San Francisco fire commissioners press department to track autonomous vehicle incidents that interfere with responses
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Summary
Commissioners asked the San Francisco Fire Department to gather incident reports and data after accounts that self-driving vehicles impeded emergency scenes; the chief said staff will compile unusual-occurrence reports and is coordinating with state regulators and AV companies.
Commissioners at the San Francisco Fire Commission's June 14 meeting asked the department to collect and report incidents where autonomous vehicles (AVs) obstructed fire or EMS responses, citing a recent shooting scene where a vehicle associated with an AV service reportedly remained in the area.
The request came from Commissioner Catherine Feinstein, who asked the department to gather “how many incidents we have had with the self driving cars, interfering at either a suppression scene or an EMS scene,” and referenced media accounts of an AV at a mass‑shooting scene. Feinstein said the city now hosts roughly 300 AVs and called the pattern "a hazard," urging the commission to consider action if the data shows a safety problem.
Chief of Department Janine Nicholson said the department would compile internal unusual‑occurrence reports whenever members encounter an AV that hinders operations. She told commissioners the department has met with AV operators and is engaged in high‑level conversations with the California Public Utilities Commission and the DMV. Nicholson said those discussions have acknowledged the department's concerns but that the practical effect remains uncertain: "there is some stuff afoot...but they did not cause any delay in our response," she said while adding that dependence on AVs in narrow city streets still feels like "playing a little bit of Russian roulette."
Several commissioners urged a data‑driven approach. Commissioner Paula Collins suggested the department could share findings with national consumer‑advocacy groups and other cities to increase leverage with manufacturers; Commissioner Marcy Frazier and Vice President Armee Morgan echoed the call for systematic incident collection and interagency coordination with SFMTA.
The chief said staff will ask officers to file reports after encounters with AVs, and the department will return to the commission with compiled information. Commissioners did not vote on policy changes at the meeting; they requested a follow‑up report and suggested coordinating with state bodies and regional peers as next steps.
