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Fire commission lauds budget wins; city funding restores Battalion 5 and boosts youth training as EMS response improves
Summary
San Francisco Fire Department leaders told the Fire Commission the department avoided deletions in this year’s budget, won an add‑back to restore Battalion 5 (half‑year funding) and received $125,000 for a youth firefighter academy; staff also reported EMS 90th‑percentile response times under 10 minutes.
Mark Corso, Planning and Finance director, told the Fire Commission that after negotiations with the Board’s budget analyst the department secured an overall budget that preserves fleet and program funding and avoids position deletions. "The agreement, ended up the end result was approximately a $590,000 reduction in the first year," Corso said, noting the cut is chiefly attrition and fringe savings and can be absorbed without halting projects.
The department won add‑backs during the Board’s internal negotiations that will restore Battalion 5 staffing effective in January. Corso said the original request for the full fiscal year was "a little over $900,000" and "we were approved essentially half of that for the first year, dollars 450,000." Commissioners praised the result but stressed it is not final until the full Board approves the budget ordinances scheduled for first hearing on July 19 and final actions in the following weeks.
Chief Joanne Hayes White described how the funding will be used operationally and highlighted a $125,000 add‑back for a youth firefighter training program run with the Black Firefighters Association. "It's overseen by the Black Firefighters Association…ages 14 to 18," Chief Hayes White said, describing the academy’s focus on life skills and recruitment pathways.
Deputy Chief Mark Gonzales reported operational improvements that the commissioners linked to recent budget investments. Gonzales said the department’s 90th‑percentile, code‑3 ambulance response time fell below 10 minutes this month to roughly 9.73 minutes, a milestone commissioners called a major operational achievement.
What happens next: the Board of Supervisors will complete its hearings and ordinances in mid‑to‑late July; if the full Board and the mayor sign off the restored positions and project funding will be loaded into the city's budget system and departments may begin implementation.
