Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Department Report topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SFFD chief details PFAS-turnout funding gap, PG&E substation response and station-bond plans
Summary
Chief Dean Crispin told the commission the department received a $2,557,000 FEMA grant for PFAS-free turnout coats and pants but still needs roughly $7 million more to meet the June 30, 2026 compliance deadline; he also reviewed the Dec. 22 PG&E substation fire that doubled call volume to about 800 that shift and noted a proposed bond to rebuild critical stations.
Chief Dean Crispin used his Jan. 14 report to outline department accomplishments, ongoing operational pressures and key funding gaps.
"We received a grant from FEMA for $2,557,000," Crispin told the commission, and said the grant purchased 1,100 coats and 580 pants distributed to recruits and field personnel. He said the department needs roughly $2,000,000 more to provide one complete set of PFAS-free gear to every member and about $5,000,000 more to provide two complete sets, which the department views as important ahead of a June 30, 2026 compliance deadline tied to state legislation.
Crispin reviewed the department's response to the Dec. 22 PG&E substation fire at 8th & Mission, which sparked a major power outage and required an Emergency Operations Center activation. The department normally responds to roughly 400 calls in an operational period; that day they handled about 800 calls and three working fires. Crispin credited division commanders and mutual-aid partners for managing a complex response and described adaptations—such as sending single engines to some building alarms—to keep resources available for higher‑priority incidents.
He also outlined capital needs: the capital planning committee recommended moving forward a bond proposal (the "Easer" bond) to be voted on in June 2026 that would allocate approximately $100 million to rebuild several compromised stations and about $10 million for repairs. Stations named as priorities included Station 2, Station 40 and Station 8; the committee also approved reallocating $50 million from an earlier bond toward rebuilding Station 7 (19th & Folsom).
Crispin closed by emphasizing staffing, civilian IT capacity and aging apparatus as top budget priorities for 2026 and invited commissioner questions about victim services, coordination with Red Cross and HSA, and how to source additional funding.
