{"id":281937,"date":"2026-04-23T12:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T12:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/281937\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T12:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T12:18:11","slug":"lafds-culture-of-obedience-runs-deep-firefighters-say-they-fear-retaliation-from-bosses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/281937\/","title":{"rendered":"LAFD’s culture of obedience runs deep. Firefighters say they fear retaliation from bosses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As firefighter after firefighter testified about their actions<\/a> during the Lachman fire, a clear theme emerged \u2014 the Los Angeles Fire Department\u2019s culture of absolute obedience.<\/a><\/p>\n

One told a boss about red hot coals and smoldering ash. Another warned that warm weather increased the risk of a flareup. After taking their concerns to superiors, they gave up \u2014 it was not their job to make decisions like when to pack up their hoses and leave a fire that had mostly been put out.<\/p>\n

Days later, that fire reignited<\/a> into the Palisades fire, destroying thousands of homes and leaving a dozen people dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could\u2019ve possibly prevented a lot of stuff if I would\u2019ve been more outspoken, right?\u201d firefighter Scott Pike testified in a lawsuit brought by Palisades fire victims. \u201cBut that\u2019s not the right thing to do. The captains don\u2019t want to hear that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pike\u2019s attitude reflects deep-rooted norms within the LAFD not to question orders \u2014 or to push back against higher-ups when something feels wrong, or even dangerous \u2014 because doing so could invite retribution. Several current and former firefighters told The Times that it\u2019s often easier to keep their mouths shut than deal with the ramifications of speaking up. <\/p>\n

Similar to law enforcement, fire departments are paramilitary organizations handling fast-moving, life-and-death emergencies where there\u2019s often no time for debate. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, firefighters typically work 24-hour shifts and live with their crew at the station, cooking, eating, sleeping and exercising together. Being ostracized isn\u2019t just losing the camaraderie of co-workers \u2014 it\u2019s losing a family. <\/p>\n

The culture of silence within the LAFD is common to fire departments around the country, said Laura Kavanagh, former head of the New York City Fire Department. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey become like your second family. And so I think that loyalty is much greater,\u201d Kavanagh said. \u201cBeing on the outs can be truly detrimental to one\u2019s career but also to one\u2019s health and ability to have a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those who don\u2019t stay silent, retaliation from bosses can come in the form of \u201chighway therapy,\u201d she said \u2014 when firefighters are reassigned to a station far from home. They may be passed up for promotions or labeled as troublemakers. <\/p>\n

Sharon Delugach, who recently stepped down after about three years as a Los Angeles fire commissioner, said that changing the LAFD\u2019s culture comes down to better training for those in charge.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe captain needs to model respectful behavior, which may include understanding that asking questions isn\u2019t automatically insubordinate,\u201d she said. \u201cI do think that culture can be changed through training and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n

LAFD spokesperson Stephanie Bishop said last week that retaliation against firefighters who report misconduct or refuse unlawful orders is prohibited by department policy and California law.<\/p>\n

Fire Chief Jaime Moore made it clear when he took the job<\/a> less than six months ago that \u201cfostering a culture where every member of the Los Angeles Fire Department feels respected and supported is a top priority,\u201d Bishop said in an email responding to questions about firefighters\u2019 fear of speaking out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis won\u2019t happen overnight, and our personnel understand that,\u201d she continued. \u201cA comprehensive review of department policies and procedures is underway. LAFD leadership is committed to doing the work and delivering lasting change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doug Coates, acting president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, the union representing LAFD rank and file, declined to comment. <\/p>\n

In a 2022 audit into internal sexual harassment investigations,<\/a> the LAFD\u2019s top watchdog found that firefighters were discouraged from reporting misconduct and encouraged by supervisors and others to withhold information during investigative interviews. Some were told to keep problems \u201cin-house\u201d instead of reporting them to supervisors, said the audit by the Office of the Independent Assessor.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Plead the 5th, it doesn\u2019t involve you,\u2019\u201d one probationary firefighter said that multiple co-workers advised him before an interview with internal investigators, according to the audit. \u201c\u2018And say you can\u2019t recall when answering questions from investigators.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the audit, the probationary firefighter \u2014 who is white \u2014 said he witnessed crews mistreat a Black female firefighter based on her race and gender. He said he wanted to quit the department because \u201cthese guys are the most racist people I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d <\/p>\n

Female and minority firefighters have long complained<\/a> about an enduring \u201cfrat house\u201d culture, with co-workers bullying and harassing them. <\/p>\n

But Capt. Freddy Escobar, a former president of the firefighters union who was suspended by the union\u2019s parent organization over allegations of missing receipts,<\/a> said that the family culture at fire stations fosters an open-door environment. He denies the allegations.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re supposed to take care of one another,\u201d he said. \u201cJust like at home, you feel comfortable going to the front office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kavanagh estimated that fire departments are about two decades behind law enforcement agencies in terms of reforms, largely because police are under much more public scrutiny and are often subjected to more rigorous oversight, in part because of their use of deadly force.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fire service is just so enmeshed. It is such a brotherhood, and there isn\u2019t that scrutiny on it,\u201d she said. \u201cThe downsides for speaking up are so immense, I almost can\u2019t imagine why anyone chooses to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cIt\u2019s imperative that we find a way to speak up.\u201d <\/p>\n

Connie Rice is a longtime civil rights attorney whose work has largely targeted what she described as a similar culture within the Los Angeles Police Department. She said LAFD firefighters have told her that the code of silence exists because complaining about the leadership could end careers.<\/p>\n

\u201cLAFD is a kill-the-messenger cult,\u201d Rice said. In terms of penetrating the code of silence, \u201cthe police are easier to crack than firefighters,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The paramilitary command structure that allows for orders to be executed quickly during a fire or other emergency also reinforces respect for rank, said a retired LAFD battalion chief who asked not to be identified because he still has family in the department. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a hierarchy, and the more time you get on, the less you expect people to question you,\u201d he said. \u201cMost firefighters, unless they got 10, 15, 20 years, they\u2019re not going to go up against a captain, or a chief.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is some payback in our culture,\u201d he added. \u201cThey hold grudges.\u201d<\/p>\n

LAFD\u2019s rules and regulations say that members shall \u201cunder no circumstances\u201d exceed their authority in giving orders and are protected against penalties if they follow improper orders. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group\u2019s Incident Response Pocket Guide, another set of guidelines followed by the LAFD, says firefighters are obligated to report safety issues and that supervisors are \u201cexpected to give these concerns and ideas serious consideration.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guide offers instructions for how to refuse an assignment a firefighter feels is unsafe, though the retired battalion chief said it would be a stretch to apply those instructions to a mop-up scenario like the Lachman fire, where there\u2019s no immediate danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottom line is, if he says we\u2019re leaving, you\u2019re leaving,\u201d the former battalion chief said of supervisors at the Lachman fire.<\/p>\n

But where does that leave firefighters?<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I\u2019ll never bring anything up,\u201d said an LAFD firefighter who said that superiors targeted him after he spoke out against what he thought was an unethical billing practice for fire inspections. \u201cGood, bad or indifferent. Anything I said on behalf of the public \u2026 all it did is get me in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

The firefighter \u2014 who was not involved in the Lachman fire \u2014 asked to remain anonymous because he feared retaliation.<\/p>\n

Jimmie Woods-Gray, a former fire commissioner who stepped down last month, said that fear of retaliation prevents firefighters from reporting racial or sexual harassment and other bad behavior. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t just think they\u2019ll get retaliated against \u2014 they will get retaliated against,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Arson investigator Robert McCloud, who recently lost a retaliation and racial discrimination lawsuit against the city, said that at the LAFD, investigations into wrongdoing are done in-house \u2014 and the results are often personal. He said his dissatisfaction with that system long predated the outcome of his lawsuit, which he brought with five other Black arson investigators. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf our kids play soccer together, of course I\u2019m not going to get in trouble,\u201d he said. He added later: \u201cIf you didn\u2019t like me as a rookie, or you didn\u2019t like me as a firefighter, I gave you a hard time … This is your time to be revengeful.\u201d <\/p>\n

In the lawsuit, the arson investigators alleged that they were targeted with sham investigations, passed up for promotions and other opportunities and subjected to excessive criticism and increased workloads. A jury awarded two of the plaintiffs more than $600,000 each in damages.<\/p>\n

Cynthia Sato, another arson investigator, filed a lawsuit last year alleging that she faced retaliation and gender discrimination after refusing a chief\u2019s order to arrest an arson suspect without probable cause. <\/p>\n

According to Sato\u2019s lawsuit, the chief initiated a complaint against her for insubordination, and she was disciplined with a reprimand. Her schedule was changed to prevent run-ins with the chief, which made it difficult for her to obtain child care and prevented her from working overtime, she said in the lawsuit. <\/p>\n

Neither Sato nor her attorneys responded to a request for comment. <\/p>\n

Despite Pike\u2019s warnings that the fire was still smoldering, the orders from above did not change, and crews continued packing up their hoses at the Lachman burn scar on the morning of Jan. 2, 2025, according to testimony in the Palisades fire victims\u2019 lawsuit. LAFD leaders have refused to explain who made the decision to leave prematurely, and why.<\/p>\n

Those in charge that day have deflected blame, while other firefighters testified that they didn\u2019t question what they were assigned to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was told to pick up hose from my captain, which is a common assignment for us to get,\u201d one firefighter testified. \u201cI just listen to orders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, after voicing his concerns with three people, Pike decided he had pushed back enough and that whatever happened next wasn\u2019t his responsibility.<\/p>\n

He testified: \u201cIt\u2019s tough to go against the gradient with command and be the only one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Times staff writer Paul Pringle contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As firefighter after firefighter testified about their actions during the Lachman fire, a clear theme emerged \u2014 the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":281938,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[2085,53684,12032,75265,6522,121214,11057,4330,48,52,51,7216,8440,1846,47,50,49,9355,16973,21920,7826],"class_list":{"0":"post-281937","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-audit","9":"tag-boss","10":"tag-chief","11":"tag-co-worker","12":"tag-culture","13":"tag-cynthia-sato","14":"tag-fire-department","15":"tag-firefighter","16":"tag-la","17":"tag-la-headlines","18":"tag-la-news","19":"tag-lachman-fire","20":"tag-lafd","21":"tag-lawsuit","22":"tag-los-angeles","23":"tag-los-angeles-headlines","24":"tag-los-angeles-news","25":"tag-order","26":"tag-retaliation","27":"tag-silence","28":"tag-supervisor"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}