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Committee backs $2.0-$2.4M supplemental to hire ambulance personnel; BLA recommends smaller addition
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee recommended forwarding ordinances to appropriate general-reserve funds and add new Fire Department paramedic positions to address ambulance staffing shortages; BLA recommended a smaller package than the department requested, and supervisors debated the size and timing of the increase.
The Budget and Finance Committee voted Dec. 8 to forward ordinances appropriating general-reserve funds and amending the salary ordinance to support increased ambulance staffing in the San Francisco Fire Department.
Chief Janine Nicholson described a strained 911-ambulance system, higher call volumes and difficulty filling shifts despite overtime and per-diem use. The department requested approximately $2.4 million and authority to hire 50 positions (13.68 FTE counted for the current fiscal year) to expand ambulance/paramedic capacity.
The Budget and Legislative Analyst recommended a more modest plan to add approximately 36 positions (11.34 FTE in the current fiscal year) and to reduce the appropriation to about $2.0 million; the BLA said that level still materially improves capacity and aligns with controller staffing studies and the city's operating model. Several supervisors supported the departments larger ask to reach higher response-rate goals; others said the BLA number better reflected the budget and controllable improvements.
The committee forwarded both the appropriation and the salary-ordinance amendment to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
What happens next: The items move to the full Board for final action. The department and controller will continue to work on a longer-term staffing plan and pipeline for training and recruitment.
