Los Angeles City Fire Department Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, making history as the first woman to be made Chief of the LAFD, is among those given a big thank you by Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund families. At a momentous luncheon she explains why it is so important to remember and support the hero families who sacrificed so much in service to others.
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Chief Crowley was moved by the closeness of our extended fire family, especially seeing so many of our charity’s leaders walk side-by-side with our hero families as they cope with heartbreaking loss and face their hard journey.
“It’s the ultimate sacrifice. So, I think if anything, it’s just making sure that we take that purposeful action, that we don’t just do it once a year on the anniversary. It’s more about the continued thought process of ensuring that we are there for the families and the loved ones that were left behind…to make sure that they feel loved and supported and that when they’re having a down day, that they know that they can come to the department, they can come through the Relief, and there’s so many people that are here to support them,” she says.
“And, we have to purposefully make sure that they understand that. So, as they have their ups and downs, we’re going to be there for them and with them every single time.”
Kristin says she visited Colorado Fallen Firefighter Memorial as LAFD Fire Chief and that was an honor. “That was my first experience, being in the Fire Chief’s role and really taking a big step back, understanding how our fallen firefighters should always be remembered and honored. And being there in Colorado Springs was very special. We honored a number of our families, and our fallen firefighters. But just to see the totality of how many fire departments, how many fire families were impacted by individuals that had passed away due to line of duty deaths was really eye-opening to me. So, I kind of came back with an inspiration to make sure that we do as much as we can to ensure that we keep our people safe, and that we lean forward as much as we can to make sure that their health, safety and well-being is always our priority.”
By Charles Stewart
Learn more about the annual, International Association of Fire Fighters Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial