The selection of Jaime Moore comes at a pivotal time for a department that was left changed by the Palisades Fire nearly a year ago.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass on Friday announced that after an extensive nationwide search, the new leader of the Los Angeles Fire Department would be coming from within its own ranks.
Deputy Chief Jaime Moore, a 30-year LAFD veteran, was selected to be the city's new fire chief. As part of the search, Bass interviewed fire chiefs from major cities and toured LAFD stations asking crews what they were looking for in a new leader.
Bass confirmed the selection at a news conference Friday afternoon, saying Moore had been informed of his appointment just hours earlier and that a start date had yet to be worked out.
"Chief Moore is a proven and admired firefighter," she said. "āOur work together will focus on reforming the LAFD to better prepare Los Angeles for major emergencies and the upcoming major events coming to our region."
Moore has worked in varying capacities for the Los Angles Fire Department since 1995. His current role, which he's held since June 2023, is as the commander of operations for the department's Valley bureau.
Jamie Moore
During the news conference announcing his appointment, Moore said his priorities include ensuring the department has adequate resources to prepare for major disasters and upcoming mega events and augmenting its capabilities with increased "innovation, technology and use of data."
āWe need a city that is prepared for the next emergency,ā Moore said, adding that the department will reinforce existing resources and leverage public-private partnerships. āWeāll find innovative ways to fund things, so we are able to do the things that we need to do.ā
In the more than 30 years that he's been with the department, Moore has led the department's Arson and Counter Terrorism section, worked as a public information officer and was the commander of FireStat.
Moore grew up in Venice and Mar Vista. His mother is an immigrant from Guadalajara, Mexico. According to his bio on the department's website, Moore speaks English and Spanish and "is proud of his Hispanic heritage and the diverse perspectives it has provided him."
Before being assigned to the Valley Bureau, Moore opened the department's Equity and Human Resources Bureau.
