LOS ANGELES — The good news for Mayor Karen Bass: Her decision to sack the city’s fire chief in the wake of devastating wildfires was broadly upheld Tuesday by the City Council.
The bad news? That affirmation followed a messy spectacle that put the mayor and many council members crosswise with the politically potent firefighters — a spat with implications that could persist long after the council vote.
“You all tell us how much you support firefighters, how much you love labor,” Freddy Escobar, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, the union representing the rank and file, pointedly told the council. “Well, labor is with Chief Crowley on this.”
The showdown centered on ex-Chief Kristin Crowley’s appeal of her termination, which Bass announced nearly two weeks ago. Crowley would have needed the support of two-thirds of the council — or 10 members — to reverse the decision.
