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Airport division details SFO risks, drills and equipment needs as travel falls
Summary
Assistant Chief Mark Johnson briefed the commission on SFO operations, explaining ARFF specialization, staffing and hazards (fuel farms, baggage tunnels, cargo lithium-battery risks), described large-scale drills and mutual-aid partnerships, and said some capital items were deferred because of COVID-related budget effects.
Assistant Chief Mark Johnson presented a detailed overview of the Airport Division on July 22, telling commissioners that airport firefighting is a highly specialized mission with distinct staffing and equipment needs. "We basically run with 27 people every day, out of 3 stations," Johnson said, adding that the airport must remain operational to meet FAA index requirements even as passenger traffic has fallen.
Johnson outlined the airport27s scale and economic role: SFO supports on-campus employment and regional visitor spending that together account for substantial local economic activity. He emphasized unique airport hazards including extensive below-terminal tunnel systems, multiple fuel farms (one with roughly 7,000,000 gallons of jet fuel on airport property) and cargo operations. He said a recent cargo fire involving lithium batteries required foam and an environmental cleanup with a bill approaching $200,000, prompting a review of firefighting tactics for such materials.
Johnson described ongoing training and preparedness work: the division runs FAA-required full-scale drills (minimum 100 victims and hundreds of participants) and has expanded annual exercises and mutual-aid coordination with Coast Guard and Bay-Area HAZMAT teams. He said the airport funds many capital requests (including ARFF rigs) through airline contributions; COVID reduced some discretionary purchases but the airport prioritized sustaining operational readiness. "We don't really have the luxury of slacking off," Johnson said.
Commissioners asked about medic call volumes, marine-unit ramp constraints and procurement processes; Johnson said medic units handle roughly 10–15 calls and that capital approvals typically pass through airport management and airline review panels. He invited commissioners to tour Airport Division facilities and said three new ARFF rigs are arriving soon.
The presentation did not trigger a formal vote; commissioners welcomed the briefing and requested follow-up tours and occasional operational briefings.
