Kris Larson is a 32-year veteran of the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) and currently holds the rank of assistant chief. In her early career, she held the rank of fire inspector and subsequently was the first African American woman to be promoted to the rank of Captain I, Captain II, battalion chief and assistant chief in the history of the LAFD. Larson also was the first African American woman to serve as drill master for the Fire Academy. Her current assignment with the LAFD is starting the new Equity Division. Larson earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA. She went on to graduate summa cum laude from Capella University with a master’s degree in public service leadership with an emphasis in emergency management. She is completing a DEI certification program through Cornell University. Larson serves as president of Los Angeles Women in the Fire Service. Larson is a founding member of Equity in Fire, which is a grassroots coalition of firefighters, civil rights leaders and community members that works to achieve equity and an end to discrimination in the fire service. In 2022, Larson was awarded the Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California for her work with Equity in Fire.