Los Bomberos presents bilingual outreach and recruitment program to Fire Commission

Lieutenant Robert Lopez addressed the commission on behalf of Los Bomberos, a long-standing San Francisco Fire Department employee group that focuses on recruitment, promotion and retention for Latino/Hispanic members.

Lopez described the group's three core goals — recruitment, promotion, retention — and outlined community-facing programs: a Mission High School introduction to fire science, bilingual first-aid and preparedness training, and the 'listos' class adapted for online delivery during the pandemic. He said the remote class recently drew about 50 participants and that the group continues to support multilingual outreach and translation services.

Lopez also described Los Bomberos’ volunteer work overseas: the group ships decommissioned but serviceable turnout gear and equipment to firefighters in Nicaragua and other countries. Chief Articeros and Chief Nicholson praised the group's work and the department’s partnerships that helped transition training online.

Commissioners commended the group’s role in diversifying recruitment pipelines and in offering role models for young people considering public-safety careers. Commissioners asked follow-ups about program continuity during COVID and about how the department supports these outreach efforts; Los Bomberos said online classes have expanded reach while in-person activities remain limited by public-health restrictions.