San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD): History and Values

Introduction

I have selected to research the San Francisco Fire Department. In addition to the fact that San Francisco is very close to my home, the SFFD represents to me the ideal big city fire department I hope to work for one day. I am further drawn to this Fire department because of its emphasis on hiring equity as it increases the amount of female participation in its ranks to among the largest of any big-city fire department in the United States. In this research paper, I intend to present complete information on the organization, its rich history, dynamic core values and how these are carried through, the SFFD mission statement, services provided, divisions and departmental breakdown and various other facets of the organization. “Established in 1866, the San Francisco Fire Department is rich in tradition and history. From the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906 to the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989, the Department has grown to meet the many challenges along the way. Today, the San Francisco Fire Department serves an estimated 1.5 million people, providing fire suppression and emergency medical services to the residents, visitors and workers within San Francisco’s 49 square miles.” (About Us | Fire Department)

A Brief History

The SFFD can trace its roots to the fires of 1849, which was the first series of conflagrations to devastate the city. Continuing conflagrations in 1850-51 led to the formation of the 1st volunteer company, made up of Gold Rush pioneers. In 1866, the board of supervisors created a municipal fire department for San Francisco. The 1906 earthquake caused the water mains and cisterns of San Francisco to fail, leaving firefighters to use basic tools to fight the fire with. The Great Fire, which followed the SF earthquake of 1906, also killed the SFFD Chief, Dennis Sullivan, who died when his fire station collapsed. Chief Sullivan wanted to move away from a reliance on steam engines and had the idea to place high-pressure hydrants on street corners in the financial district to use with hose carts which would be driven to local fires. Unfortunately, many of his ideas were only implemented after his death, and are part of the legacy that still exists today. Fire boats and water cisterns were also added after the Great Fire. In 1922, motorized carts replaced horse drawn rigs, and were later replaced by diesel engines. In 1989, the SFFD heroically put out the Marina fire, and rescued many people from collapsed buildings. They also proved their worth in assisting during the catastrophic Oakland Hills fire of 1991, and countless other fires that have taken place since then in California and other states.

Logos and their meaning

Fig. 1. Logo of the SFFD

Fig. 2. 150th Anniversary logo of the SFFD

 Rich in its origins, fig.1. above shows a circle containing the seal of San Francisco which was adopted in 1859 by the Board of Supervisors. The word’s SFFD are displayed together with iconic symbols of San Francisco, a phoenix rising from the ashes, an 1849-era gold miner holding a spade, a sailor holding a sextant that together with the plough and anchor represents commerce and navigation, steamships and the Golden Gate bridge. These emblems are surrounded by two axes and a fire helmet, the ribbon of the SFFD representing firefighters lost in duty, 70 green leaves in a wreath, and the words “Oro en paz, fierro en guerra,” which translated from Spanish means “gold in peace, iron in war.” The motto relates to San Francisco’s origins as a military base and its founding due to the Gold Rush of 1849. “A stranger viewing the seal of the City of San Francisco might ascribe the Phoenix thereon to the tragic fire of 1906.  But the “fire bird” had been chosen over fifty years earlier to commemorate the very birth of the City…. the heart of San Francisco was destroyed by fire six times in a period of eighteen months.  Yet, each time, following the example of its mythical symbol, the City had risen anew from its smoldering ruins.” (San Francisco Fire Department Museum ~ SFFD General History). Even more dramatic is fig.2. above, the 150th anniversary logo, which displays the rising phoenix bird front and center, and prominent San Francisco landmarks like the Transamerica building, Palace of Fine Arts, Coit tower, and the Golden gate bridge. A fire hydrant is figured in the center atop.

Mission Statement

The mission of the San Francisco Fire Department states the organization’s core functions, and its values. “The mission of the Fire Department is to protect the lives and property of the people of San Francisco from fires, natural disasters, and hazardous materials incidents; to save lives by providing emergency medical services; to prevent fires through prevention and education programs; and to provide a work environment that values health, wellness and cultural diversity and is free of harassment and discrimination.” (About SFFD Operations | Fire Department)

Departmental Values

The SFFD departmental values are stated as: “The public’s trust and the opportunity to serve; A work environment that promotes health, wellness and harmony, respect for each person, and is free from harassment, discrimination, and retaliation Leadership committed to the Department’s Mission; A diverse work force that reflects the community it serves; A highly trained professional work force; and Teamwork to effectively achieve the Department’s Mission.” (Department Values Statement | Fire Department)

Fig.3 Organization Chart of the SFFD

The Chief of Department, presently Joanna Hayes-White, heads the SFFD. “San Francisco is the largest urban fire department in the world with a female chief.” (Chief of Department – Joanne Hayes-White | Fire Department). The Deputy Chief of Operations, Mark Gonzales, is second in command after the Chief of Department and has the following emergency responsibilities: “fire suppression, tactical rescue, emergency medical care, fire prevention, arson investigation, response to natural disasters, mass-casualty, and hazardous materials incidents, and fire and EMS dispatch supervision. The Deputy Chief is responsible for supervising all field operations Division Chiefs, Battalion Chiefs, Company Officers, emergency response personnel, and Assistant Deputy Chiefs assigned to manage other operational activities within the Department.” (Deputy Chief of Operations | Fire Department). The Deputy Chief of Administration, Jeanine Nicholson, is tasked with ensuring the correct functioning of the day to day activities involved in running the SFFD, including personnel, training, support services for facilities, equipment, and vehicle fleet. The SFFD has its own ladder manufacturing shop to produce the wooden ladders which SFFD prefers to use because of the large number of electrified overhead wires in use in the city. (Fire Department | Wooden Ladders)

Services

The San Francisco Fire Department provides fire protection services to all residents and visitors in the 49 square miles that make up the city and county of San Francisco. The present population of San Francisco is approximately 884 thousand which together with 750 thousand annual visitors represents fire protection services for just over 1 ½ million people. “Resources consist of 43 Engine companies, 19 Truck companies, a dynamically deployed fleet of Ambulances, 2 Heavy Rescue Squad units, 2 Fireboats, and multiple special purpose units.  Fire Suppression companies are organized into two Divisions (identified as Division 2 and 3), and are further divided into 9 Battalions (identified as Battalion 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10).  The Airport Division is comprised of 3 firefighting companies located at the San Francisco International Airport. The roles and responsibilities of the members of Division 2 and 3 include: Command and control, fire suppression, emergency medical services, disaster operations, mitigation of hazardous materials, weapons of mass destruction, and mass casualty incidents.  Fire prevention responsibilities consist of pre-planning and inspections of buildings, fire protection devices and water supplies.” (About SFFD Operations | Fire Department). Division 2 and 3 are geographic divisions. Division 2 covers downtown San Francisco including the financial district up to the northern part of the city. This includes occupancies as varied as high-rises, businesses, schools, hotels, hospitals, churches, businesses and residential buildings, as well as bridges, tunnels, and ocean beaches. Division 3 covers the areas South of Market up to the southern border of the city and county. This includes SFO airport, Hunter’s Point Naval shipyard as well as Yerba Buena/Treasure island. This division too has the full range of occupancies but also includes industrial occupancies not found in division 2. Also falling under the jurisdiction of division 3 are the major transportation networks (Bart, MUNI) and the airport and ports of the city. Other agencies (e.g., various police agencies, Federal and State Government) are also responsible for many of these areas included in this list so inter-departmental cooperation is a must.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 above shows the approximately equidistant 51 Fire Station locations covering the entire geographic area of the city’s boundaries. In 1997, the Department of Public Health Paramedic Division was incorporated into the SFFD, resulting in the SFFD becoming one of San Francisco’s ambulance providers for EMS care in the city boundaries. SFFD’s fleet of ambulances is currently at a strength of 53 and provides 80% of the ambulance response in San Francisco. The SFFD answers approximately 73,000 EMS calls per year which averages around 200 per day. The marine rescue units are composed of 3 Fire Boats, 6 jet skis, a Safe Board, Rescue Boat, 2 Fireboat Quad-skis and small craft on Fireboats. The Fireboat unit is responsible for water rescue and Fire Suppression in San Francisco Bay. Other specialized units include Pollution, Hazmat, Decontamination, CO2 suppression, Rescue squads, Multi-Casualty, Homeland Security, Port Response and Airport units. The airport unit provides EMS, emergency, and fire suppression services at SFP airport. Most recently, it was involved in the rescue operations that followed the crash of Asiana Airlines flight 214, on July 2013, where only 3 passengers were fatally injured. The SFFD Fire Auxiliary Reserve is the volunteer part of the SFFD, made up of community volunteers trained in the first responder, fire suppressions, emergency, and rescue skills. “Organized in 1941, their primary mission is to provide trained support for the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) at large-scale emergencies, including greater-alarm fires as well as natural and manmade disasters. Our secondary mission is to provide training and experience for San Franciscans interested in a career in the fire service.” (SFFD FIRE AUXILIARY RESERVE). Additionally, the SFFD runs the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team, a training program for the community to instruct individuals in personal preparedness for emergencies and as response teams for their neighborhoods. In addition to medical, fire, and other emergency services, the SFFD is tasked with a variety of routine public services that include: Community services (e.g., Fire department visits, school visits, participation in community events, tours of fire stations) Permits, inspection services and plan checks Services for records and subpoenas (Fire reports, property file research, fulfilling public records requests) Public health/safety services (blood pressure screenings, child seat safety information).

Interesting Facts & Statistics

SF’s Fire Engine 1, situated at 935 Folsom at 5th street, in SoMa, is the busiest engine company, not only in the city of San Francisco, but leading overall in the United States too, with just over 10k calls in 2014. According to theSFNews.com, only 1.5% of calls are fire-related with most calls being medically related, mostly providing services to the homeless. Contrasting with this figure, Fire Station #20 at Laguna Reservoir, 25 Olympia Way, near Mt. Sutro has been recommended to be closed following a 2016 study by arcgis.com, based on the lowest number of fire and non-fire related calls in the city. The study found that the surrounding Fire Stations are capable of picking up all calls presently routed to Station #20. An examination of the 2012 SFFD statistics (most recent year on file in public records) reveals the following interesting statistics: Total Calls 120,536; Fire Calls 28,28; EMS Calls 92,255; EMS Transports 65,485; 2° Alarm Fires 30; 3° Alarm Fires 2; 4° Alarm Fires 4; Cardiac Arrests/Resuscitation 1,706; Shortness of breath/Respiratory 8,224; Allergic Reaction 544; MVA/Auto Ped 4,590; Total employees in SFFD 1,449; Uniformed members 1,392; Civilian Members 57.  BeyondChron.org revealed that in 2004, “approximately 25% of calls for fire suppression are false alarms”.

Entry Level Firefighter Requirements

Applicants are required to be at least 19 years old when applying and age 20 at the time of appointment. The minimum educational level is a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. Possession of a Class A, B, or C driver’s license is also required, and drivers are disqualified for certain serious offenses (for example DUI, reckless driving, hit and run with personal injury), and license suspension, moving violations within certain periods, or driving probation. Applicants must not have been convicted of any felony in the United States or be on probation for any offense up to one year from applying. Misdemeanors can also result in disqualification and are evaluated on an individual basis. A passing score on the FireTeam testing system is required, and this includes physical and mechanical aptitude tests, and math and reading ability tests. Applicants are also required to have Emergency Technical Technician -1 certification issued by the state of California. Success in having or achieving the above requirements will result in the candidate being placed on the SFFD eligibility list for 24 months maximum, from where trainee firefighters are selected. Once selected, candidates have to pass a background investigation, a medical examination and the CPAT Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT).

SFFD 5-year Strategic Plan

The most recent public record relating to strategic planning was the report of the 150th anniversary of the SFFD which revealed certain priorities: No reductions are proposed in any of the SFFD’s initiatives, equipment or in employment. Additional funding for the youth firefighter training is recommended, as well as increased collaboration with the Black Firefighters Association, to increase recruitment from these 2 sources. Additional positions funded by the Bureau of Fire Prevention (which is a federal office) The study also looked at female firefighter employment noting that SFFD had a 14% of female firefighters, as compared to New York which only had 1%. 6% was the national average. The study recommended strategic recruitment, and a culture change in the SFFD so as to increase female recruitment. Another interesting finding was the plan to purchase a dive boat to increase water response and protection of SF bay and the port area. The 5-year Strategic Plan considered the population increase due to the tech boom, with structure density increasing while the geography of San Francisco remains fixed. They also noted that fire calls were dropping while medical calls were increasing. Despite this, the SFFD promised a strong response to any fire due to the dense construction of buildings and difficulty of navigating city streets during an incident. Structure fires were decreasing due to the SFFD positive response and public outreach. A new training school and land acquisition was part of the 5-year plan, because the Treasure island training facility was scheduled to close by 2024. There was also an emphasis on improved firefighter health as many firefighters fell victim to cancer and other exposure illnesses. Finally, the draft strategic plan urged new purchases in equipment, vehicles, PPEE facilities and personnel so as to remain “a World-Class Fire Department.” (Fire Commission General Meeting 08-10-2016.)

Example of a SFFD Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

The SFFD operates using Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s), as opposed to Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG’s). Appendix 1 below is an example of a Standard Operating Procedure used by the SFFD, namely SOP 2.6 EMS Provider Agency Roles and Responsibilities. This SOP sets out the specific duties and responsibilities of the SFFD in San Francisco. It also states which private ambulance providers are licensed to operate in San Francisco.

Conclusion

The SFFD, with its long and distinguished history of firefighting and rescue operations since 1849, has always remained a prominent part of San Francisco’s infrastructure. Part of popular imagination, the SFFD has been the setting for many feature films and TV series on firefighting. Progressive and constantly forward moving, the last two fire chiefs have been female and have led the initiative to increase female participation in its ranks, resulting in one of the highest percentages of firefighter gender equity in the United States. To this day, it continues to be a well-organized and vital part of San Francisco’s public emergency services, continuously innovating its procedures and infrastructure in a city that remains largely constructed of wooden buildings.

References

• Postel, Frederick F. San Francisco Fire Department History – By F. F. Postel. Retrieved from www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/hist2.html
• “Fire Department.” About Us | Fire Department. Retrieved from http:sf-fire.org/aBOUT-US
• San Francisco Fire Department Museum ~ SFFD General History. Retrieved from www.guardiansofthecity.org/sffd/history/index.html.
• “Fire Department.” Fire Department |, retrieved from https://sf-fire.org/
• “Fire Department.” Department Values Statement | Fire Department, retrieved from https://sf-fire.org/department-values-statement
• “Fire Department.” Chief of Department – Joanne Hayes-White | Fire Department, https:// sf-fire.org/chief-department-joanne-hayes-white
• Fire Department.” About SFFD Operations | Fire Department. Retrieved from https://sf-fire.org/about-sffd-operations
• “Fire Department.” Deputy Chief of Operations | Fire Department, retrieved from http://sf-fire.org/deputy-chief-operations
• “SFFD FIRE AUXILIARY RESERVE.” SFFD Fire Reserve, retrieved from http://sffd-fire-reserve.org/
• “Fire Department.” Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) | Fire Department. Retrieved from http:sf-fire.org/neighborhood-emergency-response-team-nert
• “SFFD Engine 1 Ranked Busiest In Nation.” San Francisco News, 2 Sept. 2015, retrieved from www.thesfnews.com/sffd-engine-1-ranked-busiest-in-nation/22197.
• Kaul, Greta. “A Day with S.F.’s Fire Engine 1, the Busiest Responders in U.S.” SFGate, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Oct. 2014, retrieved from  www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/A-day-with-S-F-s-Fire-Engine-1-the-busiest-5859683.php.
• “Story Map Series.” Arcgis.com, retrieved from www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=f98568a6ac70458dbccc60f407a23ac8
• “Fire Department.” Reports and Resolutions | Fire Department, retrieved from https://sf-fire.org/sites/default/files/FileCenter/Documents/3584-2012-2013.pdf
• “Fire Department.” Wooden Ladders | Fire Department, retrieved from https://sf-fire.org/wooden-ladders
• Adam_Kaplan. “Inside the Ladder Shop at the San Francisco Fire Department.” Vimeo, 12 May 2019. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/13190227
• “Cleaning Up The Fire Department Improves Public Safety.” Beyond Chron, 3 May 2004,  beyondchron.org/cleaning-up-the-fire-department-improves-public-safety/
• “Entry Level (H-2) Firefighter.” Announcement: Entry Level (H-2) Firefighter – City and County of San Francisco, retrieved from jobapscloud.com/SF/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1=CCT&R2=H002&R3=900310
• Fire Commission General Meeting 08-10-2016. Retrieved from https://sffire.org/sites/default/files/COMMISSION/Fire%20Commission%20Support%20Documents%202015/8-10-16%20packet.pdf
• Section 2.6 EMS Provider Agency Roles and Responsibilities. Retrieved from  https://acidremap.com/sites/files/1/202/26-ems-provider-agency-roles-and-responsibilities.pdf

Appendix 1