>> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> good evening, this is the fire commission march 27, 2024 and the time is 5:01. this meeting is being held in-person, at the physical location or by calling 4115,

and using meeting id 26617997217 and using the webinar password 1234. members of the public may address the commission for up to three minutes per agenda item. ensuring you're in a quiet location, speak clearly and turn off background sounds. wait for the item that you would like to address to be called. the system will notify you when you're in line. callers will hear silence when it's your turn to speak. operator will unmute. item 1, roll call, president armie morgan has been excused.

commissioner feinstein has been excused and commissioner paula collins. and chief of department jeanine nickel son. >> present. >> vice president fraser will now read the land acknowledgment. >> we acknowledge that we're on the homeland of the ramaytush ohlone who are the origin hab --inhabitants and in accordance with their, the ramaytush ohlone have never seeded or lost or forgotten the responsibility as care takers of this place. as guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. we wish to pay our respects.

>> thank you. item 2, general public comment. members of the public may address the commission for up to 3 minutes on any matter within the jurisdiction that does not appear on the agenda. speakers should address to the commission as a whole and not to individual commissioners. commissioners are not to enter into debate or discussion with the speaker, lack of response does not necessarily constitute agreement with or support during public comment. >> is there any public comment? >> there is nobody approaching the podium. mr. petrilis, did submit a 150 word public comment that i will add to the minute, and there is nobody on the public comment line. >> all right, public comment is then closed. >> item 3 is approval of

minutes to approve the march 13, 2024, meeting minutes. >> is there any public comment on the minutes? >> there is nobody approaching the podium and nobody on the public line. >> are there any questions or comments from the commissioners on the minutes? >> madam, president? >> please. >> vice president, madam. >> madam will do. >> madam will do, thank you for that clarification, madam, i so move the motion. >> motion to a praoft --approve the minutes has been made. >> second. >> and seconded by commissioner collins. and vice president fraser, how do you vote. >> i move to approve. i vote to approve. >> the motion is unanimously.

>> item 4, chief of department's report, discussion and report from chief of department jeanine nicholson since the fire commission meeting on march 13, 2024 including budget, academy special events, communications and out reach to other government agencies in the public and report from administration, deputy shane on the administrative divisions. sweetened facility status and updates and finance and support services and homeland security. chief? >> good evening, chief jeanine nickel son, this is my report since our previous our last meeting on march 13, 2024. vice president fraser, good evening, commissioner collins,

commissioner nakajo, it's women's history month and vice president feinstein were here in city hall for a photo shoot with the mayor. i've been seeing you all, everywhere, it's great. there is also a sheriff's department puts on a conference of female leaders in the military so. you know, i went to that for one of the speakers. in other events, there was the saint patrick's day parade, thank you for joining in with us. vice president fraser and we also had dr. brokeoff retirement, a little party at headquarters for thank you for joining in on that, very good

to see you there. i attended another event of the saint francis hotel, chief kailowa and i attended that, and yeah, some cool history and you know, it was built in 1904, it was not quite completed yet so it did sustain some damage mostly exterior damage and everything else was rubble, pretty interesting history. also i attend the gala of hope and there was a few of staff were present, chief miller, who else was there? am i for getting anybody? receive a was not there, the dog was not there. oh sean beauford was there, right?

and julie mau was there, thank you all for a tepding. i was able to speak at the event and express our gratitude to the to the cancer prevention foundation and talk to our members about all of our policies that we have to help prevent cancer. and to en shaourj them to be sure to use them. we had 134 class meet and greet. and those are finished and with my team, we have sent out invites to approximately 100 of those folks for meet and greet for a boot camp in april. so they get to see what the academy sort of physical training, may be all about so where they need to improve. and we get to see them as well. so it's something we started in

the last year or two and i really like it. i attended a san francisco fire department infrastructure meeting with commissioner collins, thank you very much. and city administrator carmen chu and doug and, you know, it is a much bigger issue than just the san francisco fire department but, i also wanted to figure out how we get the most money out of the current bond that we have. so our, our team mike mullins team, is going to sit down with public works and go line item by line item like you had suggested, commissioner collins, we're suppose to start with a one project and come to an understanding to see what is the pael between nexus between their pricing and, you know, approved vendor pricing.

so that will take place t has not yet, but they're on it. the budget and appropriations committee, last week, there was hearing for the overtime supplemental. and so for us, we did not need to ask for more money, we just need today transfer money from our salaries that was extra to the overtime. so, i know in the past pd has asked for we don't, we just have to ask for it to be moved from one basically, one line item to another. so that passed and it goes to the pull board. with chief mullin, we did a station visit at station 18, it's always nice to get out and talk to folks and let them know all the things that we're working on and, and trying to get done for them and getting

done for them. as you know, right after the right during the end of saint patrick's parade, the horrible west portal incident happened i left right after as did many of us and i went to west portal, chief leadtrip also came to west portal and you know, visited with my folks that were still there and walked the mayor around and showed her what was that and got the land of the land, and went with her to visit businesses to see how people were doing and see what they needed. then she and i went to station 39 to speak to the members, they were the first engine on scene to speak to them. they really appreciated that and then i went up to station 20 to speak with them. we also our behavioral health

unit involved, we very quickly to to work with our folks, it was really a horrible incident for us for police and for there was a muni driver there and for the department that takes the calls. so there were a couple of debriefings last week that some of our members took advantage of and i always try to tell them, even if you feel like you're doing okay, just go and support your sisters and brothers. that's what we do. and they may get something out of it too, so. and then, we have also been supporting the dem department of emergency management. there was a murder-suicide that involved one of their dispatchers, she was murdered by her husband and we had the bhu and our dogs visiting them. so a lot of them going ob for them.

and the dispatchers and call takers are the first link in the chain for us. so you know we want to support them in whatever way we can. and finally, you may have seen in the steps of city hall yesterday and in the media, the union local 798, had a rally regarding peace out free turn out. so the toxic chemical free turn outs. and supervisor peskin brought ford some legislation mandating this by june 2026, we had conversations with him about our concerns around that and you know, if we were not able to come up with the funding by then, that would be really problematic. so there is some language in there that we will update the board of supervisors on regular basis about where we're at and where we need to get to. and and i just want to speak

on, that is not the first time this subject has come up, there is been a whole lot of hard work and effort going on for five years. at the administrative level in terms of pushing the turn out companies, the manufacturers to make this peace out turn out to make she's for us, and it's taken them a while to develop them. but i know that chief kailoa and before him, chief o'connor before him, she have all been working on it as has our health and safety chief, mat who as you may know, you know, still lives with cancer, so he's on this. this is not something that just popped up last week. in fact, we have members that wearing these turn outs as tests, tests fit in the field

right now and from one manufacturer and we're waiting on another manufacturer to deliver some to us to test. so my concern also with the legislation was i didn't just want to buy the first one that is out, maybe something comes out, a year later and a couple of months later that is much better. we want to be intentional about what we purchase and how we do that. but i think we're, you know, we're moving forward and you know, we are in full agreement, you know, 798 and the department is that this is the way to go. and this is what we need to see. but you know, i also stressed the other night, at the gala, that we have different policies in place, we have a de contamination policy, we have

an overhaul policies which is when we are pulling things out of the fire. we have an air monitoring policy for during that same time and that our folks, you know, really need to every one needs to follow those policies because it's not just the peace turn outs, it's all of policies and that together that can really you know, that we can take advantage of and create change. so in addition, chief kaialoa and our grant writing secured a 3 2*.3 million dollars grant for turn outs specifically. and are looking at other grants assistance to fire fighter grant and i'm not sure what other grant for additional funding. so we've been working on this and doing this for a while, as you know, like you don't get a grant overnight.

so it's been something that we've been working very hard on and very proud of and you know, we look forward to when we actually have these piece turn outs for everybody and that concludes my report. >> thank you, chief. that is a really great report. is there any public comment on the chief's report? >> there is nobody approaching the podium and nobody on the public comment line. >> okay, public comment is closed. commissioners? >> chief are there other fire departments across the country that have demand for these cancer free turn outs? >> other departments are looking at it as well. and have approved some have been approved by their cities to purchase them, but they have not existed and so, we're testing them and i think we're the first city, this

legislation will make san francisco the first city to actually ban the peace s turn out and require these. that's what the legislation does, so you know, if somebody else were to come in here after me and not really care about it or whatever, they have to care about it and so, but yes, it has been a conversation nationwide in the fire service for several years now. that and cancer and mental health have been the big two conversations nationwide in the fire service for the for the last couple of years. >> so the manufactures would understand that there is demand. >> oh they absolutely know that there is demand, yes, yes. >> thank you, madam chair, thank you chief. just a few comments, thank you for that update in terms of

commissioner fraser and collinswell talking about the turn out codes. and the recollection of how long the department has been dealing with it from the days of even look at that as a cancer source to manufacture. so i know there is some issue behind it but also it does not seem like the manufactures there with the products. sol if we're there, i appreciate that particular update. and my other update is visiting the members who responded to the accident in west portal, thank you for that. >> and if i may just say, yes it takes, it's taken a while for the manufactures to develop this technology and test it and then, you know, they find out that's not going to work they have to develop and test something else.

so it has been a slow road. but i also want to give due credit to the san francisco cancer prevention foundation, they are always at the for front of all of this stuff and meeting the conversation across the country. much gratitude to tony stefani and the cancer society as well. >> thank you, commissioners. couple of questions, the turn out coats, i don't know how long this has been a project that this is not something that popped up for you or the san francisco fire department. i'm curious though if we're aware, if you're aware of other fire departments across the country that are testing out the currently available turn out coats? vice president. >> i almost gave you a

promotion, good evening, vice president, commissioners, i'm shane deputy chief of administration, from my understanding there are six cities that are testing the p fast turn outs. i'm sure there is more coming. but i believe there are 6 that are testing the turn outs. >> and chief, you mentioned that there is, our cancer prevention foundation. are there other fire departments that have similar equivalent to what we're doing within their departments? i'm just looking? >> yeah, there have been other organizations that in 501c, but tony started this 7 years ago, and i think that predated pretty much any of the other ones, that would be my guess. >> i look forward to additional muscle to pressure for the

industry. and i'll be interested to see what how staff feels. i guess there is some kind of protocol, they test them for some number of months. there is a protocol that they're following? >> that's in my report, but now that we can talk about it now, we are testing two manufactures one is lion one is fire deck. those are 60-90 day test. there is no blood drawn after, i have discussed what the chief alba that that is coming and he's confident that it is. this test is to see how the turn outs react in fire situations. the three barriers in p-fast is found in water repellent and repelling oils as well. so we want to ensure that the

turn outs are repellent water and aren't flammable due to the absorption of other chemicals. is it comfortable? is there more heat involved? is there more heat stress involved? so we'll find that out after the study, but, but from folks who have been wearing it for a while, it is comfortable. but we'll find better results after the 60-90 day. >> thank you and i know every commissioner joins me in expressing gratitude who are out there testing the new coats. thank you for that. and the only other thing i want to say is the farewell to dr. broke av was tender and sweet. well done. it was really nice.

i think, anything else on the chief's report? thank you, maureen. >> i believe chief kaialao. this is my report for february 2024, we begin with chief brown. during the month of february, they attended the office and development of the chinese new yae, lunar new year. she will be con convenienting that management team for the

next four upcoming events and we'll be previousing you through the following months. that int is very important for this fire department and the city so that when we have our local imagine that, we run operation nz our city, on our own, our folks have been going to training and incident management team such as logitic chief of operations, support services, you can see that throughout the month of summer as well when you're single resource right side deploying two incidents around the state of california, fulfilling the rolls at a state level, gaining valuable training in that and able to bring that back to the city in our management team. throughout the month of february, on going court dated projects is the update of the disaster manual, very important that we're in that manual and ensuring that it's up-to-date so. that when we have our incident is that we're able to

respond accordingly, chief brown is also very involved in grant management, this allows us to gain valuable resources, equipment, it's also known as urban areas security initiative if it's not in your index. she is also working the fire department operation center this is where action plans are developed, where a lot of the multi communications come into that room and chief brown is working with our it division in updating the satellite phones. through her spare time, chief brown gives back to the community attend being the john muir elementary read allowed event in february. next up, the diversion,--i'm sorry, the diversity office under chief baoufeter.

much of his work attends the equity leader, cohorts, he is in two of them one being the pipeline and the other pathway. and pipelines are looking at best practices hiring candidates as well as internship. in the pathway, they developed programs from the date of hire throughout the employees career. looking at providing professional development and mentorship to assist folks in their careers as long as they're with the city. chief buford also giving back to the community, attending the elementary school and being the guest reader for the 20th annual read-in. also attended the 2024 black history month kickoff with the rest of the command staff and the four good looking folks at

the corner. next is our recruitment officer, lieutenant hashin busy as usually looking, and the chief was speaking in her report and developing candidate lists for meet and greet and updating the fire recruitment app. lieutenant anderson has worked with close with our folks. this is a way for us to track, the individuals that we have out reached to, that we have recruited and in our system and that is able to be viewed to see where they are in the resource or in the pipeline and how we can better resource so that they're successful in make iting through our academy and then using that list to develop our academy as well. he also attended the cohort

along with chief buford to discuss the pipeline program. we have delivered three in ternship proposals to the chief fire department. we have received the feedback, we'll be taking that feedback and redeveloping some of those internships and delivering that for approval and we'll that back to you. lieutenant anderson, also works closely with the 99-10 and the city emt. he just fin pishld the cohort 6 which has 11 individuals that are becoming next in the pipeline. he also scheduleds those interviews to fill out the questions and submits the names hr for those individuals to enter the cohorts. also preparing for the next

cohort, cohort, sorry i spoke too early, the one that just completed is cohort 5. lieutenant anderson was acknowledged at the city college workforce and industry forum for his work with city college as you know, we have a instructional service agreement with ccsf, lieutenant anderson does much work with the college so he was recognized there at the forum. our health and safety battalion matt alba, much work in this report, i highlight three studies, one being the sulfurfeign study. it's a powerful chemical found in vegetables mainly