SF Fire Chief reports 14 department COVID infections, outlines testing, staffing and budget uncertainty

Chief Janine Nicholson told the San Francisco Fire Commission on July 22 that the department has recorded 14 members who tested positive for COVID-19 over the past couple of months and that six remain off work while most others have returned. "We've got 14 overall," Nicholson said, adding that seven were symptomatic with mild-to-moderate illness, seven were asymptomatic, and there have been no hospitalizations.

Deputy Chief Jose Velo and other command staff described the department's notification and contact-tracing protocols. Velo said members who are not working notify their company officer and the doctor's office, and that the department conducts internal contact tracing and recommends testing for personnel who worked with a positive member. "We are notifying them that the doctor's office is giving the right information on what to do," Velo said, describing a 10-day minimum isolation practice and a continuing requirement for a negative test until local guidelines change.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on testing access and return-to-duty criteria. Velo and Chief Fellow explained that the city maintains testing priority for disaster-service workers and that results typically return within 24–48 hours, which aids rapid contact tracing. On return-to-work rules, staff said they are still aligning practice with evolving CDC and local public-health guidance; department practice at the time required a negative test and at least 10 days for asymptomatic cases.

Nicholson also reviewed operational impacts beyond COVID. She told commissioners the department is handling added "inherited" responsibilities (such as slow-streets review and other city requests) without new revenue, and said she has repeatedly pressed the mayor's office to avoid operational harm from budget reductions. Marc Corso of departmental finance said further reductions hinge on labor-negotiation outcomes and that he would brief the commission when the mayor's allocation is posted.

On personnel and wellness, deputy staff detailed peer-support and stress-unit expansions: 39 members applied and 36 were selected for a new peer-support roster, and the department is expanding critical-incident response capacity. Velo reported that antibody testing conducted in partnership with UCSF found fewer than 1% of tested members with antibodies (three of 1,206), and the doctor27s office is working with UCSF to evaluate that finding.

Nicholson closed by urging continued support for staffing and resources as retirements and pandemic pressures create an extraordinary workload. "We have to step up and do more with less," she said.

The commission took no independent action on the report; it scheduled a budget update for the next meeting once the mayor's allocation is available.