LA Mayor Eric Garcetti along with Fire Chief Kristin Crowley announced the Los Angeles Fire Department's first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Bureau Tuesday.
The bureau's mission will be focused on ensuring a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace for all.
It is expected to be up and running in Jan. 2023 with a full staff working to guarantee that the department is committed to engaging diverse voices while also respecting the humanity of its members.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
"We believe in, and are committed to, justice in Los Angeles — and we focus an equity lens on every aspect of our work," Garcetti said in a statement. "The Bureau of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will help to ensure that our progress is permanent and we’re always moving forward with a city government and institutions that reflect and value our diversity."
Deputy Chief Stephen Gutierrez will serve as the department's first chief equity officer.
Chief Crowley was appointed by Mayor Garcetti in Jan. 2022 and is the first woman to lead the city's fire department.
According to a statement released by the mayor's office the LAFD received more than 6,500 applicants this year. Of those applicants 70% were reported as being people of color and about 8% of the candidates were women. This is double the current percentage of female firefighters within the department.
The LAFD recently resumed its Girls Camp which is aimed at introducing young women between the ages of 14 and 18 to different career opportunities in the department. The camp returned after pausing operations due to the pandemic.
"The LAFD is fully committed to creating positive change," Crowley said in a statement. "With the new DEI Bureau, the Department will develop and drive forward key diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and initiatives to enhance the LAFD’s work environment and performance."
Crowley said that the department will maximize its efforts to truly build and promote a culture where diversity is at the forefront of their work environment.
