Los Angeles Fire Chief Prioritizes DEI As City Burns

As wildfires devastate Los Angeles, displacing over 70,000 residents and leaving more than 250,000 without power, one might assume that city officials would be laser-focused on fire prevention and emergency response. Instead, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin M. Crowley has prioritized something else entirely diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Crowley, appointed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2022, made DEI a central part of her leadership, launching a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Bureau in January 2023. According to the LAFD’s own website, Crowley’s primary mission is to "create, support, and promote a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and equity."

While Crowley champions inclusivity, Los Angeles is literally burning:

• The Palisades Fire has torched over 4.5 square miles west of the city.

• The Eaton Fire near Pasadena has destroyed 16.6 square miles.

• The Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley has already burned 500 acres.

Meanwhile, as firefighters struggled to contain the flames, hydrants in the Palisades area ran dry. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power admitted that by 3 a.m. Wednesday, all fire hydrants in the area had stopped working.

Instead of ensuring the city’s fire response is fully equipped, Crowley has focused on LGBT representation in the fire department, stating, “I’m not looking for a number; it’s never enough.”

In June 2024, as Los Angeles prepared for what has become one of its worst wildfire seasons in years, Crowley served as Grand Marshal of the LA Pride Parade a role she called "extra special."

This isn’t just bad leadership; it’s dangerous mismanagement. Fire departments should be focused on fire prevention, emergency preparedness, and ensuring resources like hydrants and water pressure are reliable. Instead, the LAFD under Crowley is more concerned with diversity metrics than operational readiness.

As Californians lose homes and livelihoods, they’re left to wonder: why are fire officials more invested in social initiatives than preventing disasters?

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