LAFD introduces new wildfire hand crew unit

As Southern California braces for its hottest weather of the summer, the Los Angeles Fire Department is rolling out a new unit that specializes in stomping out brush fires.

The group, known as CREW 4, is the city's first full-time and paid wildfire unit. It's 24 members who graduated from the five-week course at the department's academy in June. The firefighters were trained on wildland fire behavior, weather, chainsaw operations and line cutting 

"The first in the city's history, which brings us in alignment with our allied agencies around us," Battalion Chief Adam Knabe said. "They are constantly training. They are ready for whatever the fire department needs to dispatch them to."

Former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley tried to get CREW 4 in place long before the January wildfires, but the city did not allocate enough funds in the budget for the unit. In the wake of the fires, Crowley publicly challenged the city about the lack of proper funding for the department. 

"It was Chief Crowley that fought ferociously to try and get this funded," Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said. "We had to create the actual personnel position and get it funded. She and I worked on that for the better part of two years."

Crowley filed a legal claim against the city and Mayor Karen Bass nearly six months after she was demoted, claiming that she was a scapegoat for criticisms against the response to January's devastating wildfires.

According to a tort claim, a legal precursor to a lawsuit, Crowley is seeking more than $25,000 in emotional damages after she was removed as fire chief in late February in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire. The claim was filed based on accusations of defamation, retaliation and negligence.

"Integrity, truthfulness, and serving others before self have guided me throughout my career," Crowley said in a statement. "As the Fire Chief, for nearly three years, I advocated for the proper funding, staffing and infrastructure upgrades to better support and protect our Firefighters, and by extension, our communities. The lies, deceit, exaggerations, and misrepresentations need to be addressed with the only thing that can refute them - the true facts."