Board reallocates $4 million to cover Fire Department overtime, supervisors press for staffing strategy

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an ordinance (Item 13) that deappropriates approximately $4,000,000 from permanent salaries and fringe benefits and reappropriates the funds to cover projected overtime in the Fire Department. The measure passed by unanimous roll call.

Several supervisors used the debate to press for a longer‑term strategy to reduce the department's overtime burden. Supervisor David Campos said the board's recent ordinance requiring departments to return to the board before spending significant amounts for overtime enabled the public and the board to see the growing expense and called for a comprehensive strategy to address chronic overtime. "I'm a strong supporter of our firefighters and I don't think that it is fair to firefighters in the city to require that they work so many hours," Campos said.

Supervisor Mark Farrell, a co‑sponsor of earlier budget‑process reforms, said the department has "historically low levels of firefighters" and noted the prevalence of mandatory overtime. Farrell urged the board to consider resources during the upcoming budget season to increase academy classes for the fire department as had been done for police staffing.

Supervisor London Breed, citing her time on the Fire Commission, urged a strategic plan and more aggressive recruitment of academy classes. Breed noted that over a 10‑year period the department ran no academy classes and that retirements had recently thinned the ranks (she cited a previous year in which more than 80 personnel retired). Breed said there are more than 4,000 qualified candidates on lists and argued the board should use appropriated funds and other revenues to fund an academy class sooner.

The ordinance was presented on the consent/regular agenda as a budget reappropriation to cover overtime costs; the recorded roll call showed 11 ayes and the clerk announced "ordinances passed in the first read." Supervisors said they expect follow‑up reporting and additional proposals during budget deliberations to address underlying staffing deficiencies.

Why it matters: The vote funds immediate overtime obligations while supervisors pressed for structural solutions — adding academy classes, reviewing staffing levels and exploring long‑term changes to reduce mandatory overtime and protect firefighter safety and labor conditions.

Key figures quoted - Supervisor David Campos: "I do hope that at some point there is a comprehensive strategy for dealing with overtime... I want to thank the budget committee for the changes to this proposal and for bringing out those issues. But again, there has to be action taken by the fire department here." - Supervisor Mark Farrell: "We don't we have historically low levels of firefighters in our department... it's mandatory overtime... us as a body as we go into our budget season, I hope that that's something we're willing to support."

Provenance: Item 13 (ordinance reappropriating approximately $4,000,000 for Fire Department overtime) and the recorded roll call and debate appear in the Board transcript and were voted on during the meeting.