After a nationwide search, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Friday announced the appointment of LAFD Deputy Chief Jaime Moore as the city’s next fire chief.
Moore, a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, will replace Interim Chief Ronnie Villanueva, who has led the department after the mayor ousted then-Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.
Bass cited Crowley’s lack of communication with her office as one reason for the leadership change.
The appointment comes just months before the first anniversary of the deadly Palisades fire. Federal officials recently determined that the Jan. 7 Palisades fire was a re-ignition of an earlier blaze the department responded to on New Year’s Day.
A Los Angeles native, Moore grew up speaking both English and Spanish and has said he is proud of his Latino heritage. He earned a sociology degree from UCLA and a master’s degree in public administration from Cal State Long Beach.
During his LAFD career, Moore has served as a public information officer and as head of the department’s FireStatLA bureau, where he oversaw performance management and data-driven accountability.
“I am humbled by the trust that Mayor Bass is placing in me with this appointment,” Moore said in a statement. “I love this city — it’s my hometown — and my fellow firefighters are my family. I will always do everything I can to protect L.A. and our firefighters.”
Bass said she and Moore will focus on several key priorities, including preparing for upcoming world events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as for major disasters.
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