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Fire Department reports rising call volumes, active wildfire deployments and staffing plans
Summary
Deputy Chief Brian Rubinstein and Chief Janine Nicholson reported wildfire deployments to state incidents, ongoing community-paramedicine work, recruit classes to boost staffing, and higher holiday call volumes; airport and Fleet Week planning were also updated.
San Francisco fire leaders used the July 14 commission meeting to summarize recent operations, mutual‑aid deployments and staffing measures ahead of a busy fire season.
Chief Janine Nicholson said the department deployed personnel and state-provided type‑6 engines to multiple incidents, rotating crews after roughly two-week deployments: "We have answered the call," she said, and noted one member was serving on an incident management team.
Nicholson described training and hiring plans: the department started an H3 level‑1 EMT class of 22 members and plans an H2 class of roughly 40 students in early August to increase ambulance staffing. She also told commissioners the department recorded many retirements over the past fiscal year and that continued hiring is a priority.
Deputy Chief Brian Rubinstein reviewed June operations, highlighting two significant structure fires (Market Street and Leavenworth). On Leavenworth he described multiple rescues of elderly and disabled occupants and said there were many displacements but no fatalities. He also said community paramedicine work is expanding and credited that work with improving local outcomes.
Rubinstein provided call-volume context: he reported roughly 360 daily calls in 2020 versus 376 in 2021 and noted holiday spikes around July 4. The department also said it is monitoring a modest upward trend in response times since 2019 and is coordinating with MTA to investigate causes.
Assistant Deputy Chief David Brown reported airport volumes rising (peaks as high as 46,000 and average about 40,000 through security screening) and anticipated returning to pre-pandemic passenger counts by August; Fleet Week planning for early October is moving forward with ship visits and Blue Angels flight demonstrations.
Next steps: the commission asked staff to return with more granular metrics on response-time components, staffing implications for deployments, and any budget requests to sustain inspection or operational needs.
