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San Francisco fire chief backs budget plan, touts diversity push and ambulance pilot
Summary
San Francisco Fire Department told the Budget & Finance Committee it agrees with the analyst's recommendations, outlined planned hiring to replace retirees, new recruitment work to diversify the force and a pilot to test smaller ambulances intended to improve maneuverability and lower costs in dense neighborhoods.
The San Francisco Fire Department presented its proposed fiscal-year budget and staffing plan to the Board of Supervisors' Budget & Finance Committee and said it concurs with the Budget Analyst's recommendations.
Chief Joanne Hayes White told the committee the department expects to hire to backfill retirements and to use a mix of general fund and grant-funded positions to train and academy new firefighters. She said the department is increasing staffing to run ‘‘a hiring plan for which we are increasing staffing levels to backfill a number of retirements over the next few years.’’
Why it matters: Supervisors pressed for detail about which positions are grant-funded and which will become ongoing city-funded posts. The department said roughly 29 base FTEs in the coming year are intended to be career firefighters while another set of positions is funded through short-term federal grants such as SAFER; those grant-funded slots will expire on the grant schedule and could be absorbed later to replace retirees.
The chief also highlighted recruitment and retention work aimed at expanding representation inside the ranks. ‘‘We were recognized by the Department of Labor as one of the most diverse departments in the country,’’ she said, noting the department has 16 percent women in uniform and recently added a recruitment coordinator to do outreach in underrepresented communities.
The department outlined youth and pipeline programs it supports, including a $150,000 contract awarded to the Black Firefighters Association to operate a youth fire academy and partnerships with the Unified School District for K–12 fire-safety and CPR instruction.
Ambulance pilot: The department described a Vision Zero-aligned plan to trial two smaller-profile ambulances that officials say would be easier to maneuver in San Francisco streets, reduce accidents and cost less per unit. Chief Hayes White said initial demo units will be provided on loan by manufacturers and that the department has not yet included full rollout costs in the FY18–19 budget. Committee members asked that any future purchases comply with city rules about zero-emission vehicles and requested a fuller cost and procurement plan.
Outlook: The committee accepted the Budget Analyst's recommendations tentatively; supervisors asked the department to return with clearer lists of donor-restricted funds and with details about which grant-funded positions could convert into permanent posts before final passage.
