If you’ve lived in Los Angeles for any length of time, you know the LAFD isn't just a department; it's a massive, complex machine. At the heart of its recent history sits LAFD Assistant Chief Kristine Larson. She’s a 33-year veteran who has basically seen it all, from the 1992 riots to the internal culture wars that still bubble up today. Honestly, her story is less about just "climbing the ladder" and more about smashing the ladder and rebuilding it while people are watching you with a magnifying glass.
Kris Larson didn’t just show up one day and get a gold badge. She started in 1990. Think about that for a second. The gear was heavier, the culture was vastly more "old school," and she was often the only woman—let alone the only Black woman—in the room.
The Athlete Who Became a Trailblazer
Before she ever pulled a hose, Larson was a powerhouse at UCLA. She was a three-time All-American in track and field, specifically in shot put and javelin. She once mentioned in an interview that she could bench 250 pounds back then. That kind of raw physical strength is important because, in the fire service, your body is your primary tool.
She joined the department at 25.
It wasn't easy.
She’s spoken candidly about driving through the city during the Rodney King civil unrest, seeing people with baseball bats while sitting high up in the engine. Some people cheered; others glared. It was a baptism by fire in the most literal sense possible.
Over the years, Larson systematically checked off the "firsts."
- First Black woman promoted to Captain I.
- First to hit Captain II.
- First to reach Battalion Chief.
- And eventually, Assistant Chief and Deputy Chief.
But being "the first" is a heavy lift. Larson has noted that even as late as 2016, while she was taking her battalion chief exam, a male peer actually asked her, “What are you doing here?” It’s that kind of subtle—and not so subtle—gatekeeping that defined much of her career trajectory.
The Viral Controversy: Context vs. Soundbites
In early 2025, LAFD Assistant Chief Kristine Larson became the center of a massive internet firestorm. You might have seen the clip. It was a snippet from a video where she said, "Am I able to carry your husband out of a fire? He got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out."
Out of context? It sounded incredibly cold.
In the middle of active, devastating wildfires in Southern California, the quote went nuclear on social media. People were calling for her resignation, arguing that her focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) was overshadowing the department's core mission: saving lives.
However, the "why" behind those words is more nuanced than a 15-second TikTok allows. Larson was actually recounting a specific moment from early in her career. A firefighter's wife had expressed fear that Larson wouldn't be able to drag her husband to safety in a "mayday" situation. Larson’s response was a defense of her training and a commentary on the "macho" culture that sometimes assumes women are a liability.
Was it a PR nightmare? Absolutely. But it also highlighted the massive disconnect between how the public views fire service "traditionalism" and how the department is trying to evolve.
Leading the DEI Bureau
Currently, Larson has moved into a role overseeing the Equity and Human Resources Bureau. This isn't just some "desk job" to her. It’s about the fact that women still make up only about 3% of the LAFD.
She’s spent years volunteering at Camp Blaze in Washington and other girls' fire camps along the West Coast. Her philosophy is basically: you can't be what you can't see. She wants a department that looks like the city it serves. For Larson, when a family is having the worst day of their lives, seeing a face that understands their community can actually de-escalate a situation.
Not everyone agrees with this. There’s a loud contingent of critics who believe that "identity politics" has no place in emergency services. They argue that the only thing that matters is: can you put the fire out? Larson’s career has been a living argument that you can do both. You can be a "warrior" (she has the tattoos and the years of "wagon time" to prove it) and still care about the social fabric of the institution.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about LAFD Assistant Chief Kristine Larson is that she’s a "bureaucrat."
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If you look at her actual resume, she spent over 20 years on the front lines. She was at Fire Station 58 in Pico/Robertson and Station 74 in Tujunga. She was the sole female officer at Drill Tower 81, training the next generation of recruits. She’s "done the work," as her peers say.
Key Career Milestones
- 1990: Joined LAFD as a Firefighter/EMT.
- 2006: Promoted to Captain I (Historical first).
- 2013: Drill Master at Drill Tower 81.
- 2017: Promoted to Battalion Chief.
- 2023: Appointed to lead the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Bureau.
She also holds a master’s degree in public service leadership from Capella University, graduating summa cum laude. She isn't just a physical powerhouse; she's an academic one too.
Moving Forward: Actionable Insights for the Future of Firefighting
The drama surrounding Larson’s viral comments and the subsequent removal of Chief Kristin Crowley in early 2025 shows how high the stakes are. The LAFD is at a crossroads. If you're looking at Larson's career as a template for leadership or organizational change, here’s the "so what":
- Representation matters, but performance is the baseline. Larson’s strength was her athletic background. For any minority entering a traditionally male-dominated field, being "twice as good" is often the unwritten rule.
- Context is king. In an era of viral clips, leaders have to be hyper-aware of how their words can be stripped of their original meaning.
- Mentorship is the only way forward. Larson credits her rise to mentors like Deputy Chief Roxanne Bercik, who told her not to "rest on her laurels."
The legacy of LAFD Assistant Chief Kristine Larson is still being written, but she’s already changed the face of the department. Whether you see her as a pioneer or a lightning rod for controversy, you can't ignore the fact that she’s spent over three decades running into buildings that everyone else was running out of.
If you are interested in the evolution of the LAFD, you should look into the department's current recruitment initiatives. They are specifically targeting collegiate athletes, mirroring Larson's own path from the track field to the fire engine.