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San Francisco fire chief outlines staffing, training and new projects; flags autonomous vehicle safety questions
Summary
Chief Joanne Hayes White and Deputy Chief Janine Nicholson briefed the Fire Commission on academy recruit classes, promotions, an ambulance‑deployment facility art selection and preparations to monitor the state’s planned autonomous‑vehicle permitting; commissioners asked about artist oversight and funding sources for two new fire‑prevention positions.
Chief Joanne Hayes White told the San Francisco Fire Commission on March 28 that the department is on schedule with budget planning and training after the March 14 meeting, and described a number of near‑term staffing and outreach efforts. "We're right on track of what we had anticipated. There's no major surprises or anything at this point," she said.
The chief said the department welcomed 42 recruits into the 124th class this week and expects 12 additional members from Station 49 after EMT training is completed, producing a total of 54 new trainees for the current academy cycle. She also said the department is preparing to recruit for the 125th class, likely in September, and that deputies and training staff recently attended live‑fire instructor training.
Deputy Chief Janine Nicholson reviewed administrative items including nearly 800 hours of in‑service suppression training for roughly 273 attendees and multiple promotions and acting assignments across ranks. Nicholson said two new captain positions focused on fire prevention — named in the report as Captain Michael Patt and Captain Chad Law — were created with funding provided by developers and the Municipal Transportation Agency, not from the department’s operating budget. "It will be something that we would need to lobby for," she said of continued funding, adding the intent is to sustain the positions while development activity remains high.
The department also described the artist selection process for the new ambulance‑deployment facility. Nicholson said a five‑member panel (two Arts Commission members, two Fire Department representatives and one citizen) narrowed submissions and selected five finalists; the artists will do a site walk in April and present concepts in June or July. Commissioners pressed who has final approval of the design and whether potentially controversial art would be vetted; Nicholson said the final project normally comes to the fire department and that department leadership retains final decision authority while seeking input from staff who will work in the facility.
Hayes White raised a separate operational concern: the state is expected to begin issuing local permits to autonomous‑vehicle operators, and the department has convened a round table to consider extrication, vehicle‑stop and safety protocols. The chief said no local permit applications have been filed yet but that the department and police have many unanswered questions about how autonomous vehicles will behave in emergency contexts and that they will continue to monitor and report back to the commission.
The chief also asked commissioners to adjourn the meeting in memory of retired battalion chief Marc Rochon, who died after a recent cancer diagnosis; his funeral is scheduled at St. Ignatius Church.
The commission did not take formal action on the budget at this meeting; Chief Hayes White said the mayor’s office will need to submit a balanced budget to the Board of Supervisors by June 1 and that department staff will attend upcoming Budget & Finance hearings to present public safety priorities.
