Latest news with #KristinCrowley
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Damaged engines didn't affect Palisades firefight. But they point to a larger problem
After the Palisades fire ignited, top brass at the Los Angeles Fire Department were quick to say that they were hampered by broken fire engines and a lack of mechanics to fix them. If the roughly 40 fire engines that were in the shop had been repaired, they said, the battle against what turned out to be one of the costliest and most destructive disasters in Los Angeles history might have unfolded differently. Then-Fire Chief Kristin Crowley cited the disabled engines as a reason fire officials didn't dispatch more personnel to fire-prone areas as the winds escalated, and why they sent home firefighters who showed up to help as the blaze raged out of control. The department, she said, should have had three times as many mechanics. But many of the broken engines highlighted by LAFD officials had been out of service for many months or even years — and not necessarily for a lack of mechanics, according to a Times review of engine work orders as of Jan. 3, four days before the fire. What's more, the LAFD had dozens of other engines that could have been staffed and deployed in advance of the fire. Instead, the service records point to a broader problem: the city's longtime reliance on an aging fleet of engines. Well over half of the LAFD's fire engines are due to be replaced. According to an LAFD report presented to the city Fire Commission last month, 127 out of 210 fire engines — 60% — and 29 out of 60 ladder trucks — 48% — are operating beyond their recommended lifespans. "It just hasn't been a priority," said Frank Líma, general secretary treasurer of the International Assn. of Fire Fighters who is also an LAFD captain, adding that frontline rigs are "getting pounded like never before" as the number of 911 calls increases. That means officials are relying heavily on reserve engines — older vehicles that can be used in emergencies or when regular engines are in the shop. The goal is to use no more than half of those vehicles, but for the last three years, LAFD has used, on average, 80% of the trucks, engines and ambulances in reserve, according to the Fire Commission report. "That's indicative of a fleet that's just getting older," said Assistant Chief Peter Hsiao, who oversees LAFD's supply and maintenance division, in an interview with The Times. 'As our fleet gets older, the repairs become more difficult,' Hsiao told the Fire Commission. 'We're now doing things like rebuilding suspensions, rebuilding pump transmissions, rebuilding transmissions, engine overhauls.' The problem stems from long-term funding challenges, Hsiao said in the interview, with the department receiving varying amounts of money each year that have to be divvied up among competing equipment needs. "If you extrapolate that over a longer period of time, then you end up in a situation where we are," he said. To make matters worse, Hsiao said, the price of new engines and trucks has doubled since the pandemic. Engines that cost $775,000 a few years ago are now pushing $1.5 million — and it takes three years or more to build them, he said. Read more: L.A. fire officials could have put engines in the Palisades before the fire broke out. They didn't The number of fire engine manufacturers has also declined. Recently, the IAFF asked the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate a consolidation in emergency vehicle manufacturers that it said has resulted in skyrocketing costs and "brutal" wait times. In a letter, the IAFF said that at least two dozen companies have been rolled up into just three main manufacturers. "These problems have reduced the readiness of fire departments to respond to emergencies, with dire consequences for public safety," the letter said. The IAFF is the parent organization of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, the local union representing LAFD firefighters. IAFF has been running the local labor group since suspending its top officers last month over allegations of financial impropriety. Hsiao said the LAFD's fleet is well-maintained, and engines don't often break down. But the age and condition of the fleet could deteriorate further, even with an infusion of cash to buy new equipment, because the wait times are so long. Mayor Karen Bass' office has previously said that she secured $51 million last year to purchase 10 fire engines, five trucks, 20 ambulances and other equipment. The 2025-26 budget passed by the City Council last month includes nearly $68 million for 10 fire engines, four trucks, 10 ambulances and a helicopter, among other equipment, the mayor's office said. "The Mayor's Office is working with new leadership at LAFD to ensure that new vehicles are purchased in a timely manner and put into service," a spokesperson said in an email. A majority of the Fire Department's budget goes toward pay and benefits for its more than 3,700 employees, most of them firefighters. Despite the city's financial troubles, firefighters secured four years of pay raises last year through negotiations with Bass. And firefighters often make much more than their base pay, with about 30% of the LAFD's payroll costs going to overtime, according to the city's payroll database. Firefighters and fire captains each earned an average of $73,500 in overtime last year, on top of an average base salary of about $140,100, the data show. Líma said that while new engines will be useful, "a one-year little infusion doesn't help a systemic problem that's developed over decades." Asked whether firefighters would defer raises, he said they "shouldn't fund the Fire Department off the backs of their salaries." The National Fire Protection Assn. recommends that fire engines move to reserve status after 15 years and out of the fleet altogether after 25 years. But many larger cities need to act sooner, 'because of the constant wear and tear city equipment takes,' said Marc Bashoor, a former fire chief who now trains firefighters across the country, in an email. 'In my opinion, 10 years is OLD for city apparatus.' Bashoor also noted that incorporating a variety of brands into a fleet, as the LAFD does, can increase repair times. Read more: Bass ousts L.A. fire chief, saying LAFD needs new leadership 'When a fire department doesn't have a standardized fleet, departments typically are unable to stock enough … parts to fit every brand,' he said in an email. 'They then have to find the part or use a 3rd party, which can significantly delay repairs.' Of the roughly 40 engines in the shop before the Palisades fire, three were built in 1999. Hsiao said engines that old are typically used for training and don't respond to calls. Those that are too old or damaged from collisions or fires to ever return to city streets sometimes remain in the yard so they can be stripped for parts or used for training. Some are kept as evidence in lawsuits. According to the service records reviewed by The Times, a work order was opened in 2023 for a 2003 engine burned in a fire, with notes saying "strip for salvage." A 2006 engine damaged in an accident was waiting for parts, according to notes associated with a work order from last April. Two 2018 engines were damaged in collisions, including one with 'heavy damage' to the rear body that had to be towed in, according to notes for an order from last July. Other orders noted oil leaks or problems with head gaskets. Almost 30 of the engines that were out of service before the fire — 70% on the list — were 15 or more years old, past what the city considers an appropriate lifespan. Only a dozen had work orders that were three months old or less. That included three newer engines — two built in 2019 and one in 2020 — whose service records showed they were waiting for "warranty" repairs. After the fire, LAFD union officials echoed Crowley's fleet maintenance concerns. Freddy Escobar, who was then president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, blamed chronic underfunding. "The LAFD does not have the funding mechanism to supply enough mechanics and enough money for the parts to repair these engines, the trucks, the ambulances," Escobar told KTLA-TV. The issues date back more than a decade. A 2019 report showed that LAFD's equipment was even more outdated at the time, with 136 of 216 engines, or 63%, due for replacement, as well as 43 of 58 ladder trucks, or 74%. In a report from 2012, LAFD officials said they didn't have enough mechanics to keep up with the workload. 'Of paramount concern is the Department's aging and less reliable fleet, a growing backlog of deferred repairs, and increased maintenance expense,' the 2012 report said, adding that mechanics were primarily doing emergency repairs instead of preventative maintenance. LAFD's equipment and operations have been under heightened scrutiny since the Palisades fire erupted Jan. 7, destroying thousands of homes and killing 12 people, with many saying that officials were severely unprepared. A total of 18 firefighters are typically on duty at the two fire stations in the Palisades — Stations 23 and 69 — to respond to emergencies. Only 14 of them are routinely available to fight brush fires, The Times previously reported. The other four are assigned to ambulances at the two stations, although they might help with evacuations or rescues during fires. LAFD officials did not pre-deploy any engines to the Palisades ahead of the fire, despite warnings about extreme weather, a Times investigation found. In preparing for the winds, the department staffed only five of more than 40 engines available to supplement the regular firefighting force. Those working engines could have been pre-positioned in the Palisades and elsewhere, as had been done in the past during similar weather. Less than two months after the fire, Bass dismissed Crowley, citing the chief's pre-deployment decisions as one of the reasons. Bass has rejected the idea that there was any connection between reductions at the department and the city's response to the wildfires. Meanwhile, the number of mechanics on the job hasn't changed much in recent years, fluctuating between 64 and 74 since 2020, according to records released by the LAFD in January. As of this year, the agency had 71 mechanics. According to its report to the Fire Commission, the LAFD doesn't have enough mechanics to maintain and repair its fleet, based on the average number of hours the department said it takes to maintain a single vehicle. Last year, the report said, mechanics completed 31,331 of 32,317 work requests, or 97%. So far this year, they have completed 62%, according to the report. "With a greater number of mechanics, we can reduce the delays. However, a limited facility size, parts availability, and warranty repairs compound the issue," LAFD said in an unsigned email. Special correspondent Paul Pringle contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Deleted messages, disappearing chats, and a firestorm of L.A. controversy
In the days after the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires, and as questions mounted about the Los Angeles Fire Department, the mayor, and how the city handled the unprecedented firestorm, this text was sent to then-LAFD chief Kristin Crowley: Hello Chief. This is Chief Deputy City Attorney Denise Mills. We are asking the Mayor and ITA to temporarily shut off G-chat until at least Friday. Will this create any disastrous effects with respect to your department's operations (i.e. do you rely on G-chat for emergency communications? Please let me know ASAP. Thank you.' Six minutes later, the fire chief replies, 'Hi, please give me a call.' The text from January 13 was one of more than 300 pages of documents obtained by KTLA last month that we reviewed amid new reporting by the Los Angeles Times that 'Mayor Karen Bass is deleting her text messages, raising eyebrows and questions.' In KTLA's reporting last month, we questioned where all the Bass communications with the Chief were. One thing that is not part of the texts—any meaningful conversations between the Mayor and Crowley. If they were communicating regularly, it was with a different method of communication—perhaps disappearing Google Chats The City Attorney tells the L.A. Times that the mayor's phone 'is set not to save text messages, and there is 'no requirement that a city official or employee' do so' – something that seems to contradict the city's own document retention policies. By January 15, KTLA had already submitted a records request for any digital communications to or from Chief Kristin Crowley. The Times reports their request to the city for the mayor's communications came on January 10. As we now know, the note from the city that it was considering shutting down Google Chats came January 13, after the city would have already known media outlets were reaching out to obtain those communications… and after the Times reported last December about an internal review of Google Chat's use by city officials. When asked Monday why the city wanted to shut down Google Chat, the city told KTLA: In response to user requests related to the citywide emergency, the City Attorney wanted to ensure that all official communications were retained. One way to do so would be to eliminate Google Chat, thereby requiring all employees to use email (all of which are retained) to communicate. The other option was to enable Google Chat history so all chats are retained. To better inform the City's decision, our office inquired with both LAPD and LAFD to determine if terminating the Chat function would cause problems with operations. This email reflects our inquiry to LAFD. Chief Assistant City Attorney Mills never reached out to the Mayor's office. Ultimately, the Google team enabled Google Chat History effective January 14, 2025. As a result, all 1-on-1 and group messages in Google Chat are saved in the chat history. The city says to their knowledge, Google Chat was never shut off, but it also says in the same statement that chat history was only enabled on January 14 – days after the Palisades Fire scorched thousands of acres and flattened entire neighborhoods and after media requests for communications were submitted. In the weeks following the Palisades Fire, KTLA received parts of some public records requests and not others. Some were heavily redacted. We saw only two text messages from Mayor Karen Bass to the LAFD chief: one from January 10 and the other from January 22. One had to do with a meeting being scheduled. The other concerned missing a phone call. These were regular text messages. It's unclear if other messages exist—and if they do—if they were redacted, automatically deleted, or resided on Google Chat which didn't have chat history enabled until January 14. KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl says, when it comes to the conduct of elected officials, transparency is expected. 'The mayor and the fire chief are public servants. As a result, they are employed by the citizens of Los Angeles. We must trust that civil servants are working in our best interest,' said Triessl. 'The best way to build trust is to have full transparency in our government. Conversely, the quickest way to erode that public trust is for our public officials to work in secrecy, hiding behind disappearing text messages.' At a news conference Monday, the mayor didn't specifically address Google Chat or if her office used that chat service, but she did say her phone automatically deletes messages after 30 days, that they (the city) have been 'swamped' with public records requests, and they're looking now to see if there is a way to retrieve those messages so 'stay tuned.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
L.A. Woman: Former Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department Kristin Crowley
Three years ago, Chief Kristin Crowley made history when she was appointed the first female leader of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). For the people who stood beside her 'on the line' — firefighter parlance for working together in the unrelenting war the department wages on the streets of L.A. against not only fires but medical emergencies, drug overdoses and arsonists — the pick was anything but a 'diversity hire.'Crowley made her bones in Fire Station 11 — which is so action-packed, Firehouse magazine dubbed the 7th Street station, located in the heart of the hardscrabble neighborhood of MacArthur Park, the busiest in the nation. When Crowley was a rookie more than two decades ago, the neighborhood pulsed with gang violence. The truck company of Fire Station 11 was in around-the-clock motion responding to the ugly aftermath of shootings and stabbings along with kitchen fires and heart attacks. Crowley, her fellow firefighter remembers, was a hard-charging 'truckie' in a firehouse that, back then, was all men.'She wasn't a girl firefighter,' one of her former Fire Station 11 alum told Los Angeles on the condition of anonymity. 'She was a badass firefighter. Always ready when the alarm sounded.'When the alarm sounded on Jan. 7, no one — not even someone with Crowley's solid experience in virtually every LAFD role — could have been ready. The Santa Ana winds were ferocious. Dozens of rigs were awaiting repairs, which meant some firefighters who showed up to the battle (after the LAFD made a highly unusual call for off-duty members to report for duty) couldn't get a ride up to the neighborhoods being devoured by fast-moving flames. To make matters worse, firefighters confronting the monstrous Palisades Fire were out of ammunition: a reservoir that supplied water to fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades was closed for repairs, so hydrants were tapped Chief was seemingly everywhere in the desperate hours her members spent working to contain a ceaseless run of fires that raged across the city for weeks. She wasn't just up against the deadly wildfires, but Crowley was also pulled from the chaos for a heated meeting at City Hall after she spoke out regarding a $17 million budget cut to the Karen Bass wasn't happy about her remarks, but firefighters were. 'This was a once in a lifetime fire, completely unprecedented in so many ways,' said LAFD Captain Frank Lima, an L.A. representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters. 'We stand by the Chief.'Crowley responded to all the chaos swirling around her with the same grace she displayed at her swearing-in ceremony — where she was flanked by her wife, retired firefighter Hollyn Bullock, and their three daughters. Beaming, she shared with those assembled that she was attracted to her work in the LAFD because of what she called 'the goodness of what everybody brings to work each and every day.'It was a sentiment she repeated every chance she got as the LAFD's 3,400 members remained unwavering in their fight against an uncontrollable force of nature for the four million residents in the City of Jan. 21, Mayor Bass, the first female mayor of L.A., fired Crowley — claiming she didn't alert her to how dangerous the red flag warning could prove. Crowley has not spoken since, other than to release a statement saying her actions were based on 'taking care of our firefighters so that they could take care of our communities.' Crowley has exercised her right to stay on the LAFD at a lower rank which was announced after she lost her appeal with the Los Angeles City Council in early said she was "disappointed" that the City Council voted 13-2 to back the mayor's decision to remove her, she had no regrets. "My heart is full of gratitude for the outpouring of love and support that I received. Standing up, speaking out, and advocating for our LAFD firefighters, their families, and the communities that we serve will always be the right thing to do."She added, "It has been an absolute honor of a lifetime to serve and represent the incredible men and women of the LAFD for nearly three years. The LAFD deserves to be properly funded, staffed, and resourced so we can meet the ever-changing needs of our communities. We owe that to the LAFD and to those we serve.'Crowley is now the Assistant Chief in the LAFD's Operations Valley Bureau. Stay in the Know! Get the top news from Los Angeles Magazine sent to your inbox every day. Sign up for The Daily Brief below or by clicking here.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Los Angeles Magazine's March 2025 L.A. Woman Issue Stars Paris Hilton
Each year, Los Angeles magazine's March L.A. Woman issue recognizes a selection of standout females — and there's certainly a wealth of worthy choices. However, this year, as we rebound from an unprecedented emergency, we wanted to honor the leaders who stood up for the community in the aftermath of the wildfires. By fundraising, distributing essentials, heading into disaster zones and simply donating their time, these 13 female trailblazers went to bat for the city they love. After losing her Malibu home, our cover star Paris Hilton used her 11:11 Media Impact platform to aid displaced residents and animals. The activist who's been fighting child abuse raised than more than $1 million in a matter of days — and also worked alongside Baby2Baby, Pasadena Humane Society, CORE and Hilton Hotels (coordinating the donation of 20,000 rooms to displaced families).Read the full story here. Our 12 other 2025 L.A. Woman honorees are: - The Los Angeles Fire Department's former head Kristin Crowley, L.A.'s first female fire chief, who fought to contain the raging disaster that threatened the city for weeks - Oscar-winning actress and producer Jamie Lee Curtis, who donated $1 million to bolster relief efforts after losing her Palisades community - Restaurateur Marissa Hermer, who made use of the kitchens at her hot spots Chez Mia and Olivetta to feed the masses after evacuating her Palisades home - Actress, writer and director Jennifer Love Hewitt, the star of 9-1-1, who fled the Palisades only to create 'Love Angeles' clothing items benefiting children in need - Restaurateur Alanha Jade, behind Hollywood's welcoming, Black-owned eatery Linden — that donated $20,000 and 20 percent of January proceeds - Co-founder and CEO of CORE, Ann Lee, whose organization assisted nearly 15,000 fire victims — with a focus on helping Altadena residents remain in the area - Actress, producer and director Eva Longoria, who was on the ground at the Eaton Fire helping with cleanup, handing out food and holding people's hands - City Councilmember Traci Park, an L.A. native who headed into the fire zone and fought for residents to have food, shelter and support - Baby2Baby co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, whose nonprofit committed to babies and kids distributed eight million essential items - The CAA Foundation's Executive Director Natalie Tran, who helped birth the SoCal Fire Fund that raised more than $5 million and helped over 550 families in two weeks - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences President , a film producer making the industry more global, who honored L.A.'s resilience at the Oscars Female changemakers in all areas — from Somerville supper club owner Issa Rae to The Resident star Uzo Aduba — can also be found throughout the issue, which we'll be celebrating at our annual L.A. Woman luncheon (stay tuned for ticket info). Our city has weathered a turbulent time, but with these intrepid and inspiring women at the helm, we believe the future looks bright.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kristin Crowley appeals Los Angeles mayor's decision to terminate her as LAFD chief
Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has started the appeal process following Mayor Karen Bass' decision to fire her a week ago. Her decision to appeal comes after Bass' decision has spun up criticism from City Councilmembers and the public for what they say is "misrepresenting the facts." Crowley announced the appeal to City Council members on Thursday. "I choose to proceed with the Council appeal provided for in Los Angeles Charter, Article V, Section 5.08(e), due to Mayor Bass's removal of me, on February 21, 2025, from the position of Fire Chief of the Los Angeles City Fire Department," read Crowley's note. "I look forward to hearing from you about next steps, if any." Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Sacks Fire Chief Who Said City Failed Residents In Wildfires Bass announced that she was firing Crowley after last month's devastating Palisades Fire and appointing former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year LAFD veteran, as interim fire chief. She said it was in the best interest of Los Angeles. Read On The Fox News App "Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles' public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as Fire Chief. We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch. Furthermore, a necessary step to an investigation was the President of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley to do an after action report on the fires. The Chief refused. These require her removal. The heroism of our firefighters – during the Palisades fire and every single day – is without question. Bringing new leadership to the fire department is what our city needs." Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson added the appeal on the agenda hours after Crowley's announcement to be discussed at a special council meeting Friday at 5 p.m. La Fire Sounded Alarm On Budget Cuts Impacting Wildfire Response: Memo United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112, the union that represents city firefighters and are supporters of Crowley, said in a post to Facebook it was outrageous to schedule, with only 24-hour notice, a "Special Meeting" to hear Chief Crowley's appeal. "This is an example of why the public doesn't trust City Hall and the constant missteps that we have seen our city leaders make since the fires broke out on January 7th. This is not transparent, fair, or just. It's yet another public blunder coming out of City Hall that makes the people of Los Angeles continue to question the motives and trustworthiness of our city's leaders," the post said. The union went on to say that they believe the reasons she was terminated were manufactured and, in reality, Crowley was fired for telling the truth. "Our rank-and-file firefighters on the ground strongly support Chief Crowley. They know the truth, we have her back, and we will fight for her right to set the record straight," they said. "This is the first City Council meeting that we are aware of, perhaps ever, that has been scheduled on 24-hour notice for a Friday at 5:00 pm. It's obvious that some on the City Council are attempting to bury this issue when nobody is watching and holding them accountable. City Council Members will have to ask themselves if this is the way they want to decide the fate of our Fire Chief. What's happening is wrong, and everyone knows it." Crowley's appeal will require a vote of at least 10 of 15 members in her favor. It remains unclear how the vote will go as four council members stood behind Bass during the press conference as she announced the decision to remove Crowley. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield believes it is in the mayor's right to hire and fire whom she wishes. "She needs to have the full confidence of her general managers and her chiefs. If she has lost that confidence, she has every right to change out the head of a department" or fire chief, he said earlier this week. The Los Angeles City Charter allows the mayor the ability to remove most department heads, including the fire chief, without council approval. The charter also gives the fired employee the right to appeal the decision to the council with the possibility of reinstatement. The City Council has 10 meeting days to act on Crowley's filing, per the article source: Kristin Crowley appeals Los Angeles mayor's decision to terminate her as LAFD chief
