Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings, who faced scrutiny over emergency response times during his two-year tenure, is being replaced, Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday.

Garcetti said he is not satisfied that the Los Angeles Fire Department has done enough to improve response times or employ new technology.

“I have been impatient with the pace of that,” Garcetti said. “I think people saw that as a council member, and as council president. And as mayor, I continue to have a sense of urgency.”

The department has been in the spotlight following revelations in 2012 that fire officials released inaccurate response times, data that was used by the City Council — which then included Garcetti — to support budget cuts. Cummings also faced anger from the firefighters’ union for supporting the council’s plan to alter deployment to shift more firefighters to ambulance duty.

“This is a life-or-death department, one in which response times matter,” Garcetti added. “And I have not seen enough movement there. I want to make sure we have technology in place that exists in other departments and that we’re prepared for any emergency. And I certainly have seen some improvements, but I’d like to see more.”

A 33-year veteran of the department, Cummings released a statement Thursday praising his colleagues, who he said have faced “multiple challenges of increased workload, decrease funding, staff reduction, fewer apparatus and aging equipment.”

“I will retire confident that Los Angeles’ strong support of public safety and the Los Angeles Fire Department will afford the continued provision of service befitting the City of Angels,” said Cummings.

James Featherstone, a former fire captain and current head of the city’s Emergency Management Department, will take over as acting chief of the LAFD on Nov. 1, and remain in that position until a permanent chief is found, Garcetti said.

Cummings joined the LAFD in 1980 and was appointed to the top position in 2011. He earned more than $280,000, according to most recent data available from City Controller Ron Galperin’s office. His retirement takes effect in February.

Frank Lima, head of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City union, expressed delight about the changeover on Thursday, saying morale is low at the department. ‘We’re in need of strong leadership,” Lima said, adding that the union wants a chief who will push for increased staffing levels.

The shake-up comes as the mayor overhauls City Hall, a process that includes interviewing all his top managers. Port of Los Angeles head Geraldine Knatz last week announced her retirement, and more resignations are expected in the coming days and months.

Some members of Garcetti’s new administration are openly questioning the LAFD’s use of resources. Along with the Los Angeles Police Department, the LAFD consumes the biggest portion of the city’s budget.

In an interview last month, Garcetti budget advisor Bob Stone said he had concerns, for instance, about why firefighters are required to wait outside emergency rooms after a patient is brought to the hospital.

Additionally, several City Council members said fire trucks need high-tech tools, like GPS devices or iPads, to help them better navigate Los Angeles streets.

Still, several fire safety experts said Thursday that the LAFD remains one of the best fire departments in the country.

“They are good as it gets,” said Curtis Massey, president and CEO of Massey Enterprises Inc, a Virginia-based fire safety and disaster consultant who has trained LAFD firefighters.

While Massey couldn’t comment on the departure of Cummings, he said the LAFD has reacted admirably in the face of budget cuts.

“They have adapted just as well as other fire departments, if not better,” Massey said.