In the wake of the devastating wildfires that ravaged Southern California, a viral video containing comments from the Los Angeles Fire Department's deputy chief has angered many.
In the video, Deputy Chief Kristin Larson appears to explain why it's important to have minority members in the fire department, then defensively mocks the fire victims. Larson was hailed as the first Black woman to be hired as LAFD chief.
“This is truly terrifying. Is this a public servant?”
“You want to have someone like yourself to respond to your home and emergencies, whether it's a medical call or a fire call,” Larson said in the video. “Knowing that someone might be able to better understand their situation gives them some comfort.”
She went on to address criticism that some women may not meet the necessary physical fitness standards to meet the requirements of the job.
“'Will she be strong enough to do this?' she said to the critics. ''She could not carry her husband out of the fire.'”
“My answer is, 'If you have to carry him out of the fire, he's fallen into the wrong place.'”
Video posted on social mediawhich received 2.2 million views in just three hours. Many of the responses expressed disbelief that a first responder would make such a comment.
“This is really terrible. Is this a civil servant?” answered Commentator Mary Katherine Hamm.
“This woman should be fired for saying this. It's a complete betrayal of the public's trust.” answered Author Mark Hemingway.
“There's nothing wrong with women being first responders. Paramedics often belong to fire departments, and it would be foolish to expect them all to be competent. But… Are you making fun of the people involved in the fire?! This is about as crazy as you can imagine.” said Jonah Goldberg of Dispatch.
“Honestly, I can't believe this is real.” said Brandon Morse of Red State.
“If you're skeptical about how much DEI infected LAFD, this video will shock you. And be sure to watch till the end for the worst part. Again…oh my god. It's crap. ” read One reply.
“The important thing about the firefighters who respond to your home fire is that they look like you.” read Another popular reaction. “What doesn't matter is that it's strong enough to rescue the people in the burning house.”
Five people have been reported to have died from the wildfires so far, but authorities believe more will be reported once the full extent of the damage is known.
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