Resurfaced video of fire dept. assistant chief inspires outrage after devastating wildfires in Los Angeles

A viral video with comments from a Los Angeles Fire Department assistant chief has angered many in the wake of the devastating wildfires destroying southern California.

The video shows assistant chief Kristine Larson explain why it is important to have minority members of the fire department, and then she appears to defensively mock fire victims. Larson was lauded as the first black woman to be hired on as an LAFD chief.

‘This is actually appalling. This is a public servant?’

“You want to see somebody that responds to your house, your emergency, whether it’s a medical call or a fire call, that looks like you,” said Larson in the video. “It gives that person a little bit more ease knowing that somebody might understand their situation better.”

She went on to address criticism that some women may not meet the strength standards needed to fulfill the requirements of the job.

“‘Is she strong enough to do this?'” she said in the voice of critics. “‘You couldn’t carry my husband out of a fire.'”

“Which my response is, ‘He got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out of a fire.'”

The video was posted on social media, where it garnered 2.2 million views in only three hours. Many of the responses expressed disbelief that a first responder would make such comments.

“This is actually appalling. This is a public servant?” responded commentator Mary Katherine Ham.

“This woman should be fired just for saying this. It’s a total betrayal of public trust,” replied writer Mark Hemingway.

“I have no problem w/women being first responders. EMS teams are often part of fire departments and it would be silly to expect them all to be strongmen. That said, WTF are you doing mocking people caught in a fire!?! Dumbest frick’n talking point imaginable,” said Jonah Goldberg of the Dispatch.

“I honestly cannot believe this is real,” said Brandon Morse of Red State.

“If you were skeptical about how much DEI has infected the LAFD, this video will blow your mind. And be sure to watch until the end for the worst part. Again…Holy. Crap,” read one response.

“Things that are important for the firefighters responding to your house fire: that they look like you,” read another popular response. “Things that are not important: being strong enough to rescue ppl in the burning house.”

Five people have been reported dead from the wildfires, but officials believe many more will be reported after the entire scope of the devastation is known.

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