SFFD warns of tighter budgets; behested-payments waiver could allow private funding for apparatus

Chief of Department Dean Crispin told the San Francisco Fire Commission on April 23 that the department is negotiating with the mayor’s office after new budget instructions flagged a potential multi-year shortfall and that officials are pursuing alternative funding options for apparatus.

The department’s immediate priorities remain staffing, apparatus and facilities, Crispin said. “We are internally discussing where we can become more efficient, and those conversations will continue,” he said. He added that the department has been given “new instructions that show a potential” budget shortfall in the coming two years; the figure cited in the meeting materials and remarks was unclear in the transcript.

Why it matters: apparatus and staffing are central to the department’s ability to respond to fires and medical emergencies across San Francisco. Commissioners asked whether the department could be excluded from the mayor’s requested 15% citywide reduction; Crispin said the mayor’s office has signaled a continued commitment to public safety but negotiations are ongoing.

A new, time-limited legislative waiver that would let city departments solicit private contributions for apparatus — commonly called a behested-payments waiver in the meeting — is moving through the City’s legislative process. Crispin described the proposal as “in the infancy” and said it would allow the department to “directly reach out to a private entity or corporation and request them to contribute to our department in some way.”

Deputy and elected officials emphasized the waiver’s narrow scope. “It says right in the legislation that it is only for apparatus at this point,” Crispin said in answer to a commissioner’s question. Commissioners and staff said they would consult the city attorney and ethics rules before broadening the waiver; Vice President Collins and others noted similar programs exist in other jurisdictions.

Several commissioners framed the waiver as one potential way to reduce capital pressures but urged caution. Commissioner Acasio described the idea as “thinking outside the box” and asked that if the waiver is approved the department produce a clear example — for instance, a privately funded engine — to demonstrate how the program would work. Crispin said the department is not counting on the waiver for its baseline budget negotiations and submitted its regular apparatus request as usual.

Public comment raised a distinct concern about regional resource sharing: Eileen Bogan, with the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, urged the commission to coordinate with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the state attorney general about how State Water Code section 73503 would affect firefighting water allocation if multiple simultaneous conflagrations occurred across the PUC’s service area.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes (04/09/2025): motion to approve passed (vote recorded as aye: 3; no: 0). Motion and second not specified in the transcript. - Vote to conduct agenda item 6 in closed session (San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.10): motion passed (aye: 3; no: 0). Mover/second not specified. - Vote not to disclose closed-session discussion (San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.12A): motion passed (aye: 3; no: 0). Mover/second not specified.

What’s next: Crispin said budget negotiations will continue with the mayor’s office and that staff will explore alternative revenues while protecting safety-critical staffing. Commissioners asked staff to seek legal guidance on the behested-payments waiver and to return with specific examples and limits if the waiver proceeds.