If approved, Moore will officially assume command later this year
Mayor Karen Bass on Friday appointed Deputy Chief Jaime Moore as the next Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, following a nationwide search for new leadership of one of the country’s largest fire agencies.
Moore, a 30-year LAFD veteran and current Deputy Chief of Operations for the Valley Bureau, will succeed Interim Chief Ronnie Villanueva, who came out of retirement earlier this year to guide the department through a period of transition.
“Jaime Moore is a proven and admired firefighter and executive who will urgently advance an agenda of reform to better prepare L.A. for major emergencies and upcoming world events and to improve responses to 911 calls citywide,” Bass said in a statement announcing the appointment.
If confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council, Moore will become the second Latino and the first Spanish-speaking fire chief in the department’s history.
Moore said he was honored by the mayor’s selection. “I love this city — it’s my hometown, and my fellow firefighters are my family,” he said in a statement. “I will always do everything I can to protect L.A. and our firefighters.”
As Deputy Chief, Moore oversaw more than 1,000 firefighters and civilian personnel across 39 stations in the Valley. He previously led the department’s Arson and Counter Terrorism Section and played key operational roles in several major wildfires, including the 2018 Getty Fire.
He also spearheaded modernization efforts within the LAFD, including professionalizing FireStat LA, a data-driven management system. In 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency honored him with the U.S. Fire Administration Outstanding Research Award.
Bass praised outgoing Interim Chief Villanueva for stepping in to stabilize the department during a critical time. “When our fire department and city were facing turmoil amidst one of the worst natural disasters in L.A.’s history, Chief Ronnie Villanueva answered the call — not because he had to, but because he cared about this city,” Bass said.
Villanueva, who spent over 40 years with the LAFD, expressed confidence in Moore’s leadership. “I have every confidence that under Chief Jaime Moore’s leadership, the department will continue to thrive and reach even greater heights in service to our city,” he said.
If approved, Moore will officially assume command later this year.
