Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Line Of Duty Death topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Francisco Fire Commission mourns line-of-duty death of Firefighter Jason Cortez; department outlines response
Summary
At a remote Fire Commission meeting, Chief Janine Nicholson announced the line-of-duty death of Firefighter Jason Cortez and described the department's mourning, planned limited services, and ongoing investigation; commissioners asked for regular sharing of completed arson reports and data on encampment fires.
Chief of Department Janine Nicholson opened the commission's remote meeting by announcing the department had “lost, a brother, a member of our fire department, Jason Cortez,” and said the department is in a period of mourning while it makes arrangements for a small, COVID-era vigil and funeral.
Nicholson said the initial investigation indicates the incident was an accident but that ‘‘there's still more, a little more to be done in terms of, investigatory stuff and follow-up.’’ She asked the commission and the public to keep Cortez’s wife Patty, their sons Jackson and Grayson, and other family members in their thoughts as the department provides support to affected crews and stations.
Commissioners used the report to press for clearer post-incident information. Commissioner Tony Rodriguez and others asked whether completed arson or fire-cause reports could be made routinely available to the commission. Fire Marshal/department staff said completed arson investigation reports are public records and can be requested; they cautioned that active investigations limit what can be released and that the department could provide final public reports in a digestible format upon request.
The department described operational impacts linked to elevated activity during the COVID period, saying it has seen a roughly 60% increase in fires during the pandemic and has begun tracking encampment-related fires in a separate category. Department staff said the arson squad now responds to many encampment incidents to determine cause, which has increased the number of investigations and the workload for that unit. Chief Nicholson said the department is trying to streamline report writing for the arson team so completed findings can be shared more efficiently.
Nicholson and command staff also thanked personnel across stations and mutual-aid partners for their response and logistical support for the Cortez family. The commission adjourned the meeting in honor of Firefighter Paramedic Jason Cortez.
The department did not provide a final investigative determination at the meeting; commissioners requested regular briefings or an easy way to access completed, public investigative reports going forward.
