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SFFD praises multi-agency response after Fleet Week boat overturns with 30 aboard
Summary
San Francisco Fire Department officials told the Fire Commission that a Fleet Week boat overturned with 30 people aboard (27 adults, three children) and emergency teams from SFFD, SFPD Marine 10, US Coast Guard and nearby fire departments executed a large rescue, with emergency crews and civilians assisting.
Assistant Deputy Chief Shane Francisco told the San Francisco Fire Commission on Oct. 12 that Fleet Week operations included extensive training with military partners and a rapid multi-agency response to a water rescue.
"We had a boat overturned with 30 people inside," Francisco said, describing the incident as a red-alert response that involved about 11 ambulances and unified on-scene command. He credited Assistant Chief Bob Postel for commanding the incident and named rescue captain Andy Thomas as the medical group supervisor and paramedic Sebastian Moreau as treatment officer.
Francisco said the boat carried 27 adults and three children and that responders — including SFPD Marine 10, the U.S. Coast Guard, South San Francisco and Oakland fire departments, and civilian boaters — worked together to move people to safety. He described one child who received CPR on scene and was later reported alert when brought to the dock.
Jeff Myers, EMS chief, briefed commissioners on when the department uses its mass-casualty bus, saying it is intended for large numbers of non-ambulatory or mixed-severity patients or to provide surge capacity to hospitals. Myers said deploying the bus typically takes 20–25 minutes and that municipal bus drivers currently operate the vehicle while SFFD plans cross-staffing with on-duty personnel.
Commissioners praised the coordination. Vice President Ken Cleveland said the department's Fleet Week work — cross-training with the Marines and Navy and interoperability exercises — is a model for other cities. Commissioner Nakaju and others commended the visuals and the department's planning.
Francisco also reviewed Fleet Week trainings that preceded the incident: urban search-and-rescue exercises at Treasure Island with about 50 Marines and 22 sailors, maritime firefighting training aboard an amphibious ship, canine demonstrations, and a humanitarian-assistance village at Marina Green. He said the interagency drills improve preparedness for large-scale disasters.
The commission did not take formal action on the incident; the briefing closed with commissioners thanking department personnel for their response and planning work. The department said it will continue to build on Fleet Week's exercises in coming years.
