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Fire Commission approves hiring brochure and amended minimums for chief search
Summary
The commission approved a Department of Human Resources recruitment brochure and schedule for the next San Francisco Fire chief, amending proposed minimum qualifications to include anyone appointed as a battalion chief or higher so the internal candidate pool is not unduly restricted. Interviews were moved to early January.
The San Francisco Fire Commission on Nov. 14 approved a recruitment plan and brochure from the Department of Human Resources (DHR) that lays out the timeline and supplemental‑questionnaire process to find a replacement for Chief Joanne Hayes White, who announced her retirement.
DHR Director Dorothy Callahan said the city charter requires that the commission submit at least three qualified applicants to the mayor. Callahan and Scott DeWolfe (DHR) described a plan to post a brochure and a supplemental questionnaire online for roughly a three‑week filing period, screen applicants for minimum qualifications, sort qualified applicants into categories (“good, better, best”) and present binders to commissioners prior to a closed‑session meeting to select interviewees.
Callahan said the department recommended the Management Test Battery (MTB) be used informationally to provide the commission with a consistent measure of supervisory and managerial skills; the MTB would be provided to commissioners as context, not as a disqualifier.
Commissioners engaged in extended questioning over the draft’s minimum qualifications, which initially proposed 10 years as a uniformed member at the sworn rank of captain or higher (with a substitution to 8 years for degree holders). Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese and others warned that, because captain promotional lists have historically been administered infrequently, a strict 10‑year captain threshold could limit the internal pool substantially. Callahan reported a quick count showing 10 captains currently meet the 10‑year threshold and agreed to provide a fuller run of data for captains and higher ranks.
After debate, commissioners amended the brochure language to clarify alternative ways to qualify: the minimum remains 10 years as a captain or higher, but the commission will also consider anyone who has been appointed a battalion chief or higher in the San Francisco Fire Department. Callahan said that addition will broaden the internal pool while preserving experience expectations.
The commission also agreed to schedule a public input meeting on Nov. 28 (before the application deadline) to hear rank‑and‑file perspectives and invited department members to provide comments before finalizing supplemental questions. The closed‑session work to review candidate binders was scheduled at the Department of Human Resources and interview dates were adjusted to a Jan. 4 special meeting and Jan. 8 for follow‑up interviews.
Commissioner Hardiman praised the brochure’s clarity; Commissioner Covington asked that EMS oversight and medical leadership responsibilities be emphasized in the ideal candidate language given the high medical share of calls. DHR agreed to insert a clearer reference to EMS oversight among desirable qualifications.
The commission voted unanimously to approve the hiring plan and brochure as amended and delegated to President Ken Cleveland authority to finalize the supplemental questionnaire and schedule.
