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Committee OKs referral of resolution allowing city leaders to solicit private donations for fire apparatus
Summary
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee voted to forward a resolution that would let specified city officials solicit private donations to help the Fire Department procure apparatus, with a six‑month solicitation window and a request for limited sole‑source contracting authority also discussed.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 15 voted to forward to the full board a resolution that would authorize the mayor and several named city officials to solicit private donations to support procurement of fire apparatus.
The resolution, sponsored in committee by Supervisor Connie Chan, would allow the mayor, the mayor’s chief of staff, the chief and assistant chief of public safety, a policy advisor, and the fire chief to solicit donations for up to six months from the resolution’s effective date. The item was presented to the committee as a committee report to be referred to the Board of Supervisors for consideration on May 20, 2025.
Supervisor Chan said San Francisco has aging fire trucks — some dating to the 1970s — and that lengthy national manufacturing lead times can delay purchases “more than 1,000 days, so more than three years” according to the Fire Department. She and Chief Dean Crispin said the intent is to supplement ordinary budget requests and to allow the city to tailor apparatus to San Francisco’s terrain and building stock. Chief Crispin told supervisors that during a major disaster the city could receive hundreds or thousands of mutual‑aid personnel and that inadequate functional apparatus could compromise response.
Committee members spoke in support. Vice Chair Sauter said he had toured District 3 fire stations and seen aging vehicles; Supervisor Sherrill and others also expressed support. There was no public comment on the item.
The chair moved to forward the resolution to the full Board of Supervisors as a committee report with a positive recommendation; the clerk recorded three ayes and the motion passed.
Next steps: the item was referred to the Board of Supervisors with a committee report for consideration at the May 20, 2025 board meeting. The resolution text before the committee also referenced possible limited sole‑source contracting authority and a temporary exception to the behested payments ordinance to permit solicitations by the named officials for the stated period.
