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San Francisco Fire Department reports Omicron-driven staffing strain, accelerates paramedic training
Summary
At its Jan. 12 meeting the San Francisco Fire Commission heard that Omicron has sidelined roughly "just over 100" members and produced days with more than 400 911 calls; the department said it is expanding booster clinics, running multiple EMS academies and offering a "bump-up" program to elevate EMTs with paramedic licenses.
The San Francisco Fire Department told the Fire Commission on Jan. 12 that the Omicron wave has strained staffing and driven an uptick in emergency calls.
Chief Janine Nicholson said the department currently has "what looks to be just over 100 members out with COVID right now," down from a recent high of about 140 to 150, and that the department has relied on mandatory overtime to cover shifts. "Typically, we'll see about 330, 340, maybe 350 calls a day," she said, "we've been seeing over 400 on, 3 separate days, within the past week." The department asked residents to "please avoid calling 911 unless you really have a life threatening emergency."
To cope, the department is expanding training and recruitment. Nicholson…
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