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SFFD chief reports on academies, fleet funding and $500,000 commitment for cancer screening
Summary
Chief Dean Crispin told the Fire Commission the department is recruiting for fall academies, received limited civilian FTE reductions, and has budgeted funds for fleet and facilities; the city committed $500,000 toward firefighter cancer screening.
Chief of Department Dean Crispin delivered a departmental report June 25 covering recruitment, training academies, budget highlights, facility and fleet funding, and a planned public-private partnership for a new fire station.
Crispin told the San Francisco Fire Commission the department has been conducting interviews for upcoming H3 level 1 and 2 academies scheduled for late summer and expects to offer 30–35 conditional letters after completing background and medical steps. He said the department has conducted roughly 71–74 candidate interviews and is “about halfway through” the screening process.
On budgeting, Crispin said the mayor’s budget was submitted by July 1 and the department avoided losing uniform positions but did experience a reduction of six civilian FTEs, mainly in warehouse and facility-support roles. The department received $3,000,000 for fleet and an increase to $4,100,000 for facilities maintenance; Crispin noted those sums “don’t go too far” but will be used to purchase apparatus and address aging roofs, HVAC systems and other facility needs.
Crispin described a proposed public-private partnership with Related California tied to legislation introduced by the mayor to advance development of a 41-story tower that would include a new Fire Station 13 at 447 Battery Street; he said the project remains subject to regulatory and historic-preservation review. He also reported that the Emergency Operations Center was staffed during large demonstrations and that the department’s only incident during a June protest was a vehicle crash with two pedestrians treated and one person arrested.
On firefighter health, Crispin and retired Captain Tony Stefani noted a city commitment of $500,000 to support cancer screening for active and retired firefighters. Crispin said the city’s allocation is a first-time commitment and will be supplemented by a committee of department, union and foundation representatives to raise additional funds and design a screening program that uses an expensive scan intended for early detection. Stefani said the department’s existing relationship with UCSF is important for specialist care, and he flagged ongoing contract negotiations between Blue Shield and the UC system as a potential concern for retired members’ access to UCSF services.
Crispin also reported training updates: a first-ever driver academy for newly promoted drivers; a rapid intervention crew (RIC) training that included paramedics; and continued coordination with other agencies on large-venue and maritime incident exercises. He summarized that classes for H2 ranks are funded through 2027, and that the department aims to put acquired apparatus into service within two years.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the public-private partnership timeline, the outreach videos produced with SF GovTV, and how the department will advertise recruitment material. Crispin said recruitment videos are planned for Instagram and the department website and that more detail will be shared at future meetings.
No formal commission vote was taken on the items in the chief’s report; the presentation was provided for commission oversight and discussion.
