Kristin M. Crowley is an American who was a firefighter and the chief of the

Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD or LA City Fire) provides firefighting services and technical rescue services, hazardous materials services, and emergency medical services to the residents of the city of Los Angeles, California, United ...

(LAFD) from 2022 to 2025.

Career

Crowley passed the firefighters' exam in 1998, finishing in the top 50 out of more than 16,000 tests taken. She joined the LAFD in 2000. During her time at the department, she has held the roles of firefighter, paramedic, engineer, fire inspector,

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

battalion chief A battalion chief is the rank and title of a subordinate fire chief or commanding officer in the firefighting command structure. The title of battalion chief is usually synonymous with firefighting in the United States and Canada.Occupational Ou ...

, assistant chief,

fire marshal A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a state, provincial or territorial government, but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include ...

and deputy chief. Crowley became Los Angeles' first female fire marshal in 2016. Crowley was named Fire Chief in 2022, replacing Ralph Terrazas, who had assumed the role in 2014. Upon her appointment, Crowley noted that in addition to "maintaining firefighters' safety, health and overall well-being", she planned to promote a "work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination and hazing". As Chief, Crowley encouraged programs that increased diversity in the department, saying that a diverse department was needed to serve a diverse city. In 2023, she was appointed to the

Homeland Security Advisory Council The Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. It was created by an Executive Order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United ...

, the second fire chief to serve in that role. In June 2024, Crowley was a grand marshal at

Los Angeles Pride The LA Pride Festival & Parade, commonly known as LA Pride, is an annual LGBTQ Pride celebration in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest LGBTQ Pride events in the world, traditionally held on the second weekend of June, and produ ...

. She oversaw the department's response to the

January 2025 Southern California wildfires From January 7 to 31, 2025, a series of 14 destructive wildfires affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County in California, United States. The fires were exacerbated by drought conditions, low humidity, a buildup of ve ...

. On February 21, 2025,

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Karen Bass Karen Ruth Bass (; born October 3, 1953) is an American politician who has served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Bass previously served in the United States House ...

fired Crowley, claiming that Crowley had left the department unprepared in advance of the outbreak of the

Palisades Fire The Palisades Fire was a highly destructive wildfire that began burning in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County on January 7, 2025, and grew to destroy large areas of Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, P ...

. Bass was in

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

during the fires, which she linked to Crowley's having failed to warn her of the fire danger, although Crowley has pushed back on this. The decision to fire Crowley was criticized by many, including philanthropist and former mayoral candidate

Rick Caruso Rick Joseph Caruso (born January 7, 1959) is an American billionaire businessman. The founder and former CEO of the real estate company Caruso Affiliated, Caruso, he is also the chair of the board of trustees at the University of Southern Cali ...

, who alongside various media outlets linked the firing to Crowley speaking out about fire department budget cuts.

Personal life

Crowley is married and has three children. She is part of the LGBTQ+ community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowley, Kristin Living people 21st-century American firefighters 21st-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American women American fire chiefs American lesbians People from Los Angeles American women firefighters