Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) brings in a fresh chapter with the appointment of Chief Jaime E. Moore, a move that signals both continuity and change for the department as Southern California faces evolving wildfire and urban-emergency threats.
Inside the Appointment
Chief Moore was formally nominated by Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles, on October 24, 2025, after a national search. The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved his appointment on November 14 – 15, 2025. Moore is a 30-year veteran of the LAFD, having joined the department in 1995 and served across all four geographic bureaus. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA and a master’s in public administration & emergency management from California State University, Long Beach. Notably, Chief Moore is bilingual (English/Spanish) and of Latino heritage, making him the first Spanish-speaking leader of the LAFD.
What’s on the Agenda
In his remarks, Chief Moore underscored key priorities: strengthening disaster preparedness, elevating day-to-day emergency response, and rebuilding public trust in the department. For example, he expressed support for an independent investigation into the handling of the January 2025 fires (including the Palisades Fire), recognizing that transparency is essential to restoring public confidence. Mayor Bass has stated that Moore will focus not only on wildfire and large-scale event readiness (with the upcoming World Cup and Olympics on the horizon) but also on improving 911 call response times city-wide.
The Context for Change
Chief Moore takes over at a time of heightened scrutiny for the fire department. The LAFD’s response to major wildfire incidents has drawn criticism, and the prior chief, Kristin Crowley, was removed amid questions about readiness and incident management. With Los Angeles facing increasing frequency and intensity of both wildland and urban-interface fires, Moore’s leadership comes at a critical juncture for departmental reform and operational resilience.
What This Means for Scanner Enthusiasts
For the scanner and emergency-communications community—including members of the SoCal Scanner Monitoring Association (SCMA)—Chief Moore’s tenure may bring:
- Greater transparency about incident responses and post-event reviews, which may translate to more detailed public dispatch information or after-action summaries.
- Operational changes in deployment strategy, such as influencing the frequency of mutual-aid activations, pre-positioning resources for major events, or adjustments to the incident command hierarchy.
- Potential shifts in scanner traffic patterns, especially if the department refines tactical operations or resource staging in fire-prone areas.
- An opening for outreach, as Moore appears committed to community engagement and building trust—an area where scanner hobbyists and emergency comms allies can play a role in public awareness and documentation.
For SCMA members, it may be worthwhile to monitor the upcoming roll-out of any new operational directives, especially those tied to major-event readiness or wildfire staging, and compare real-world scanner traffic against public announcements.
Sources
This blog post is based on publicly available reporting and official statements from the LAFD and City of Los Angeles. Key sources include LAFD’s official biography of Chief Moore, local news coverage of the City Council confirmation, and independent reporting on the department’s challenges and reform agenda. Specifically:
- LAFD “Fire Chief” web page for background on Moore. Los Angeles Fire Department
- News reports from NBC Los Angeles, ABC7, CBS LA, and LAist covering the confirmation and agenda. Hoodline+3NBC Los Angeles+3ABC7 Los Angeles+3
- Reporting from the Los Angeles Times on the broader context of the Palisades Fire and departmental issues. Los Angeles Times