July 13, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

Fired LAFD Chief Appeals Dismissal, City Council Cancels Special Meeting Amid Controversy

LA City Council Cancels a Special Meeting Originally Set to Review Her Appeal

By Dolores Quintana

Former Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley has appealed her firing to the Los Angeles City Council. In a letter to city councilmembers today, she gave notice that she would appeal the mayor’s decision but without any details as to why. This is a surprising move from the city’s first woman and LGBTQ chief of the Fire Department, but the immediate scheduling of the meeting was even more surprising. The city charter states that any dismissed employee has the right to appeal but only has ten days to do so. This is the sixth day since Crowley was fired.

City Council President and ally of Mayor Karen Bass, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who stood behind the Mayor’s dismissal of the chief, has called a special meeting of the city council on Friday, February 28, at 5:00 p.m. at Van Nuys City Hall. This gave Crowley only 24 hours or less to respond and defend her case. Dawson was also acting mayor of the city while Bass was on her trip to Ghana, which she took right before the fires began.

However, in late breaking news, the special city council meeting has been cancelled per a source within city government. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson announced that the vote will now take place at the Tuesday, March 4, city council meeting through his press representatives and the city council’s alert system. Rhonda Mitchell, Harris-Dawson’s representative said, “While it is in the city’s best interest to hear this matter expeditiously, it is also important to allow the appellant, interested parties, and Councilmembers to be present and prepared for the meeting,” as quoted by ABC 7 News.

Bass stated that her reasons for firing Chief Crowley were that she was not briefed on the fire danger, despite the fact that Harris-Dawson was acting mayor, and that the chief refused to complete an after-action report that the City Council requested. The other issue was the highly publicized decision not to deploy 1,000 firefighters. However, some have questioned whether or not the firefighters would have been able to do anything since a surplus of fire trucks were out of commission and waiting for repair.

Additionally, KTLA requested Crowley’s phone messages on the day of the fire, where they discovered that Deputy Fire Chief Jason Hing had briefed Crowley that he messaged Harris-Dawson about the city’s fire deployment, preparations, and need for more resources.

United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, IAFF Local – 112 reacted strongly to the news of the scheduling of the last minute session, saying in a lengthy social media post, “It is outrageous that the City Council has scheduled, on just 24-hour notice, a “Special Meeting” for Friday at 5:00 pm in the Valley to hear Chief Crowley’s appeal of her dismissal as Fire Chief.”

“This is the first City Council meeting we are aware of, perhaps ever, that has been scheduled on 24-hour notice for Friday at 5:00 p.m. It’s obvious that some on the City Council are attempting to bury this issue when nobody is watching…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.”

During the first city council meeting earlier this week, after Crowley’s firing, city council members did not discuss the issue, but some did comment on it. Council member Monica Rodriguez, who was opposed to the firing, said, “The council needs to look at why she was fired and the cause.”

Bob Blumenfield, city councilman from the third district, believes the Mayor has “the 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”

Council member Traci Park said, “The fire department shouldn’t be investigating itself. Nor should a city commission of political appointees,” adding that the chief wanted an independent investigation. 

in News
Related Posts

Chinese Bakery Hi Bake to Open First U.S. Store in Beverly Hills: REPORT

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

Hi Bake will offer a fusion of French and Asian pastries, including croissants filled with molten chocolate or wagyu beef...

County Supervisors Move to Preserve Measure J Amid Charter Error

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

Measure J mandates that at least 10% of the county’s locally generated, unrestricted funds be allocated to community investments like...

Sen. Ben Allen Highlights Challenges, Economic Gains for LA28 Olympics

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

The remarks came during the first informational hearing of the Senate’s Special Committee on International Sporting Events State Sen. Ben...

Downtown Santa Monica CEO Andrew Thomas to Step Down

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

Thomas, who rejoined DTSM, Inc. in 2022, oversaw the introduction of a private security program, expanded homeless outreach, and boosted...

Mayor Bass Issues Directive to Protect Immigrant Communities

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

The order expands access to city resources for affected families and requests records from ICE, including details on arrests Mayor...

(Video) Summer Camp at School of Rock West LA Turns Kids Into Rockstars

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

To Sign Up Now, Go To Schoolofrock.com Summer Camp at School of Rock West LA Turns Kids Into Rockstars To...

County Health Leaders Decry Federal Policy Barring Undocumented from Programs

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

The officials argued the policy jeopardizes care for all residents, noting it could deter people—regardless of status—from seeking treatment  Leaders...

LA Medical Center Seeks Help Identifying Unconscious Patient

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

He has been unconscious since admission, and staff have been unable to determine his identity Los Angeles General Medical Center,...

L.A. Louver Marks David Hockney’s 88th with Exhibit

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Hockney, a British artist born in 1937, gained fame with the British Pop Art movement and later became known for...

California Seizes $476 Million in Illegal Cannabis

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

The operation, described as UCETF’s largest to date, involved support from multiple state agencies The state confiscated $476 million worth...

Suspect Arrested in Shoe Retail Theft Spree Across LA County

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

During the search, police recovered two firearms and a significant quantity of merchandise The Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail...

For the Win Burger Chain Expanding to Brentwood: REPORT

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Popular items include the double cheeseburger with bacon and jalapenos, as well as loaded fries topped with For The Win...

The Bar at Century Plaza to Celebrate National Caviar Day with Exclusive Tastings

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The seven-hour event will feature exclusive caviar tastings and champagne pairings The Bar at Fairmont Century Plaza will host a...

Father-Daughter Authors to Host Book Signing to Aid Fire-Affected Women

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Ten percent of proceeds from book and art sales will benefit the Pacific Palisades Rebuilding Fund, a nonprofit initiative created...

Metro Reports Crime Drop, Higher Rider Satisfaction, and Progress on Major Projects

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Authority said the drop in violent incidents—down to the lowest level since May 2019—coincided with more uniformed personnel and...