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New homeland security role outlined; commissioners press for drone policy and legal review
Summary
Assistant Deputy Chief Michael Cochran outlined homeland security duties including disaster planning, grants and a mobile command upgrade; commissioners discussed a draft drone policy that needs City Attorney and COIT review, and Cochran said he had been told flying drones over fires without a flight plan is illegal.
Assistant Deputy Chief Michael Cochran presented an overview of the San Francisco Fire Department’s homeland security responsibilities to the Fire Commission on April 25, describing disaster planning, special operations, regional coordination through the Urban Area Security Initiative and grant work to upgrade the department’s mobile command capability.
The discussion shifted to an in-depth question-and-answer about a departmental drone policy. Cochran said four city agencies — the Public Utilities Commission, Recreation & Park, Port, and Fire — are part of a COIT pilot and that the department has a draft policy that still requires review by the City Attorney and COIT before deployment. "I've been told it's illegal to fly that over our fires," Cochran said, explaining the department must have a flight plan and legal clearance before using drones at incidents.
Commissioners raised operational concerns that remain to be resolved in the policy draft: allowing night operations, mounting lights to identify drones, and ensuring interoperability with other city emergency plans. Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese said he has redlined a draft and expected to circulate it to the City Attorney and COIT for formal review before the commission votes.
Why it matters: Drones can provide 'eyes in the sky' for search and response, but commissioners emphasized safety and legal compliance before deployment. Cochran said certain large-scale incidents would still rely on helicopters through existing interagency agreements, while small-scale or daylight operations could be piloted earlier if legal review permits.
Next steps: The department and commissioners will finalize policy revisions, seek City Attorney and COIT review, and return to the commission for possible approval. No action was taken at the April 25 meeting.
