Fire commission asks chief to design expanded peer support services; author to streamline resolution

The San Francisco Fire Commission on July 25 asked the fire chief to prepare a planning document laying out a state-of-the-art peer support services program for firefighters and deferred action on a detailed resolution that would rename and expand the department's existing stress unit.

The request followed public testimony and a long discussion among commissioners about the scope, timeline and potential budget impacts of formalizing peer supports. Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese, who authored the measure, framed it as a planning document that would require the chief to report back with recommendations on staffing, training, governance and minimum standards. Veronese said the change would let the department "create a state of the art unit" and urged colleagues to support the effort.

Several speakers urged action before a new budget cycle. Drew Avera, a veteran firefighter and advocate, told commissioners that "stress nowadays is the number 1 health epidemic of our time," and urged the commission to "bless this resolution" as a step to expand help for members who face addiction, PTSD and other long-term effects of emergency work.

Commissioners pressed for changes to the draft resolution. Commissioner Francie Covington and Vice President Steven Acasio warned the measure as written read like a set of mandates that could constrain the chief and have budget implications; they recommended shifting language from "shall include" to "should consider," and focusing the resolution on a single deliverable: a planning report. Acasio summarized his concern by saying he had "questions on every page" and wanted the chief and the department

to retain the latitude to design implementation.

Chief Joanne Hayes White said she supports the stress unit and welcomed the commission's attention. She told commissioners the department already operates a stress unit and that she would assemble a work group, consult other departments, and report back with recommendations. "We have a model program," she said, but also acknowledged the commission's request for a clearer planning deliverable.

Rather than vote tonight, commissioners agreed to a next step: Veronese will streamline the draft to make it a shorter planning resolution (moving definitions into the preamble and changing some "include" language to "consider") and return it for formal consideration at a later meeting. President Ken Cleveland confirmed the commission expects a cleaned-up proposal to appear on a future agenda; no formal vote on the substantive changes occurred on July 25.

The commission heard testimony from line personnel and union representatives during the discussion and emphasized oversight and confidentiality concerns, training and how any expanded program would interact with existing city employee assistance programs and workers—ompensation processes. Chief Hayes White said she would consult subject-matter experts and the department's existing stress-unit members as part of the planning work.

The commission did not adopt the resolution at this meeting. The author committed to submitting a shortened, clearer planning document for the commission's consideration at a subsequent meeting.