana winds in the forecast. Bass also claimed Crowley refused to do an after-action report on the fire department’s response.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Crowley denied those assertions and said they were part of the “multiple false accusations” leveled against her.
Crowley said the LAFD did not have the resources to conduct an after-action report on the Palisades Fire “due to the sheer magnitude, scope and complexity of the incident.” She claims she recommended that the LAFD collaborate with independent investigators instead of performing its own investigation.
“I did not refuse to conduct an after-action report,” Crowley said. “Let me be clear: This is a false accusation.”
She also refuted accusations that she “sent home” about 1,000 firefighters and that she left 40 available fire engines unstaffed on the morning that the Palisades Fire began. Crowley stated that more than 100 engines and other vehicles were broken down at the time, and there simply was not enough apparatus to support the 1,000 firefighters.
Tuesday morning’s hearing was Crowley’s first public appearance since her dismissal.
Rodriguez, a vocal supporter of Crowley who has called her firing “scapegoating,” said it was the council’s job to examine the reasoning behind Crowley’s firing.
“I’m not questioning whether or not the mayor has the authority to hire and fire general managers — that’s clear,” she said. “Just as an independently elected body of the legislative branch has the opportunity for us to consider the merits of the petitioning of this employee to overturn that decision. We also have a role … I’m not going to apologize for doing my job.”
Park, the other council member who voted to support the former fire chief, questioned the motive behind her firing before the completion of any investigations into the handling of the Palisades Fire.
“Accountability doesn’t just stop with one person or one department,” Park said. “We need to let invested independent investigations guide our actions. Not the politics.”
Meanwhile, Councilmember Tim McOsker said he questioned how Bass and Crowley would be able to work together if the reinstatement went through.
“With a very, very, very heavy heart, I will say that I will put the goal of public safety and a function city in front of what might be more politically expedient for me. Because sometimes we need to risk our jobs to do our jobs,” McOsker said. “With a very heavy heart, I’m going to support the power of the mayor in this matter and say that, very often, doing the right thing comes with a sacrifice.”
Councilmember Imelda Padilla shared similar sentiments.
“It’s important that we remember that true public safety will require our mayor to be able to get along with all of her chiefs and all of her general managers,” she said. “Sometimes it’s okay to agree to disagree.”
Mayor Bass’s office issued a brief statement after Crowley’s firing was upheld.
“After testimony by the former Chief confirming she sent firefighters home on the morning of January 7th, her appeal was rejected 13-2 by members of the City Council,” a spokesperson said. “This is an issue of public safety and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department – the City of Los Angeles is moving forward.”
Now, L.A. will conduct a national search for a new chief, and retired Deputy Chief Ronnie Villanueva is serving as the interim chief.
COUNCILMEMBER PARK SUPPORTS REINSTATEMENT
Councilmember Traci Park says she’ll vote in favor of the reinstatement of former Chief Crowley.
“Accountability doesn’t just stop with one person or one department,” Park said. “We need to let invested independent investigations guide our actions. Not the politics.”
COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ: ‘WE ALSO HAVE A ROLE’
City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez says that, while Mayor Bass has the authority to fire whomever she wants, the City Council also has the authority to examine those firings.
“I’m not questioning whether or not the mayor has the authority to hire and fire general managers — That’s clear,” she said. “Just as an independently elected body of the legislative branch has the opportunity for us to consider the merits of the petitioning of this employee to overturn that decision. We also have a role … I’m not going to apologize for doing my job.”
CITY COUNCILMEMBERS DEBATE CROWLEY APPEAL
Councilmembers with the L.A. City Council are debating former Chief Crowley’s appeal.
Councilmember Monica Rodriguez asked if she would have the opportunity to corroborate Crowley’s claims that the reasons Mayor Bass gave for the firing were inaccurate.
“The mayor can fire can fire the chief for any reason, or no reason at all,” said City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “I just want to be clear that, even if you were to discredit every one of the reasons, it does not in any way shade the mayor’s authority.”
FMR. CHIEF CROWLEY: ‘MULTIPLE FALSE ACCUSATIONS MADE AGAINST ME’
Former Chief Crowley refuted the claim that Mayor Bass made that Crowley “refused” to do an after action report in regards to the Palisades Fire.
“I did not refuse to conduct an after action report,” Crowley said. “Let me be clear: This is a false accusation.”
She said that she recommended that, due to the unprecedented size and scale of the Palisades Fire, the Fire Safety Research Institute conduct an independent study.
FORMER CHIEF CROWLEY SPEAKS
Former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley spoke to the City Council during the appeal hearing after her Feb. 21 firing by Mayor Karen Bass. She took the microphone to a round of applause from the public.
“I sit before you today not only as the former fire chief appealing to be reinstated, but as a leader who has always placed the safety, health and wellbeing of our incredible and heroic firefighters first, while always balancing and prioritizing the needs of the community that we love to serve,” she said.
PUBLIC COMMENT ENDS, CROWLEY APPEAL STARTS
After a contentious public comment portion of Tuesday’s L.A. City Council meeting, the Council turned its attention to former LAFD Chief Crowley’s appeal at about 11:48 a.m.
Former fire union executive: Don’t let politics factor into your decision
Pat McOsker, a member and former President of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, IAFF Local-112 union, urged the City Council to keep politics out of their decision-making process when casting votes on Crowley’s appeal Tuesday.
“I want to urge you today to make your decision about Chief Crowley based only on public safety,” McOsker said. “Not on politics, not on relationships, not on alliances. Only on what’s best for your citizens.”
PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINS
The public comment portion of Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting began at about 10:30 a.m.
Several members of the public are expected to address Crowley’s appeal.
CROWLEY ARRIVES AT CITY HALL
In her first public appearance since her Feb. 21 firing, former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley spoke to reporters at Van Nuys City Hall before her appeal hearing.
When asked by reporters whether she’d be able to work again with Mayor Bass after the firing, Crowley said the following:
“In the end when we want the same things — and that’s to support the community, that’s to provide the optimal public safety, that’s to take care of the boots on the ground so they can do their jobs — [I have] every expectation that [we can].”