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SFFD unveils draft Racial Equity Action Plan; commission praises work, asks for metrics and funding plan
Summary
Captain Bryce Peoples presented the San Francisco Fire Department's draft Racial Equity Action Plan, developed by a 25-member committee to comply with city ordinance CO 188-19; commissioners praised the draft, asked about scoring metrics, staffing and funding, and were told the department aims to finalize the plan for submission by Dec. 31.
Captain Bryce Peoples, the Fire Department's newly appointed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer, presented the department's draft Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP) during Item 6 of the Dec. 9 meeting and described the work of a 25-member Racial Equity Advisory Committee.
Peoples said the plan is being drafted to comply with city ordinance CO 188-19 and the Office of Racial Equity's citywide framework, and that it is intended as a three-year blueprint covering seven sections: hiring and recruitment; retention and promotion; discipline and separation; leadership; mobility and professional development; organizational culture of inclusion; and boards and commissions. He said the department launched a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office on Oct. 1, 2020, and is proposing staffing and programs to implement the REAP.
Commissioners praised the presentation as "knock your socks off" and asked detailed questions about how the department will measure progress, how hiring and testing practices will be evaluated and secured, what nontraditional recruitment partners will be engaged, and where funding for new staff will come from. Captain Peoples said scoring and implementation details are still under development; Chief Janine Nicholson said budget instructions are pending and funding sources could include the general fund, grants and private partnerships, but that the general fund will likely bear a substantial share.
Committee members and public commenters involved in drafting the REAP said the document is intended to be a living plan and emphasized transparency and candidate development. Commissioners requested follow-up reporting on scoring metrics and implementation staffing as the budget process proceeds.
The commission did not take a vote on the REAP draft at this meeting; the department plans to finalize and submit the REAP to the Office of Racial Equity after internal revisions and to publish it on the department website once approved by the administration and stakeholders.
