SAN FRANCISCO
FIREFIGHTERS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS LOCAL 798
INVEST IN YOUR SAFETY:
STAFF UP SAN FRANCISCO
Carlos Avila Gonzalez SF Chronicle
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends: On behalf of San Francisco Firefighters Local 798, it is my honor to present our annual publication highlighting our work and critical needs. Throughout the past two years, the pandemic demonstrated the importance of maintaining a fully staffed San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) that is able to respond immediately to emergencies. Under extremely difficult circumstances, San Francisco Firefighters, Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Technicians have continued to save lives and property. As San Francisco leaders make major decisions regarding the budget and strategically plan for the future, in the name of Firefighter and public safety, our Department’s staffing crisis and disaster preparedness projects must be prioritized. Our members provide the highest quality fire protection and pre-hospital emergency medical care possible for the people of our city, but the increasing demands for service combined with a large number of retirements and the lingering impacts of the pandemic have created additional challenges in the SFFD. As it currently stands, the SFFD doesn’t have enough Firefighters and Paramedics to support full staffing. Fire stations and ambulances are being covered through mandatory overtime and the personnel shortages are being exacerbated by our expanding role in Community Paramedicine. It is essential that the SFFD receive funding to maintain a continuous hiring program over the next several years to address this shortfall and increase the number of sworn Firefighters and Paramedics in our ranks. To keep San Franciscans safe, the SFFD’s Disaster Preparedness projects should be a top priority, including securing and operating a state-of-the-art training facility, restoring the Incident Support Specialist positions across the city, upgrading our aging fleet and facilities, expanding the Auxiliary Water Supply System, creating a dedicated Marine Unit, and funding the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team program. It is my privilege to represent the most hardworking and skilled Firefighters, Paramedics, and EMTs in the professional fire service. This publication is dedicated to Firefighter Christopher Yock, who tragically suffered a medical emergency and subsequently died in the Line of Duty after fighting a large fire at a San Francisco International Airport parking structure on June 8, 2021. May God Bless the Yock Family and all of the men and women who bravely serve on the frontlines in San Francisco. Sincerely,
Shon Buford President San Francisco Firefighters International Association of Fire Fighters Local 798
MISSION Advocate for our members to maintain and improve benefits, wages, and working conditions through collective bargaining to advance fairness and equality in the workplace for the betterment of the laboring class.
VISION Achieve solidarity within our membership through education, engagement, and succession planning and solidify our brand by fostering community and political partnerships through public outreach.
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2021 BY THE NUMBERS
INDEX 2021 BY THE NUMBERS
3
CRITICAL NEEDS Staffing Disaster Preparedness
7 17
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY Cancer Prevention Toy Program ACKNOWLEDGMENT
31 34 36
Mark Mosher
Established in 1866, the San Francisco Fire Department serves an estimated 1.5 million people, providing fire suppression and emergency medical services to the residents, visitors, and commuters within 49 square miles and along 25 miles of coastline. Community Fire Stations are staffed by 1,694 sworn Firefighters and Paramedics who respond to an average of more than 408 emergency calls for service on a daily basis.
FIRE STATION LOCATIONS
2
CALLS EMS
49,797
Fire
36,342
Fire/EMS
63,019
Total Incident Calls
149,158
3
2021 BY THE NUMBERS
WORKING FIRE STATISTICS ALARM
COUNT
168
1st 2nd
12
3rd
1
TOTAL WORKING FIRES
181
TOP TEN BUSIEST COMPANIES COMPANY
4
TOTAL DISPATCHES
AVERAGE DISPATCHES/DAY
ENGINE 3
8,634
24
ENGINE 1
7,093
19
ENGINE 36
5,413
15
TRUCK 3
4,907
13
ENGINE 5
3,926
11
ENGINE 7
3,654
10
BATTALION 2
3,635
10
ENGINE 6
3,596
10
ENGINE 17
2,967
8
TRUCK 1
2,957
8
TOTAL PROPERTY LOSS
$47,095,000
CIVILIAN INJURIES
35
CIVILIAN FATALITIES
6 5
2021 BY THE NUMBERS
CALLS FOR SERVICE
149,158
STAFFING LEVELS 1,900
1,800
1,694
1,700
1,600
1,500
1,400 05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
RESPONSE AVERAGES BY SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT
6
BOS DISTRICT
BLS ENGINE
ALS ENGINE
MEDIC
RESCUE CAPTAIN
DISTRICT 1
04:27
04:20
08:29
05:06
DISTRICT 2
04:10
04:30
07:36
06:58
DISTRICT 3
03:50
04:24
07:11
05:47
DISTRICT 4
04:31
04:56
09:15
09:37
DISTRICT 5
03:36
03:54
06:30
07:51
DISTRICT 6
04:11
04:35
06:30
06:19
DISTRICT 7
04:48
04:54
08:52
08:59
DISTRICT 8
04:18
04:17
06:59
05:32
DISTRICT 9
04:22
04:13
06:55
05:25
DISTRICT 10
04:49
05:04
08:47
08:14
DISTRICT 11
04:14
05:05
08:48
05:20
CRITICAL NEED:
SAN FRANCISCO'S STAFFING CRISIS In the years leading up to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the SFFD made slow progress in recovering from the dangerously low staffing levels of the Great Recession. While not keeping up with the growth of San Francisco’s population or the increase in calls for service, the Department’s staffing numbers mirrored 2007 levels at the close of 2019 and they currently stand at just 1,694 members. In 2021, there were nearly 50,000 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls across the city. In addition to the staffing challenges facing a strained workforce, the Department expanded its services through the evolving Community Paramedicine initiatives, including EMS-6, the Street Crisis Response Team (SCRT), the Street Overdose Response Team (SORT), and the Street Wellness Response Team (SWRT). It is imperative to expand the SFFD’s EMS workforce to keep up with increased demand. Across the city, crucial law enforcement agencies and public services are woefully underfunded and understaffed, forcing city workers to do more with less. The pandemic and shifting crime trends have stretched our workforce even thinner as the demand for public services climbs higher than ever. Robust investment in the common good will lead us into a brighter future for everyone.
7 7
CRITICAL NEED: STAFFING
FIRE SUPPRESSION
Santiago Mejia/SF Chronicle
CONSENT DECREE From 1987 through 1997, the Department operated under a federal consent decree designed to reshape the workforce to reflect the racial and gender diversity of San Francisco. As part of that federal mandate, the Department hired three to four academy classes each year for the ten years of the consent decree. But below the surface of this progress was a demographic time bomb. Beginning in 2018 and continuing through 2028, 75 to 100 of those consent decree hires will be reaching the end of their careers each year. It is important to remember that the Firefighters finishing their careers over the next ten years include some of the pioneer female Firefighters and Firefighters of color who broke new ground in our Department. If their spots are left unfilled, not only will the safety of the remaining Firefighters and the citizens of San Francisco be at risk, but we also risk losing the diversity that has distinguished the SFFD for the past 30 years.
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COVID-19 PANDEMIC & ITS AFTERMATH Beginning in 2021, the Department was finally able to place full classes of new Firefighters in the field, but the SFFD remains far below the employment levels we need for full staffing. Instead, fire stations and ambulances are being staffed through mandatory overtime levels unprecedented in the history of the Department. 48 to 72-hour shifts for individual Firefighters and Paramedics have become the norm rather than the exception. The SFFD also lost approximately 50 members as a result of the City’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate policy, exacerbating an already strained workforce. These Firefighters could have been retained if the City had adopted the same option of masking and regular testing for employees used by the San Francisco Unified School District and by fire departments in many of our surrounding communities. Currently, new classes are allowing us to slowly crawl out of this hole, but the current pace of hiring must continue over the next few fiscal years to meet the needs of San Francisco’s citizens. Without continuous hiring, the Department is doomed to fall back to Recession-era staffing levels even as the city’s population and call volume rebound after the pandemic.
HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT FIRES The growing number of fires in homeless encampments rose dramatically with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, increasing the Department’s workload. According to Mission Local, fires increased by 26% citywide in 2020, and by 50% in the Mission District alone. Most of those calls were small tent or trash fires, and some of the structure fires included in the statistics were caused by extension from encampments. As U.C. Berkeley Public Health Professor Coco Auerswald stated, “Anyone living in a situation like that is in danger of fires, and those fires are basically because of the circumstances of people leading their daily life,” (SF Public Press, February 1, 2022). Until the City is able to house these people indoors with utilities, sprinklers, and smoke detectors, the threat of encampment fires and increased calls for service will continue.
Liz Hafalia/SF Chronicle
ENSURE SAFE & EQUITABLE STAFFING
The City must commit to keeping fire suppression staffing at safe levels through the upcoming years of natural attrition. And to help combat growing income, racial, and gender inequity in the city, San Francisco’s civic leaders must provide an ongoing opportunity for our local residents to enter the SFFD and protect their fellow citizens.
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CRITICAL NEED: STAFFING
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT ENGINE RESPONSE An Advanced Life Support (ALS) Engine consists of a trained Firefighter/Paramedic who can perform the same lifesaving interventions available with an ambulance, but with a much faster response time. However, the SFFD doesn’t currently have enough Paramedics to ensure that all San Francisco communities have immediate access to ALS-capable engines. San Francisco taxpayers, including residents of the Richmond, Sunset, Crocker-Amazon, Bayview, North Beach, and Nob Hill Districts, frequently do not experience the same response times as other areas of the city. This means that if there’s a medical emergency or accident in certain neighborhoods, patients will have to wait twice as long to get the care needed. With an additional 30-35 Paramedics in the SFFD, we could provide this very important ALS care throughout the city that San Franciscans expect and deserve.
COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE Augmented staffing is needed across the Department, especially in the overworked Paramedic rank; despite this, the SFFD expanded its services through the evolving Community Paramedicine programs as mandated by the City. This initiative has grown to include the following programs: EMS-6, the Street Crisis Response Team (SCRT), the Street Overdose Response Team (SORT), and the Street Wellness Response Team (SWRT). Community Paramedicine Teams utilize trauma-informed care to support the needs of patients who suffer from substance abuse and mental health disorders and/or are experiencing homelessness. They are able to assess the individual’s circumstances and facilitate access to services that are more suited to their mental health and social needs.
EMS-6 Since 2016, a team of SFFD Paramedics known as EMS-6 has been responding to 911 calls from some of the city’s most vulnerable people in the community who rely on the emergency response system for their non-emergency medical, social, and mental health needs. EMS-6 provides specialized support and case management to connect frequent users of the emergency system to services that are more appropriate for their care than a visit to the emergency room, such as a sobering center or mental health clinic. The goal of EMS-6 is to reduce 911 calls and lessen the strain on an already taxed emergency system, help divert patients to mental health crisis centers and sobering centers when appropriate, and better serve residents experiencing behavioral crises.
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STREET CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM The SCRT was launched to respond to mental health and addiction-related emergency calls. This program is a critical component of San Francisco’s efforts to provide an appropriate, non-law enforcement response to behavioral health emergencies and divert individuals in crisis away from emergency rooms and criminal legal settings and into behavioral health treatment. The SCRT aims to provide trauma-informed clinical interventions and care coordination for people who experience behavioral health crises on the streets of San Francisco. The program is a collaboration between the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) and the SFFD with significant support from the Department of Emergency Management (DEM). Each team includes an SFFD Community Paramedic, a behavioral health clinician, and a peer specialist. This service model is unique with the incorporation of a behavioral health peer specialist who has experienced homelessness, mental illness, and/or substance use disorder. Peer specialists are people who have been successful in the recovery process and are skilled to help others experiencing similar situations. In each case, the SCRT assesses the situation to determine the most beneficial type of care the individual should be connected with, including behavioral health support, on-scene counseling, or ambulance transport.
Stephen Lam/SF Chronicle
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CRITICAL NEED: STAFFING
STREET OVERDOSE RESPONSE TEAM The SORT launched in August 2021 as a collaboration between the DPH and the SFFD to address the sharp increase in overdose deaths from opiates, particularly fentanyl. Staffed by a Community Paramedic, a Street Medicine Clinician, and other specialists and peer counselors, the SORT responds immediately to reported overdoses to meet victims both at the street and in the emergency room and again within 72-hours to connect people to care and treatment. They operate citywide, 12 hours per day, seven days per week. Support may include lifesaving naloxone, treatment medicine, supportive counseling, and guidance getting substance use treatment, housing, or shelter. The SORT also bridges the connection from the street to DPH where their Post Overdose Team (POeT) provides outreach to these patients one to two days later to promote harm reduction in the hopes of preventing overdose recidivism. The SORT program will expand in 2022 to include additional teams, staffing, and up to 24/7 coverage. We are rapidly growing our case list to support hundreds of San Franciscans at the highest risk of overdose.
STREET WELLNESS RESPONSE TEAM The SWRT was launched in January 2022. It consists of a Community Paramedic, an EMT, and a Homeless Outreach Team (HOT). Currently, the SWRT is focused in the Tenderloin, providing outreach to underserved people, reconnecting folks with their mental health team, as well as performing housing assessments on the street in cooperation with HOT.
Jessica Christian/SF Chronicle
Gabrielle Lurie/SF Chronicle
EXPAND OUR WORKFORCE TO MEET DEMANDS
The EMS-6, SCRT, SORT, and SWRT initiatives help meet the challenges of San Francisco’s modern urban environment, but each program is also largely staffed from the ranks of the Department’s ambulance staff, already stretched thin by increased call volume and the pandemic. The City must commit to staffing these vital, effective programs while continuing to replenish the ranks of our Paramedics and EMTs.
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MEDICAL INCIDENTS BY TYPE Sick Call Falls Breathing Difficulty Subject Unconcious Psychiatric Problem Medical Nature Unknown Pandemic Related Other Chest Pain Overdose Cardiac Arrest Seizures Abdominal Pain Hemorrhage Transfer Stroke Trauma Back Pain Heart Problem Diabetic Problem Stab/Gunshot Allergic Reaction Headache Choking Pregnancy Eye Problem Animal Bites
11,297 8,881 8,438 8,262 8,174 6,108 5,909 4,832 4,307 4,152 3,272 2,909 2,739 2,666 2,202 2,016 1,909 928 833 829 726 662 468 297 211 178 154
Burns
97
Drowning
10
COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE DISPATCHES EMS-6 SORT SCRT
1,144 1,226 7,513 13
CRITICAL NEED: STAFFING
PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS UNDER FIRE
THE SAN FRANCISCO POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS SUPPORT The SFFD’s Community Paramedicine Program, in coordination with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), gives Firefighters and Paramedics the opportunity to step outside our traditional emergency response role and make a direct, proactive impact on the quality of life issues faced by all San Franciscans. Unfortunately, the lack of adequate staffing in the SFPD and the SFFD has hobbled efforts to fully respond to the growing numbers of unhoused people who need frontline services to address their health, dignity, and sense of self-reliance. This initiative transfers certain calls for service to a non-law-enforcement response, freeing up the men and women of the SFPD to focus their efforts on criminal activity. Despite the City’s efforts to reduce law enforcement intervention, crime rates continue to rise, and our respective departments need the resources to effectively recruit, train, and retain our overtaxed and understaffed workforce. As we transition our way to opening the city to residents, returning tourists and workers, we all must be committed to providing the services needed to make our city run smoothly. Unfortunately, we cannot do that with a chronically understaffed first responder network. Firefighters, EMTs, healthcare professionals, and Law Enforcement are tasked to do more while facing unprecedented staffing shortages. The challenges we face daily must be addressed, but this cannot happen with a depleted workforce.
FIRST RESPONDERS NEED FUNDING
The Community Paramedicine initiative needs the support of city government in order to free up law enforcement personnel so they can focus on their core mission - to protect and serve the community. This infrastructure is critical to redirect calls to the organizations that specialize in these areas and can effectively provide the treatment, care, and support to individuals suffering in our communities. The leaders of this city must recognize the importance of giving each of our first responder units the funding and support to continue our core missions to better serve all the communities of this great city. 14
CITY DEPARTMENTS & SERVICES SUFFER FROM CUTS OPERATING IN CHALLENGING TIMES Understaffing in the Fire Department is only one emergency within a broader staffing crisis across all City Departments. City workers serve San Francisco around the clock every day. Our partners in the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), and all other municipal agencies keep our world-class city functioning. During the pandemic, city workers have risked their own and their families’ lives to keep these services running and helped make San Francisco a leading example. In addition to providing public safety and emergency health care, city employees work in public hospitals and clinics, set up COVID test sites, shelter the homeless, run our libraries and museums, maintain our streets, operate our buses, clean our airports, safeguard our drinking water, and so much more.
MORE WITH LESS Decades of disinvestment have left crucial public services dangerously understaffed. Across the city, there are over 3,800 job positions that are unfilled, forcing city workers to do more with less. When understaffing is this significant, full and timely services can’t be provided. Join Local 798 in calling on City leaders to Staff Up SF! Paid for by
STAFF UP SAN FRANCISCO
In a city with a budget surplus of $108 million, over $1 billion in reserves, and more billionaires per capita than any other metropolis on earth, there is no excuse for lifesaving and essential public services to go underfunded. We have the resources to invest in good jobs and strong public services. We just need to get our priorities straight. Working together, we can hold City leaders accountable, staff up essential services with permanent employees, and change things for the better.
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INCIDENTS BY CALL TYPE Alarms Other Outside Fire Traffic Collision Citizen Assist/Service Call Structure Fire Electrical Hazard Gas Leak (Natural and LP Gases) Elevator/Escalator Rescue Smoke Investigation (Outside) Vehicle Fire Water Rescue Fuel Spill Odor (Strange/Unknown) HazMat Assist Police Explosion Industrial Accidents Extrication/Entrapped Train/Rail Incident High Angle Rescue Watercraft in Distress Confined Space/Structure Collapse Marine Fire Mutual Aid/Assist Outside Agency Suspicious Package Aircraft Emergency Oil Spill
16
12,348 4,828 4,102 4,080 3,601 2,508 1,741 912 829 470 434 181 145 126 27 26 22 17 16 9 7 7 6 4 3 2 1 1
CRITICAL NEED:
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS To keep San Franciscans safe, the SFFD’s Disaster Preparedness projects should be a top priority. To strategically plan for the future, City leaders must invest in the following: • Securing and operating a state-of-the-art training facility • Restoring the Incident Support Specialist positions across the city • Upgrading the aging fleet and facilities • Expanding the Auxiliary Water Supply System • Creating a dedicated Marine Unit • Funding the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team program
Tom Fogle
17 17
CRITICAL NEED: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
TRAINING CURRENT TRAINING FACILITIES SCHEDULED TO CLOSE The SFFD conducts training for both recruits and existing personnel at Treasure Island and a smaller complex in the Mission District. The Department acquired the training facility on Treasure Island from the U.S. Navy, but it will close soon to make way for a development project. The smaller training facility in the Mission District cannot serve the Department’s training needs on its own. Additionally, changes and advancements in industry standards, best practices, and state and federal training mandates have made it clear that our current facilities do not adequately address the training needs of our department.
A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY IS VITAL A state-of-the-art training facility is critical to provide Firefighters, EMTs, and Paramedics with the routine training and advanced skills needed to protect people and property safely and effectively in San Francisco. The city’s unique environment of hills, narrow streets, diverse building types, population density, and waterways make it imperative that the new and enhanced training facility allows for cross-training and increased interoperability between the Fire Department and other San Francisco public safety agencies. In addition, regional partners could occasionally train at the facility, resulting in improved emergency response for the entire Bay Area. The City and County of San Francisco plans to use most of the $275 million 2020 ESER bond money that was intended for the SFFD to pay for projects that would seismically upgrade firehouses and replace the Treasure Island Firefighter Academy; however, more funds will need to be secured in order to complete the replacement of a new training complex.
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BUILDING A MODERN TRAINING FACILITY The City has identified a location and is moving forward with a plan to purchase a nearly five-acre site in the Bayview for $38.5 million and an adjacent 2.6-acre lot from the Port of San Francisco, which is estimated to cost $5.8 million. This combined property would be about the same size as the current Treasure Island training site. The City is working with the State to acquire the land from the Port through the legislative process because it requires approval from the State Lands Commission and the State Legislature.
CLOSING THE GAP
Once the land has been secured and the infrastructure is constructed, funds will still be needed to furnish, staff, and operate the facility. Alternative training options also have to be procured until this project is complete. The City must find creative solutions and partnerships to purchase land and construct a cutting-edge training facility that will serve the needs of the Department and residents now and for years to come. 19
CRITICAL NEED: NEED: DISASTER DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PREPAREDNESS CRITICAL
FLEET & FACILITIES
SAFETY STANDARDS The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is the leading authority to set standards and guidelines for safety in the fire service. Their recommendations are accepted as the benchmark for the way fire departments should operate as it pertains to staffing levels, training, personal protective equipment, engine and truck safety, and much more. According to the NFPA, all frontline (primary) fire apparatus, especially those operating in a busy, urban environment like San Francisco, should be replaced every 10 years for the safety of our Firefighters and the public that we serve.
AGING INFRASTRUCTURE The SFFD responds to nearly 150,000 emergency calls for service each year with a fleet of vehicles that includes 44 Fire Engines, 20 Fire Trucks, more than 50 Ambulances, and various other specialized apparatus positioned throughout the city. Currently, the SFFD has several frontline engines that are past this 10-year recommended date of replacement, many of which are at least 20 years old. Several of the frontline trucks are also well past the 10-year NFPA standard, including Trucks 2, 12, and 13 which were all built in 1998, and Truck 14 from 1999. Other SFFD trucks are approaching the 20-year mark, including Truck 16 in the Marina and Truck 18 in the Outer Sunset District. The SFFD has not received a new truck in seven years. Additionally, many of the SFFD specialized apparatus which include Hose Tenders, Attack Hose Tenders, 5-Inch Hose Tenders, the Utility-Light Unit, the Pollution Control Unit, and our Fireboats are also approaching or have eclipsed the 20-year mark and need replacement. Even though the SFFD took delivery of the St. Francis Fireboat a few years ago, the Guardian and the Phoenix Fireboats are 50 and 60 years old, respectively. In addition to our aging fleet, the infrastructure at our fire stations and training facility is old and crumbling. Only four of our fire stations have been built from the ground up within the last 10 years.
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FLEET REPLACEMENT PLAN Our rank and file members must have a voice in maintaining an updated and realistic SFFD Fleet Replacement Plan to get the most out of our apparatuses and meet City goals while still ensuring our safety as a top priority. Inflation, supply-chain issues, and the dwindling number of manufacturers are driving up costs for new fire apparatus. The Mayor’s budget proposal of $3.5 million in FY 2022-23 and $3.1 million in FY 2023-24 for equipment purchases will not come close to meeting the need to replace our aging fleet.
The replacement of as many of these rigs as possible should be a high priority: • Truck 2 (Chinatown - BOS District 3)
• Truck 18 (Outer Sunset - BOS District 4)
• Truck 12 (Haight-Ashbury - BOS District 5)
• Truck 19 (Stonestown - BOS District 7)
• Truck 13 (Financial District - BOS District 3)
• Truck 48 (Treasure Island - BOS District 6)
• Truck 14 (Outer Richmond - BOS District 1)
• Engine 22 (Sunset District - BOS District 5)
• Truck 16 (Marina District - BOS District 2)
• Engine 39 (Forest Hill - BOS District 7)
• SFFD Utility Unit (Citywide)
REPLACE AGING FLEET & INFRASTRUCTURE
The SFFD is committed to keeping up with and participating in San Francisco’s pledge to reduce emissions. We need an updated Fleet Replacement Plan that can serve as a roadmap over the next decade to meet this ambitious goal and maintain safety standards. More urgently, action is required to replace several rigs that are more than 20 years old. They are a danger to our Firefighters and the public and they create a liability for the City. 21
CRITICAL NEED: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
INCIDENT SUPPORT SPECIALISTS ON SCENE SUPPORT The Incident Support Specialist (ISS) plays a critical role in some of the most significant emergency calls for service. The ISS reports to and provides vital support to the Battalion or Division Chief. They are responsible for tracking Firefighter staffing levels and ensuring that each unit in the field is appropriately covered for the day. The ISS also manages all details related to the movement of staff between stations, training schedules, and demographic coverage, including tracking apparatus that go out of service.
Steve Rubenstein/SF Chronicle
John Avalos
CALLS BY BATTALION B01
30,582
B02
24,542
B03
B04
B05
22
B06
14,603
15,780 10,837
B07
B08
B09
B10
10,499 7,002 11,507 10,470 12,538
MONITORING & TRACKING During an emergency, the ISS assists the Chief by tracking all pertinent incident information, thereby allowing the Chief to focus their attention on the overall safety of our fire crews and the general public. Other critical duties while on scene are to monitor personnel, equipment, traffic needs from the SFFD, requests from PG&E and similar agencies, and provide radio traffic communication updates to the Dispatch Center. Battalion ISS go into the fire structure or adjoining buildings to serve as the "eyes of the Chief" from the outside. If in a high-rise building, the ISS stays in the fire control room, distributes radios, and monitors the building fire alarm panel. Their incident reports help to determine how the Chief proceeds in any given situation and/or if they will need additional resources.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS The ISS also helps to keep the Department in compliance with the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) requirements. These reports generate revenue for the Department, while an inaccurate or incomplete description can also result in a loss of funds as well as losses for civilians who could be reimbursed by their insurance company.
BUDGET CUTS In past years, the ISS position for Battalions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 were cut in an effort to assist San Francisco during a financial downturn. These critical positions were slashed to help the City in a downturned economy; however, these cuts were never intended to be permanent. As a result, the unintended consequence is that now one Battalion Chief serves as the sole source left to monitor and provide the flow of information between him/herself, fire companies working on the scene, and multiple stakeholders, that may include Oakland Fire, the Dispatch Center, BART, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the CHP. The idea that one person is running a large-scale emergency via multiple radios while driving a car on the crowded and complex streets of San Francisco is an irresponsible risk to the public and to our members that we should not be undertaking.
RESTORE THE ISS POSITIONS ACROSS THE CITY
The return of the ISS position to Battalions 3 and 7 is imperative and would fill a significant need. Battalion 3 covers the Mission Bay neighborhoods that have more than tripled in population and commercial density. South of Market and Mission Bay consist of multiple high-rise residential developments, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oracle Park, and the new Chase Center, making the restoration of the ISS position essential for public safety. Battalion 7 is equally as important. During a surf or cliff rescue, the Chief on scene is required to keep communication flowing not only with several different companies, but also with multiple City agencies. An ISS would facilitate proper communication and personnel tracking to ensure that all radio traffic and the safety of the public is handled responsibly and efficiently. The restoration of the ISS positions in Battalions 3 and 7 are an immediate priority and Battalions 10, 4, 5, 6, and 8 should be reinstated soon thereafter.
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CRITICAL NEED: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
MARINE UNIT WATER EMERGENCIES The SFFD covers 64 miles of jurisdiction, including 25 miles of coastline within the City and County of San Francisco. The SFFD is the lone Advanced Life Support (ALS) resource that can respond to medical emergencies on the San Francisco Bay with a Paramedic on the water. Currently, there are only two SFFD work locations, Stations 16 and 35, with watercraft capable of responding to emergencies from the coastline starting at Fort Funston all the way around the Cliff House, into the Bay, and as far south as Candlestick Park. If those Firefighters are busy fighting a fire or responding to other emergency calls on land, the SFFD rapid response watercraft goes unstaffed, and the Fireboat is delayed while it waits for another station to staff it.
RAPID RESPONSE CRITICAL Both stations have different types of boats for responses. Station 16 in the Marina District is equipped with a fast response boat as well as jet skis, which are vital to emergencies off the Marina area, outside the Golden Gate Bridge, to Land’s End and Ocean Beach. Station 35's fireboat is an excellent tool for fire suppression along the waterfront, but it's not designed for rapid response to water emergencies.
NEW DEVELOPMENT Surf and cliff rescue calls have quadrupled in the last few years. In 2018, there were approximately 35 and in 2021, there were 150. The need for a dedicated Marine Unit is urgent now that up to 250,000 new residents over the next 10 years will start occupying districts like SOMA and Bayview and will be settling into the Hunters Point/Candlestick redevelopment projects. These developments will include a mix of apartments, townhomes, and condominiums with easy access to more open spaces on the water. Response times to emergencies in these areas undergoing development are over 20 minutes, far too long to prevent someone from drowning. This influx of tens of thousands of San Franciscans living in these neighborhoods should be provided with the same level of safety and protection that is given to other residents in the western and northern parts of the city. We need to plan now while these sites are still being developed.
FORM A DEDICATED MARINE UNIT
Station 35 should be equipped with a faster boat in addition to a crew of at least four more Firefighters to focus solely on water rescues in the Bay. A dedicated SFFD Marine Unit will allow our Department to address the growing demand for marine rescue services in a timely, professional manner without pulling resources from other local SFFD Fire Stations. This Marine Unit would have the capability to rapidly respond to water-borne incidents on the eastern side of the city, and perform ALS on the water, allowing for the same delivery of lifesaving services on both land and sea. Additionally, a dedicated Marine Unit will have the ability to train daily to expand and sharpen their water safety skills.
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Russell Roby
FIRE OPS In 2021, San Francisco Firefighters conducted Fire Ops simulations, demonstrating technical rescue operations from land and sea, including a High-Angle Rope Rescue, a live Surf Rescue, and a real-time Water Rescue to allow observers and participants the opportunity to witness how challenging it is to keep our geographically diverse communities across San Francisco safe. Because San Francisco is surrounded by water on three sides, it is critically important for the SFFD to have a strong water rescue team at the ready to respond as quickly as possible. Supervisors Shamann Walton, Catherine Stefani, Aaron Peskin, and Matt Haney accepted the challenge to participate in Local 798’s Water Rescue Fire Ops at Crane Cove Park. Board President Shamann Walton was the “victim” in a simulated real-time water rescue. Responding units were dispatched from their station and the results were shocking. President Walton was in the water for over 20 minutes before any unit was able to reach him for rescue. This simulated water rescue mission demonstrated how long it takes to provide critical water rescue services and highlighted how imperative it is to have more water rescue teams located throughout the city, particularly in the Southeast Sector. As our waterfront density increases along with access to aquatic activities, our water rescue training and resources also need to grow to protect our coastline. A dedicated Marine Unit would allow our Department to address the growing demand for marine rescue services in a timely, professional manner without pulling resources from local SFFD Fire Stations.
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CRITICAL NEED: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
FIRE STATION 35 The SFFD’s two-story floating Fire Station 35 opened for operations in March of 2022 on the Embarcadero at Pier 22 1/2. The project cost $50.5 million and was paid for with funding from the Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response bond approved by voters in 2014. The 173 ft. by 96 ft. structure, which is the first and only floating fire station in the Western Hemisphere, allows the building to withstand tides and disasters, such as fire or earthquakes. One of the three fireboats (The St. Francis, The Phoenix, and The Guardian) is staffed 24/7 to cover the city's expansive waterfront and allows the SFFD to respond to large incidents. Having a fire station right on the water is also advantageous because it is more efficient to directly dispatch rescue watercraft. When building Station 35, the designers had the forethought to make room for additional staffing needs and vessels. Increased water safety would be gained by creating a dedicated Marine Unit, which would be achieved with a willingness to pay for the personnel to staff it.
Tom Fogle
2021 SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT DISPATCHES FIRE BOAT (St. Francis & Phoenix)
208
RESCUE BOAT (RB1 & RB2)
165
RESCUE WATER CRAFT (RWC1 & RWC2)
262 92
SURF RESCUE (SR18 & SR34) CLIFF RESCUE UNITS (CR14 & CR19)
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AUXILIARY WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM
CITY AT RISK San Francisco is one of the most vulnerable cities in the world to the risk of fire after an earthquake. After the 1906 earthquake, 28,000 buildings were destroyed and 3,000 people died. As a result of this disaster, the Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS) was built to provide a dedicated emergency firefighting water supply that could deliver water at pressures high enough to fight a heavy fire load.
ENHANCE THE AWSS WITH ESER FUNDS While this AWSS infrastructure provides fire protection for disasters, it is antiquated and doesn’t reach every neighborhood in our ever-expanding city. The residents of San Francisco recognize this and have voted three times to provide bond money for upgrading and expanding the AWSS through the Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response bond program (ESER). In the 2020 ESER Bond, over $153 million was approved by the voters to augment and expand the AWSS to the Richmond and Sunset Districts and eventually to our southeastern neighborhoods. The ESER funds will be used to create a separate and distinct high-pressure system in these Districts that provides a high-pressure emergency water supply and supplements our drinking water with a new, earthquake-resilient pipe system. The ESER Bond will also provide additional manifolds for the SFFD fireboat to augment the system and explore the feasibility of building saltwater pump stations on the west side of San Francisco.
EXPANDING THE AWSS The SFFD is working collaboratively with the Public Utilities Commission and assisting with studies to further build out the AWSS in the Excelsior, Bayview, and Hunters Point Districts. Planning for our AWSS is being configured for 2030, 2040, and 2050 to meet the demands of an expanding San Francisco. 27
CRITICAL NEED: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM On October 17, 1989, San Francisco experienced a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that tragically killed 67 people and caused more than $5 billion in damages. The aftermath prompted the formation of the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) training program, which currently provides instruction in disaster and emergency response. Since 1990, Local 798 members have dedicated time to providing engaging, quality hands-on training to residents of San Francisco. The goal is to teach as many San Franciscans as possible some basic emergency skills that can make a difference in the lives of their families and others when they are affected by a disaster. Since its inception, the NERT program has trained more than 30,750 residents to be self-reliant in a major disaster.
TRAINING AND DEPLOYMENT For the second year in a row, NERT volunteers continued to have a major impact on the response to COVID-19 in our city. Trained NERTs had a steady presence at vaccination and testing sites and at the Food Bank distribution sites. While training new volunteers was again delayed due to the COVID-19 restrictions, recertification of current NERT members increased, resulting in 455 people renewing their skills and commitment. Our skilled volunteers assisted us in presenting two virtual citywide drills to maintain trained residents’ engagement and readiness. We are now back in person for 2022.
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THE FUTURE OF NERT A curriculum has been created to teach NERT to high school students across San Francisco. This educational instruction would empower students to be able to help their family members, especially non-English-speaking relatives, during an emergency. This program will also serve as a great tool to assist the Department in recruiting a diverse group of young people into our respectable profession. A new cadre of Spanish-speaking 798 Bomberos and community members are ready to provide training to our many monolingual Spanish-speaking residents and those who prefer to learn in their first language. The LISTOS training is helping us meet people where they are.
FUND NERT
Throughout the pandemic, the value of training our residents as partners in preparedness and response has been demonstrated repeatedly by multiple City departments, including the DEM, SFDPH, SFPUC, and SFHSA. NERT must be fully and sufficiently funded commensurate to its value as a key partner in the City’s resilience plan to train and equip city residents so they are prepared to meet the demands in the event of an emergency. This is consistent with RESILIENT SF, a City strategy that seeks to tap into our tenacity by laying out our most pressing challenges and demanding that City government partner with the community to make bold and lasting progress.
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SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY Both on and off duty, the members of Local 798 have always cared for the people of San Francisco. That’s why our members continue to commit their own time and resources to give back and support the San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 Toy Program, the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, and dozens of charitable efforts to benefit individuals and families in need throughout the Bay Area.
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SAN FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS CANCER PREVENTION FOUNDATION The San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation (SFFCPF), founded in 2006 by Tony Stefani, is committed to the prevention and early detection of cancer and providing access to cutting-edge care for active and retired members of the SFFD and their families. The goals of the Foundation are based on scientific research, education, cancer screenings, and health navigation. Through this research and advocacy, the SFFCPF aims to improve public health and end the threat of job-related cancer in the firefighting profession. Firefighters are at a significantly greater risk than the general public of developing certain cancers and more than 300 San Francisco Firefighters have died from various types of this disease since the SFFCPF was founded. This volunteer-based nonprofit has grown to become a leading organization for the early detection, treatment, and support of Firefighters with cancer. The Foundation educates Firefighters on cancer risks they face, provides free cancer screenings, and assists families in the first steps post-diagnosis. The SFFCPF has also been directly involved in legislation and advocacy efforts, including implementing Cancer Presumption legislation, overhauling the Toxic Substances Control Act, and banning flame retardant chemicals.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and throughout this time, United Fire Service Women helps raise awareness and funds through t-shirt sales to fight breast cancer. All of the proceeds raised are donated to charity, including the SFFCPF and Bay Area Young Survivors. Approximately 16% of the Department’s Firefighters are women; and of that number, 15% of female Firefighters between ages 40 and 50 years old have been diagnosed with breast cancer, which is six times the national average.
EXPANSION OF HEALTH NAVIGATION SERVICES Since its founding in 2006, the SFFCPF has provided health navigation services to the active and retired members of the SFFD in their battles with cancer. These services include financial assistance with second opinions, genomic testing, and travel assistance when necessary for treatment. In September of 2020, the Foundation announced with great enthusiasm the expansion of the health navigation program to serve Firefighters with cancer outside of San Francisco to several Bay Area Departments. All active and retired members of the fire service in District 4 and 5 of the California Professional Fire Fighters (CPF), extending from Sonoma to San Jose, are eligible for health navigation and financial assistance. The SFFCPF is now working with local coordinators in the participating departments and unions to provide services to our increased caseload. This is a pilot program made possible by generous supporters which the Foundation hopes to expand over time to more of California.
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SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY
IMPROVING ACCESS TO BENEFITS FOR CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS The SFFCPF is working with State Senate Pro-Tem Toni Atkins and the CPF to support Senate Bill 1127, which will benefit Firefighters battling cancer for the first time and, just as importantly, Firefighters with recurring cancer who currently fall through the cracks of the workers compensation system.
2022 IGNITING HOPE GALA After a pandemic-caused postponement, the SFFCPF celebrated the organization’s 15th Anniversary with the 2022 Igniting Hope Gala. This event honored distinguished White Helmet recipients: Jonathan Terdiman, MD, UCSF; Madhulika Varma, MD, UCSF; and Daniel Maloney, MD, Kaiser on March 26, 2022. These medical professionals have gone above and beyond working on behalf of Firefighters battling cancer and deserve this recognition and appreciation from our entire profession.
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SFFCPF FUNDED RESEARCH & COLLABORATIONS IN PROGRESS 2021 PFAS-FREE TURNOUT BIO-MONITORING STUDY WITH STANFORD SFFCPF and Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University have partnered together to study prototype PFAS-free turnouts. Manufacturers are claiming these newly designed and manufactured turnouts are PFAS-free and will evaluate durability and comfortability. However, this study will determine what, if any, other biologically harmful chemicals/metals are used as a replacement for PFAS and how much is absorbed in the human body at specific time points. The study is designed to sample the actual material used in both the current SFFD and PFAS-free turnouts, as well as biologically monitoring SFFD participants for PFAS and metals through blood, urine, and skin tape samples. Although this is a preliminary study, we are hoping to gain enough information to expand the study design or focus on a particular aspect of the new PFAS-free turnouts in order to gain more data for targeted studies. We began sampling in March of 2021 and Stanford will be publishing the results of this study.
INCREASED PROTECTION FOR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS In the immediate aftermath of the 2017 Northern California wildfires, SFFCPF partnered with leading researchers on a series of groundbreaking studies investigating short-term and long-term health impacts of exposure to California wildfire smoke. Post-exposure studies examined Firefighters who battled the 2017 Tubbs fire, the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, CA, and other major wildland-urban-interface conflagrations. The study results were released indicating that immediately post-fire, Firefighters were carrying in their bodies a mixture of chemical toxicants at levels higher than those found in the general U.S. population and on comparable levels to urban Firefighters battling structure fires. The majority of these chemicals are considered to be carcinogens, many of them associated with cardiovascular, reproductive, kidney, and liver dysfunction. Of special concern is the exposure to PFAS, some of which are immune-suppressors that damage the body’s capacity to protect against disease. Wildland Firefighters are exposed to the same toxic chemicals as urban structural Firefighters but are provided with drastically lower levels of personal protective equipment. To address this safety crisis, the SFFCPF is joining health professionals, leading scientists, and Firefighter labor leaders on a CalOSHA Advisory Committee. This group will begin meeting in the summer of 2022 and will make recommendations for new standards to protect these Firefighters.
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SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY
SAN FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS TOY PROGRAM A LONG HISTORY OF HELPING FAMILIES IN NEED Founded in 1949 by a handful of Firefighters, the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has evolved into the City's largest and the nation's oldest year-round toy program of its kind. Driven by active and retired Local 798 Firefighters, Toy Program volunteers, and businesses that donate their time and resources, each year the Toy Program distributes over 200,000 toys to disadvantaged Bay Area children. In addition to helping individual families in need, the Toy Program serves many community organizations, including shelters for abused women and children, inner-city schools, children’s cancer wards, and pediatric units. The Toy Program also responds on a year-round basis to displaced families who become victims of fires, floods, and other life-changing disasters.
CHILDREN’S TOY AND BOOK FESTIVAL In December, the Toy Program was happy to partner with the San Francisco Department of Child Support Services and Mayor London Breed to welcome back local school kids to the Children’s Toy and Book Festival. Due to the pandemic, this annual event had to be cancelled, but fortunately this past year we were able to welcome over 1,200 local children to City Hall where they received a new, unwrapped toy, a book, and a photo with San Francisco Firefighters and Santa Claus.
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ETHNIC DOLL DRIVE The Toy Program believes that every child should have a doll that is reflective of their culture, values, and that inspires them to believe in themselves. In 2012, the Toy Program started a major campaign to ensure that dolls given to the community are reflective of the diverse population that the Firefighters serve throughout the city. The Toy Program purchases doll clothing that represents occupations such as firefighters, police officers, doctors, and astronauts to inspire children to reach their highest potential. The Toy Program strives to ensure that everyone is included and represented in the toys and books that are available for distribution.
ANNUAL BICYCLE GIVEAWAY Each year, the Toy Program holds a letter-writing contest and receives several hundred heartfelt letters and hand-drawn pictures from local children. The letters explain to Local 798 Firefighters why they should “Make Their Day.” In November, approximately 100 San Francisco families attended a Winter Wonderland celebration featuring Santa Claus, a delicious lunch, and the distribution of hundreds of bicycles to local children.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Toy Program would not be possible without our incredibly generous sponsors and donors, including the San Francisco Bar Pilots Association, the St. Francis Yacht Club, Kings of Cali Motorcycle Club, San Francisco Laborers International Union Local 261, the Italian Community Services Auxiliary, SC Johnson, Puzzle HR, Frisco’s Finest Car Club, the Academy of Art University, and Caffé Trieste, just to name some of our incredible supporters. Local 798 also thanks all of the amazing staff, volunteers, and active and retired members who dedicate countless hours and continue to make the Toy Program a resounding success, including SF Firefighters Toy Chairperson Sally Casazza, Special Events Coordinator Jill Peeler, and Local 798 Vice President Danny Gracia.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
SAN FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS International Association of Fire Fighters Local 798
Executive Board Shon Buford Danny Gracia
VICE PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT
Sam Gebler
DIRECTOR
Floyd Rollins II
SECRETARY
Stephen Giacalone
DIRECTOR
Adrienne Sims
TREASURER
Huck Ramsay
DIRECTOR
Adam Wood
DIRECTOR
Tim Finch
DIRECTOR
DEDICATION
In loving memory of Firefighter Christopher George Yock December 27, 1963 – June 8, 2021
The San Francisco Fire Department and San Francisco Firefighters, IAFF Local 798 mourn the loss of Firefighter Christopher Yock, who tragically suffered a medical emergency and subsequently died in the Line of Duty after fighting a large fire at a San Francisco International Airport parking structure on June 8, 2021. Brother Yock joined the department in April of 2000 and was a valued member of the SFFD for over 20 years. He spent most of his career at Station 10 in the Richmond District and transferred to Truck 48 as a dedicated member at the San Francisco International Airport in January of 2019. His love for "The City" was a constant throughout his life, from his immense knowledge of the best local eateries to ultimately becoming a public servant as a Firefighter for the SFFD. He was a beloved firehouse chef who prepared amazing meals with infectious happiness and had a passion for traveling, cooking, photography, and music, but his greatest happiness and source of pride was his son, Cayden Yock. A Vigil Service and Memorial Mass were held in celebration of Christopher’s life at St. Ignatius Church. He is survived by his siblings, Jeffery Yock and Jennifer Yock-Lanthier, his son, Cayden Yock (Nancy Galvin), his brother-in-law, Sean Lanthier, and his nephew and nieces, Danielle Gracia, Alyssa Sozio, Adam Lanthier, and Ashley Yock. May He Rest In Peace.
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John Avalos
