>> this is the fire commission regular meeting september 27, 2023 and the time is 5 o'clock. this meeting is being held in person, members of the public may attend the meeting to observe and provide public comment at the

physical meeting location or by calling, 1-415-655-0001 enter meeting id, 26604352671. the webinar password is 1234. please insure you are in a quite location. speak clearly and turn off background sounds, wait for the item you would like to address to be called. when prompted, press star 3 to be added to the queue. the system will notify when you are in line. callers will hear silence when waiting for your turn to speak, operator will unmute when prompt. callers have standard 3 minutes to provide comments. you may also watch live on www.sfgovtv.org. item 1 recollect -item 1 , roll call.

[roll call] we do have a quorum. chief of department, jeanine nicholson. president nakajo will read the land acknowledgment. >> thank you very much madam secretary. the san francisco fire commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the ramaytush ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the san francisco peninsula. as the indigenous stewards of this land, and in accordance with their traditions, the ramaytush ohlone have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. as guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. we wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders, and relatives of the ramaytush ohlone community and by affirming their sovereign rights as first peoples.madam

secretary. >> item 2, general public comment. members of the public may address the commission for up three minutes on any matter within the commission jurisdiction that does not appear on the agenda. speakers shall address their remarks to the commission as a whole and not to individual commissioners or department personnel. commissioners are not to enter into debate or discussion with a speaker. the lack of a response by the commissioners or department personnel does not necessarily constitute agreement with or support of statements made during public comment. >> madam secretary, is there any public comment? >> we have somebody approaching. your time starts now. >> good evening. i spoke to you two weeks ago. my accent is not--what i want to say tonight

is just, i think the problem of humanity generally speaking is that it has been playing with fire for too long. so, the problem is that the fire gives mow compromise at some point. you get burned, so what should i say? we misunderstand this. stop playing with fire. we do the best we can according to the responsibilities we are and you--have a specific one because you understand what makes you want to be a firefighter? you understand that fire is means something to you, so it is beyond--[indiscernible] metaphorically speakingism we have to deal with the situation we are dealing with

today, which is that we must face the facts that humanity, you are part of it, we are all part of it, has been playing with fire too long, so we have to make sure that we understand and deal with what is coming. with our responsibilities. honesty, responsibility. just do our best. there will be happiness is my goal. happiness for everybody. >> thank you very much. madam secretary, did anybody else from the public that wish to comment at this time? >> i dont see anybody approaching the podium and nobody on the public comment line. >> thank you, public comment is closed. item 3. >> item 3, approval of the minutes. discussion and possible action to approve the meeting minutes from

the special meeting august 30, 2023. >> alright. colleagues, is there any public comment on this item in terms of the special meeting on august 30? >> there is nobody approaching the podium and there is nobody on our public comment line. >> public comment is closed. any questions, discussion from the commissioners on this item? need a motion colleagues on this item, please. >> i move we accept the minutes. >> there is a motion from commissioner fraser. >> second, please. >> second. >> thank you vice president morgan. >> the motion issuenanimous and the regular meeting on september 13, 2023. >> r >> was that date september 13? >> correct. >> any public comment? >> there is nobody approaching the podium and nobody on the public comment line. >> public comment is closed. questions and comments

on this item? >> no questions. >> motion please? >> make a motion to approve the minutes. >> thank you very much vice president morgan. >> i second. >> thank you very much commissioner fraser. [roll call] >> motion is unanimous. report from department from jeanine nicholson. report on current issues, activities, and events within the department since the fire commission meeting on september 13, 2023, including budget, academies, special events, communications, and outreach to other government agencies and the public. >> thank you very much. >> greetings president nakajo, vp morgan,

commissioner fraser, [indiscernible] command staff. asa as well. welcome. chief nicholson. this is my report. since our last commission meeting on september 13. so, our preparations for both asian pacific economic-i never remember what the c is for, the event coming in november are still moving forward as are our preparations for fleet week. what we don't know is if the government will shut down and if the government shuts down then that i believe fleet week will be off and not sure what happens with apec as well. i know the secret service obviously will even with a government shut down will keep working, but like the state department doesn't and all others don't, so really

hoping they can figure this out, because both of these coming here have a big economic impact in the positive for us and so, i really hope that they can work this out in washington. so, more to follow than that. we are continuing as is as if we are moving forward with it. i attended a celebration of life for megan franzen, fire paramedic of ours who died last month -it was well attended and very touching and her kids were there and the same night went to the black firefighter association gala. it seemed to be a huge success. the mayor was in attendance as were many

others, so i just really appreciate our partnership with the bsa, i think they are doing a really great work right now. and h3 level 1emt academy started monday. we have-academy number 24, and we have 14 individuals in there, and they have 8 weeks to get it done and hopefully be out on our streets. much of what i have been doing the last several weeks is meet and greets for our 133 academy, which is due to start i believe january 16, and so we interviewed folks went through the interview process with our panel first. the panels of three, and then were recommended or not recommended to me, and i met with 160

approximately 160 people and it was an out standing group of people i really have to say. out of 160, we are inviting 120 to our boot camp which happens october 14. what we found with some folks that have struggled in the academy is, they haven't necessarily had a understanding of the physical challenges of the academy and do pt in the morning for a hour before-when in the academy before they start all the classroom stuff, and if they are not in shape by the time they are done with the one hour, their brain is just fried, and so this is a really good way for them to sort of see and understand what it is that may be asked of them and it is really good for us to be able to see folks and how they do. teamwork, effort, all that kind of stuff, it is really a great tool for both of us.

we will have two sessions that day, and hopefully we'll get a lot of folks there. i think it is a really good opportunity for both of us. and then, you know, offers will go out at some point in october, just not sure the date or timing of it, but more to follow. and, what else do we have? this saturday, united fire service women is showing barbie i believe. i can't remember at what movie theaert, but should in your packet if you want a free movie, please join them. and then, again i just wanted to thank the asa being here. i know they will speak later, but from our retired paul chin and his wife are here and our president stan lee

along with clarence in the black shirt and robert [indiscernible] and eric, thanks for being here. i also think we have a great partnership with you all. you all are walking the talk, so much appreciated and that concludes my report for this evening. >> thank you very much chief nicholson. madam secretary, any member of the public that wish to comment? >> nobody approaching the podium and nobody on the comment line. >> public comment is closed. any comments or questions for the chief? >> thank you for your report chief. i will just say this, i did see barbie, i was surprised when i went and i absolutely loved it. and i was really surprised. if you haven't seen it, it is much better then you think it is going to be. i'll say that. >> [indiscernible] >> yeah, and then do we have any idea when we

will know about the possible shutdown? it is just day by day? >> i think the next three days they will figure it out. yeah. don't know. >> thank you. >> thank you commissioner. vice president morgan. >> thank you for your report chief and i know we just spoke, so i won't keep you. i think i got all the information. i just hope they don't shut down and the city can use the services and revenue and everything all the good stuff that comes with the action of those festivities. other then that, thanks for the report and move on i guess. >> thank you kindly. >> thank you very much vice president morgan. one comment in terms of the h3 level 1 with the-did you say 14 candidates? >> yes. >> that's a good number.

that's very very encouraging. thank you for that and also thank you for your feedback in terms of the interview process. i think you said 160 and invited 120 to boot camp. that is a again, a good number. just in terms of announcement, thank you very much commissioner fraser for your critique of barbie. i would have never probable considered it unless i heard that recommendation. that is united womens organization that are doing it this saturday at the balboa movie theater, so again, please take advantage of that. also i know [indiscernible] having the first annual car show for the proceeds for the [indiscernible] and maui firefighters. thank you for your report chief nicholson. madam secretary. >> [indiscernible] >> we have a cd3, chief kaialoa. thank you very much. >> good evening.

shane kaialoa, deputy chief of administration and this is my report for august 2023. begin with home land security under the direction of assistant deputy chief erica brown and very busy month as it always is for home land. cheer brown attended many planning meetings throughout the city on events that comes to san francisco,b some being the bay 30 exercise, the dream force planning meeting, outside land concert and final planning and battalion control drill planning meeting and [indiscernible] station area post disaster. the next slide you see part of that planning. this was table top exercise. it was a bay [indiscernible] table top exercise with station captains from 35 and battalion and assistant chief having

a exercise of the fire on a boat with no water supply and unable to get the water supply from the fire boat pumping water to the much needed area so firefighters can get water on the fire. during fleet week, chief brown attended several planning meetings, including the air show and exercise final planning meeting which include a military civilian communication exercise. we also announced that the retirement of lieutenant george [indiscernible] assigned to the northern california regional intelligence center and the appointment of [indiscernible] being the terrorism liaison, they they are responsible for suspicious activity reports, reporting and review of alerts and situational awareness

to the event action plan groups and where they develop the action plans based on the threat and in the event if there is a follow through with a threat and how that response will play out. moving to our department of equity inclusion under the direction of assistant deputy chief shawn buford. again, chief buford busy over the e month of august. highlight a couple things here. with the 133 panel interviews for the next h2 academy. and then moving that to the 133 chief interview selection that we are having over the month of september. sure the chief will brief out in the next month. also lieutenant anderson has beenworking hard on many initiatives to create pathways to the san francisco fire department and whether it is ems or suppression. one is through a partnership of the san

francisco conservation corps. this is a larger program through the federal conservation corps and partnership with san francisco fire department and the sfcc. this will be the first cohort training of 14 individuals at treasure island training facility for 5 days. you will be instructed through battalion chief [indiscernible] a strike team leader, heavily involved in mutual aid along with a small instructor also trained in wild land firefighter. those 14 individuals will go through s130 and s190 classes. excuse me. those classes consist of basic knowledge and wild land fire behavior and tactics. it also involves hands on training in tactic or wild land firefighter tactics to

include house lays, hand line cutting--mobile attack, structure protection, those things surrounding firefighter tactics. in our next slide, you see lieutenant anderson again because he's everywhere at every moment along with [indiscernible] one of our h3 level 2's. at the bay area training academy ems career fair in newark california with other public safety agencies to deliver information to those interested in the fire service or ems on what the san francisco fire department does, how we contribute to the communities, how they can apply and what they need to apply. they also provide mentorship. some are put in a data base where they are

followed through to see where they need assistance in obtaining a position with the fire department. the core of the community outreach team and our recruitment team also attended or will be attending the first responder career pathway fair in city hall on october 22, and in sacramento for the cal jack firefighter career expo october 21 to deliver that information on how and what we do to become a san francisco firefighter or san francisco emt, paramedic. moving on to health and safety, battalion chief alba attended the redman health and safety symposium in new york and attended many classes there, including behavioral health, including pers which is in our turn outs and a chemical that is cancer causing.

also attended partnerships and collaborations to fight cancer. to look at science based recommendations. and post preliminary exposure reduction. chief alba is all in on the health and safety of our folks, and going to these symposiums helps increase his knowledge, brings that knowledge back to the san francisco fire department, creates policy suggestions to how to keep our folks safe and so we are glad he went. in the bhu unit, the month of august they are 74 contacts for total of 298.22 hours. i think that is a 8, but getting old. touch to see that one. under office of employee health, we have dr. [indiscernible] and nurse practitioner-they also screen candidates

for september h3 level 1 academy and perform promotional exams for newly promoted officers. 25 new hire exams and 23 promotional exams among all of their other work. our investigative service bureau under captain todd performed 51 members, participated in promotional and testing, background investigations for the 24 h3 level 1 class and attended behavioral health class. support services, under assistant deputy chief mullen, performed 152 service request in august. 110 service orders closed. outfit the chief residents along with bureau of equipment, our iet team at 870

bush for the behavioral health units and the pio team. support services incumbered [indiscernible] due in april. [indiscernible] due in june, one pumper, two trucks, two [indiscernible] 6 ford transit vans and took delivery. there is much more work that chief mullen is doing in the background and we'll highlight those other things, but there is a ton of work and he's doing a fantastic job. under our earthquake safety emergency response, assistant deputy chief miller [indiscernible] of station 35 and treasure island training facility. they also attended meetings of the capital planning committee, the [indiscernible] and public works commission meetings to meet the

members and provide input on our high level projects, including the fire training facility. the fire training facility profeshzal contracts did go to the board of supervisors and then moved to the budget finance committee to final hearing of the board and this is for next month, but going to open the curtain a little bit. it was signed at the board of supervisors and awaiting the mayor's signature. highlights or feel good. command staff attendsed the 2023 police fire [indiscernible] great attendance by all. see chief in the bottom right reading the names of our retired and active firefighters, paramedics and officers who were lost during that year. next we introduce 2 new public information

officers. rc captain shore and lieutenant mariano elias. captain shore is [indiscernible] 22 years in the san francisco fire department. expert in emergency medical service and trained in airport rescue and firefighter, bay and surf rescue and qualify as bike medic. joins from his assignment sfo serving the mission station 11. justin is speaker on social media and [indiscernible] mass casualty responses [indiscernible] public information mariano elias is first generation latino american borne in san francisco and proudly raised in the mission. graduated from sacred heart and [indiscernible] a few blocks where he grew up, including 8 years

on heavy rescue squad. training instructor, teaches new firefighter recruits and president of [indiscernible] latino firefighter group. this is a great addition to the pio team. it is a enormous job that captain basher has been doing a fantastic job the last 8 years. this addition is going to hope this team and this department increase our visibility in the public, increase our presence on social media, and start to deliver our story and what the fire department does in this city and how we do it, and much more, including community outreach and the like. happy to have them on board and maybe one day have them in for you. on august 30, our core team is out at a pop

up event at 101 jefferson street delivering much needed community information on how to keep the public safe. lieutenant calder gave a education program and discussed fire safety in the homes at the asian pacific american community center. this is directly related to our mission, vision and values of this department in educating the community, reducing life loss, increasing knowledge in fire safety, and how to take care of themselves throughout emergency situations. on august 26, this was international dog day and you see our k-9 there. therapy dogs and our dog from task force 3 with chief miller who's

here tonight with--[indiscernible] it was a great day. many great dogs and better handlers. on august 20, chief nicholson and myself were at the fire cancer awareness bicekling team. they biked from marin to station 51 where they were greeted and chief nicholson giving remarks at this event. we also attended the central station 9 annual china town night out, a great event. one of our favorites throughout the year where chief nicholson also spoke. that concludes my report and will take any questions. >> thank you very much chief. at this point, madam secretary, any member of the public wishes to comment? >> there is nobody approaching the podium and nobody on the public comment line. >> okay, thank you. public comment is closed. any comments, questions at this point from the commissioners to chief

kaialoa? commissioner fraser. >> thank you chief kaialoa, that was a great report. i can't believe all that happened in one month. that was a little overlap, but very impressive report. a lot of action. i wanted to ask a question about the pio team and i guess we'll hear from them at some point down the road. the two firefighters who moved into those positions they are leaving their former duties and this is a full time gig for them on the pio team, is that correct? >> that's correct. >> that's great. what you explained that they will be able to do for us in terms of social media and community promotion and awareness i think is wonderful, so congratulations on that. the only other question i had, i notice in the employee health report that there has been a bump in covid infections in the

department most specifically station 49, which on its face makes sense to me. just wondered, what we will do about that or if that is discussed yet? maybe too soon. >> we haven't seen another uptick. we did have a few outbreaks throughout the month. [indiscernible] but through ppe measures and social distancing, it has gotten better, and we'll just continue to look at the trends through the office of employee health. it is one of dr. brocaws main concerns and she is on top of it. >> it inevable, it is just how much that we can handle and manage as we move into the fall and winter. anyway, thanks for a very interesting report. appreciate it. >> thank you very much commissioner fraser.

vice president morgan. >> thank you for your report chief kaialoa. i was going to bring up the same thing commissioner fraser did about the covid rising. so, is the whole staff crew wearing masks now inside or how is it now? i know this is reflecting from a month ago, right? >> right. those precautions are put in place and recommended we have a outbreak. people are off duty and do follow covid protocols. >> okay. great. hopefully it gets better soon. is there any officers out or staff outright now currently of covid? >> i don't have that, but can get that for you. >> alright. then another question, i guess in regards to

the support services. i was reading station 48, they had 10 water heaters in less then a year. what the heck is going on with that? >> i don't believe it is 10, but i'll let chief come up. [laughter] >> it is here in the report. on page 33. >> sorry. introduce myself first. president nakajo, commissioner morgan, commissioner fraser, chief. i'm mike mullens, assistant deputy chief support services. i have to look into that, but i got to assume it was a misprint. bad info. >> okay. >> we had one hot water heater this month. >> oh, it says here that new water heater installed in fire station 48, which is 10th water heater installed.

>> not there, but overall. >> okay! i thought it was at that station. >> 10 department wide. >> maybe we better fire that plumber and get another one. okay. that clears that up. that was the concern. i said we are burning through money pretty fast there. thank you chief mullens. that's all i had. the rest of the report was great. thank you. >> thank you very much vice president morgan. thank you chief for your report. i want to note appreciation in terms of description of our two new pio officers. justin shore and elias. i think it important to write information in terms of the experience within the department. that is really helpful. just as a point of information, our outreach booth, information booth at various community fairs and activities, i just

are want to note that every time i see it, it is in good shape. i like the tent, i like the table, i like the ambulance and the way everything is laid out. lieutenant [indiscernible] does a great job. nothing shabby about those booths. for me, i'm just that way, but when things look crummy, it just doesn't appeal, so i wanted to note that as well. the other thing i want to note is i really love the pictures of the handlers and the dogs. i think they ought to be put up somewhere as well in our department. >> yeah. >> in terms of the members of our department. not saying anything about the rest of the membership but the k-9s are very much appreciated. thank you very much for that as well. that's all i have, chief. >> thank you. >> madam secretary. >> item 5, presentation and update from the asian firefighters association. members from the asian

firefighters association to provide a update and presentation on their afinity group. >> thank you very much stan lee. thank you very much for attendeding tonight. the members on the back of the room as well as the retired chief as well, paul chin for your participation. you got to recognize the wife there all the time, so thank you very much for that. alright. welcome. >> thank you. my name is stan lee, the president of asa. we have been busy since the last time i talked to you. we have been at numerous outreach

programs, community events and actually i made a video for you to watch for that. the video starts when i last seen you guys in may 7, we did the 5k heritage run, where we basically follow along with the runners, walkers, make sure they are okay. [indiscernible] luckily no one needed it. we also was manning a outreach booth at the end. this is [indiscernible] in j town in may. not many pictures but showed up there to support the community. another event community self-defense workshop at the war memorial. we showed up to support the event. that is mike right

there. then of course, j town. we showed up three weekdays straight to support music fest. had numerous volunteers from our group of young candidates who showed up supported and make sure that anything needed for that venue was taken care of. then [indiscernible] we showed up and supported the outreach group that is the outreach group you are talking about. also supporting the fair there. better look at the booth. then we did a back pack give away in the a china town-dance festival. this is the backpacks-a thousand back packs gathered. a thousand in my garage and china town handed

out 500 to the afa through the back of the engine. then [indiscernible] parade fair. we managed the first aid booth. here is group at city hall from the library before the start of the parade. during the parade. and china town car show just last month. we had our classic car there, vehicle. was a good attendance. we made sure we showed up and like i said, there for people to see that possible to be a firefighter if you are asian. most recently, we helped package 20

thousand meals in the war memorial for low income veterans. it was all day event. we managed i think did manage to package 20thousand meals. the most recent one-- the biggest thing we did was just last month where we-is it showing? was in end of august, we volunteered some of my team is behind me, we went to maui to assist in the relief effort. clips of what we did.

here is us leaving the oakland airport. we arranged flights through southwest so why we were leaving in oakland. when we arrived we saw first hand the devastation that happened in lahaina from the pictures and videos we took. you can see what we saw. it's pretty much lahaina is a waste land right now. when we arrived, there is a team that arrived. we went straight to work. we were securing the distribution center for the next day of work by making sure all the materials were covered up and nothing happen during the night. here is us packaging hydration needs of the locals. san francisco fire

department fashion, we are efficient. we made sure all our work station is high and tight there. ready to go, fully staffed. here is us working the lines. this was constant for 6 days straight. lines like this, coming for water. a shot of us filling up the van full of water. this is all the water for a day that we passed out. you can see some of the shots of other necessities handed out. behind there was a kitchen where we [indiscernible] our teammates were cooking hot meals also. shot of the team again. here is a shot of one day volunteer group. on the 5 th day we actually responded to a

fire with maui fire department. when we heard the evacuation order given, they were going away from the fire and we went to it. we had our gear. showed up. augmented their workforce of 10 firefighters to 20. at the end of the trip we managed to make a lot of good friends through helping maui fire department, locals we assisted, and the maui firefighters that we managed to spend the last night with.

i like to introduce some of the teammates who showed up here today with me. my secretary, eric was present. member robert is present. retired fire marshal, paul chin. and my civilian emt paramedic, ricardo rosa. the rest of my team couldn't make it, but they came and supported the afa for the presentationmentf . appreciate the time and hopefully you saw we are actively trying to make sure people see the san francisco fire department in a positive light. [applause]

>> [indiscernible] is my vice president. i was introducing my maui team that went. my vice president clarence-- [applause] >> i will let public comment. can you stay up there? also, let me do public comment first. madam secretary. >> nobody approaching the podium and nobody on the public comment line. >> public comment is closed. i will look for any comment from our commissioners at this particular time. >> sure. i'm sorry, what was your name again? i'm so sorry. >> stan lee. >> stan lee. okay. >> easy name. >> i want to say thank you for your efforts and the service and you guys self-less act to go out there and hopefully you didn't have to do it on your own vacation time,

right? >> [indiscernible] >> jesus christ. you guys are good people. now, when you guys got there, was some of the fire still active? >> yes. actually it was only i think 80 percent contained, but the 5th day the wind was kicking in and the fire actually started to cross the road where we were staying so wasn't too hard to respond to that. >> yeah. i just want to say again, thank you for your efforts and making san francisco look great and you guys continue the great work. thank you and thanks for coming tonight. >> thank you vice president morgan. >> thank you very much. commissioner fraser. >> thank you so much president lee. wonderful report. first of all, all the community events that you and your team and group attended in san francisco and all the wonderful work you've

done to promote the fire department and recruiting more asian members of the fire department is fantastic. the maui thing is so touching. i actually lived there many years ago, butd on the other side so i is a small feeling of how it must be for people who are there to see what happened. i'm certain your presence was not only helpful, but was healing in a small way. the community there. just to see those slides of people with the giant cases of water and the food and the bags and the just all the effort and energy, how could anyone not feel a little uplifted by your presence so grateful to you. >> thank you commissioner. >> thank you very much commissioner fraser. just a few comments. stan lee and to members who are in the back of the room who attended all of you, our department is remarkable and our

membership is remarkable. just going to mention it because at one point when 911 occurred there were members from our department that responded on their own. when this maui tragedy occurred as well, it is a great thing that you responded afa and i will note undur your leadership, stan lee, because that is really really important because incentives and organizing take as great skill. but to your 10 members that went as well and all of you there, it is a great thing to go there and give that community assistance and that spirit all the way over to maui. i also think that it is amazing i think chief told me we brought our

gear. how many people bring their gear? but you brought your gear and fought fire. my respect goes out to fire marshal paul chin. didn't have to go out there. i think he is older then me. [laughter] but also, ricardo who took care of them as well. the team that you created with that. before you conclude, can you say a little about the benefit dinner occurring? i know you brought t-shirts because vice president morgan did ask about the teacher. just hope you have the size. could you please say something about the dinner coming up and i know that is part of a fund razor as well. >> i going to mention that. thank you for bringing it up. october 20 at the far

east cafe in china town we will hold a bank [indiscernible] honor deputy chief shane, deputy chief sandra tom and most of the proceeds where will be divided 50 percent going for our relief effort and charity work in lahaina maui. the other 50 percent of that proceeds will go to our charity work for here in the city. we are not abandoning the city, we are trying to expand outwards to help as many people as possible. the charity work we have been doing, i think we mentioned in the last go round that during the holiday season last year we handed out 3,000 toys. we will try to at least match that. part of the proceed will be towards funding our toy give away in

the community in san francisco. we have made connections with like i said the firefighters in maui where we know exactly that their charitable work goes through aiding 17 firefighters who lost their home in lahaina so we have been helping. if not will bring directly to them. that is what the banquet is about, besides honoring two great individuals behind me, trying to do some charity work for the aapi community. >> t shirts. >> extra large,s large, media and two hats. i came well prepared. wasn't share vice president morgan what size you wear. but you looked like xl to me.

>> [indiscernible] >> i do have some at home. >> as as commissioner fraser. thank you very much for your participation and your support. thank you very much stan lee for your presentation and update. thank you very much for that. chief nicholson, please. >> thanks, just one last word. thank you so much stan. knroi i love you brother and appreciate all you guys and gals and the work you do and like i said, you all are not just talking the talk, you are walking the talk and doing so many great things and i really appreciate our partnership how you help us in so many ways in the community and you know, getting folks hired into the department, so just mad respect for you and thank you so much brother. >> thank you chief, appreciate it. thank you commissioners. thank you.

>> you're welcome. thank you very much. [applause] madam secretary. >> item 6, adjournment. >> we will adjourn the meetings and if some members can stay around and meet and greet you. thank you, this meeting is adjourned. thank you. [meeting adjourned]

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counting on operators of shared spaces to ensure their sites are accessible for all and safe. hello, san francisco. i love it when i can cross the street in our beauty city and not worry whether car can see me and i want me and my grandma to be safe when we do. we all want to be safe. that's why our city is making sure curb areas near street corners are clear of parked cars and any other structures, so that people driving vehicles, people walking, and people biking can all see each other at the intersection. if cars are parked which are too close to the crosswalk, drivers can't see who is about to cross the street. it's a proven way to prevent traffic crashes. which have way too much crashes and fatalities in our city. these updates to the shared spaces program will help to ensure safety and

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will like it and other people will like you my name is alice my husband we're the owners of you won't see ice cream in san francisco and really makes fishing that we are always going together and we - we provide the job opportunity for high school students and i hired them every year and . >> fun community hubble in san francisco is my district i hope we can keep that going for many years. >> and i'm alexander the owner of ice cream and in san francisco and in the outer sunset in since 1955 we have a vast of flavors liar choke o'clock but the flavors more

than three hundred flavors available and i am the owner of the ice cream. and my aunt used to take us out to eat ice cream all the time and what can i do why not bring this ice cream shop and (unintelligible) joy a banana split or a great environment for people to come and enjoy. >> we're the ordinances of the hometown and our new locations in pink valley when i finished law school we should open up a store and, and, and made everybody from scrap the first ice cream shop any ice cream we do our own culture background and a lot of interaction and

we're fortunate we can get feedback and serve to the king of ending and also going 90 charlie. go ahead. we moved to san francisco in 1982. we came from the philippines. i have three kids nathan, jessica and iva. i was really young. when i had neat, i turned 19. and then two weeks later, he was born. so when he was fine, i used to watch cops all the time. all the time and so he would watch with me. he had his little handcuffs and his little toy walkie talkie. and then whenever

the theme song came on, he would walk around and he just thought he was the baddest little thing. i think he was in kindergarten at sheridan because he and i attended the same elementary school there was an officer bill. he would just be like mom officer bill was there then one day, he said, mom, i touched his gun. and he was just so happy about it. everything happened at five minutes. i would say everything. happened at 4 to 5 years old. it's like one of those goals to where you just you can't you can't just let go. high school. i think you know everybody kind of strays. he was just riding the wave. and i mean, he graduated. thank god. one day i think he was about 20 or 21. he told me, he said mom. i want to be a cop or a firefighter, i said. no you're going to be a firefighter. but

that's really not what he wanted to do. his words were i want to make a difference. and that was a really proud moment for me when he said that my dad was a cop in the philippines for 20 years. i think a lot of that played a role into his becoming a cop. my dad was really happy about it. my mom. she was kind of worried, but i just figured i can't stop him. he can make his own decisions. stu. i just want to say what's up? how you doing? good. good. no i'm trying to look good for us to looking good for us to so when he was in the police academy, mind you this kid was not a very studious kid. but i've never seen him want something so bad when he was home. he'd be in his room studying the codes. he really fought for it. hi. what's your

name? i'm nate. nate is great with kids, and he would give them hugs or give them stickers. i think that that's a positive influence on the kids, and then the people around you see it. once he makes that connection with people and they trust him that foundation that respect people look at you and see your actions more than your words and so that i think will reach people more than anything. you could say you later, brother. thank you. all right, see you. it's a really hard job. i know you. you see a lot of the negative for me. i would not put myself through that if i didn't care. you know, you have to be the right kind of person. you have to have the right heart to want to do that. when people ask me if you know what my son does , um, i just tell him he's a cop

, and i just feel like i'm beaming with pride. i always told him when he was young that he would do something great. and so to see it. it's i have a moment. i'm very proud of him. [music] my name is husheem anderson a lieutenant with the san francisco fire department born and raised in san francisco, grew up in western addition. both my parents worked for the city. my dad was a

custodian with san francisco school district and mom a muni driver. when i grew up in san francisco i never thought of the fire service as a career. not because i didn't want to be a firefighter, i just didn't know anything about it and it was literally the experience of trying to figure what i was going to do with the next part of my life where i decided to go to city college and take a couple classes. that is when i discovered there was actually a fire science program program emt program and paramedic program. if it wasn't for that opportunity to get the education training and meet several mentors that are some of my grood friends today, i don't think i ever would are have pursued this career. i was interested in becoming a paramedic so i did work experience at the ems division when it was actually in the presidio, completed that program, did my paramedic internship at the same

time i volunteered with san francisco fire reserve and able to learn a lot of hands on skills associated with becoming a firefighter. san francisco went through a period of 7 years without hiring, so we hired about a 130 people off of the 2001 test which is the first fire test that and ever sat for, so i took that test, did pretty well on it test, interviewed, didn't do as well as i liked so they hired 130 people off that list and didn't hire again for another 7 years, so here i was training to do a job where i was really excited, but there were no jobs after 911 so things slowed down and once the fire department started hiring again i was in the second class hired full time in 2012. because of the experience i had here at city college, it was always really important for me to be able to

give back. so, when i got to the fire department, i didn't have a college degree, and in order to teach at a community college you need a college degree, so quhile i while working as a firefighter i got my degree from saint mary college so i got a bachelor degree. i teach firefighter 1 and 2 curriculum for the program at the college. after i promoted to lieutenant, then i applied to be a instructor down at the training academy because i always loved to teach. my past experience is really helpful in terms of how i'm able to break down information and pass it alodge to brand new firefighters. so, for myself, i didn't know very many people of color who worked in the san francisco fire department. as

african american working in this department i always felt a obligation to be that example, to provide a roadmap for folks who look like me, who come from communities that i came from to make sure they have the same opportunities. now as a san francisco firefighter i can tell you if you work hard, you get along with people, you will be welcomed into this department but we can also do a better job of representation. to me as a company officer when i'm on the fire engine or truck it is so helpful to have a rig where members can relate to the public we respond to. to me that cultural diversity of the members on our fire engines, on the ladder trucks is important because if we can do a better job of representing the community that we are serving, i think we do a better job of relating to the community that we are serving, and to me that is something that is really important.

>> the journey of becoming a firefighter is no easy feat, it requires navigating and overcoming challenges to protect and serve the community. established in 1866, the san francisco fire department has evolved and grown to represent the community and meet their needs along the way. the division of training is responsible for training all new members entering the department, as well as develop, and provide corchlhensive fire suppression and emergency medical service instruction to all members of the department. this video provides a glims into

the 130 recruit academy class 21 week training program. in preparation to take on one of the most challenging and rewarding professions in the world. to become a firefighter in the san francisco fire department. >> [whistle] >> i oknow there is going to be a lot of shoveling and it will not come easy. i know it will not be given to me. >> am i going to be able to keep up and do all the physical a pects of what the academy will request of me? >> on the hand you have been given a opportunity you worked so hard to get to, but on the other hand you don't have the job yet and have so much work you have to do to get

in the field so it is double edge sword. i need it but this is just the beginning. [music]

>> we are entrusted with people. our job is (indiscernible) we want people to be firefighters. the chief picked the people. our job is train them. we make sure that we are challenging them, but at the same time supporting them and that is a fine line, because we want to see how these people react. it is imperative for the training academy and training staff to make sure we are getting the best out of these individuals. i always tell them, we will challenge you, but also going to support you. we are not going to trick you into certain things but we want to make sure we make it difficult and make it so that you are performing at your best when somebody is on their worst

day. >> the process is grueling, however, the reward at the end is what it's all about. we have 21 weeks to form this group of 51, and to functioning individuals on a working engine or truck company in the city and the challenge there is that when you walk through the door, you should be able to take care of business right away. when i first got on the job and hit the streets and got my first fire, which is 4th alarm fire which they throw a lot of people in the big building, happened in the first 30 minutes of me stepping in the fire house. >> we hire a vast group of people with different backgrounds and experiences, which is kind of interesting as well, because it makes up our department and we have a kind of hodgepodge of people, but they all get taught the same thing. we have people from-we have a guy in the class whoofs a social worker. we

have a person who was a firefighter, multiple firefighters. san francisco does things different then most fire departments but they have upper hand so we try to pair those with some sort of experience with people who don't in study group said. we tell them the first week get in a study group and that is a group for the rest of the academy so you will be the support group for each other. >> my name is julian martin a recruit in the 130 academy for the san francisco fire department. the fire department what drew me to it to begin is a concept you are always learning. you are always learning something a92. now fire or situation is alike. no med call will be the same, and that aspect is something that is always changing is what drew me to it. when i was 19 i enlisted in the united states army and was in college at the time, so i was enrolled simultaneous in the

reserve officer corp training out of leehigh university. i was (indiscernible) and lee high university and completed by bachelors, but commissioned out of lee high university as a officer in the california national guard. when i graduatesed i immediately went to fort (indiscernible) missouri to complete training for being a chemical officer which is (indiscernible) i think my background in chemical hazmat with the army was beneficial and the department as well. >> high energy,b that is how i categorize julian. high energy and ability. she is very capable. >> she is one of those people pretty much anything she tries she can do well. she is a musician also. she is a artist. >> she is the kind of person that push other people to be the best version of

themselves, just because she also wants to be the best version of herself. she is a very dedicated individual, and it was a treat but also a challenge because that is the way she is. very competitive and ambitious. >> emily-i am a recruit with the san francisco fire department. i remember how do i become a firefighter in a major city? i typed that into google and a lot of things came up. getting certification like firefighter 1, emt, paramedic jz these are things i knew nothing about so a lot of research. for me having lived in california and visited the bay area many times i said to myself, i decided the pentacle for me of being a

structure firefighter, being a city firefighter which coming to san francisco. i am originally from new england. i grew up in a traditional town in new hampshire. when can i was a kid i never had fire fighting on my radar. never something i thought about doing. when i in college i studied environmental conversation. i always appreciated the outdoors and really cared a lot about protecting the outdoors, so for years after college i worked with kids in the outdoor education, so taking kids on backpacking trips, takes kids on hiking trips, and just helping them develop appreciation for the outdoors. it was basically a opportunity to not have a desk job and for years i was chasing that job that didn't involve sitting at a desk and be outside with people which makes sense it

leads me to firefighter. next thing i knew i was heading up to alaska to be a firefighter. that was the switch and never looked back. >> emily is a person that very much someone who cares about other people and will put other people needs before her own. she is extremely caring and thoughtful. i also think she is extremely adventurous as well. i remember when we first met, when we were living in yosemite being in ah of her adventurous side. >> my name is jenna. everybody called johnny for short and i'm a recruit with the 130 academy for san francisco fire department. city girl, born

and raised in san francisco. literally my entire schooling has been right here in the city of san francisco, and so that's part of me and part of my identity, and what keeps me so grounded to the city i was raise d in. my brother is a firefighter and he has been a firefighter many years. he is absolutely-he loves his job and always has tried to bring people along with him. those he loves and that he thinks would be fit for the job. >> i told this lady about this service and about this career path back when she was 22 years old after graduating from usf, i tried to put in her ear, i think you would be incredible at this profession and she said i'll think about it. >> that is always something in my ear, but to be

honest, my encounter with the fire department that kind of sparked that interest and the reason as to why i wanted to become a firefighter, because at the age of 15 i lost my mother to gun violence and it was the fire department when they came to my home, it was the reaction of the firefighters that i felt cold. their reaction to my situation. i didn't feel support. that is just my perspective of the instant it happened, but that is something that stuck with me. i don't want someone like me to go through what i went through because i know how that felt. i took the leap of faith and i said i'm going to change my career entirely, but now i see for myself just within my recruit class that there is a lot of diversity. it

was really comforting to me to see that and know that these are the people who are going to be my first family, because we share a special bond. >> she was ready. she was hungry, and she-every drill we did, every practice we did, all the exercising she was doing, she was hungry for it. i couldn't possibly be more proud of her. >> a real basic building block is just like crawl walk run. our crawling stage is like just putting your gear on. we have our ppe, which is about 20pounds, the packs are 20 pounds. just those two alone you throw on 40 pounds of weight and by the end of the academy we have your ppe on, go on (indiscernible) breathe through the bottle, climb up a ladder, crawl

through a window, search fwr a victim, bring the victim through the window and extricate through the window. the progression of the testing ramp up pretty quickly. in the 10 week cycle it seems like a long time, but for the recruit you can ask them i'm telling you it is a rigorous academy and keeps on getting harder. >> academy starts at 8 o'clock. we do our pt. whatever it may be, whether it is running in a circuit or amazing raise, and are that lasts anywhere from a hour to hour and 30. from there we go to a class room. we learn about the different chapters, whether it is (indiscernible) hose appliances, building construction, whatever it may be. that usually takes us to lunch and from there we get separated into skills groups.

>> (indiscernible) how many victims. >> which we have typically about 4 rotations of the different skills we get touches. >> it is still very early in the process. if you envision each class like a bell curve where most in the middle, if you have a class with really long tails those are harder to train, because you have people at the back end who are really struggling. this class seems to have small tails. i don't see anybody struggling yet. i dont see anybody truly standing out. but again, it is early. we haven't done any testing yet. >> i am learning a lot with fellow class mates. they need me and i need them and the really difficult evolution and training and the first couple days are crucial to understanding like how people react to certain situations because not everybody is the best under pressure. not everybody is the best

tying a knot about there are some that are super fast with hose lines. finding everybody strong point and emphasize those and use to our advantage is important in the first couple weeks. >> something that challenged me probably the most and has been probably the biggest learning curve is really focusing on the ability to let go of something when it doesn't go well in the moment and move to the next thing. that i think has been one of the biggest challenges in this academy, because the realty is you make a lot of mistakes every day. you do a lot of things well too, but you make a lot of mistakes and if you hold on to each one of those mistakes it is just going to snow ball into more mistakes and it will lead to more stress and being hard on yourself. >> i had to learn a

lot of different new skill sets. things i wasn't familiar with like chain saws how to hose lines and so getting the technique because a lot of the job is about the technique. it is not about having the brute strength or anything like that, it is using your body mechanics to your advantage. >> when my body cools down (indiscernible) [music]

>> we have the academy set up it gives everybody the opportunity to practice the skill set they need to. san francisco is its own entity. we pride ourselves on the traditional fire department in the sense we still use brass fittings, wooden latters, surrounded by three sides of water so all risk fire department. you can go downtown busy high-rise, out to the coast for surf rescue. we have a mix of everything and we all have to be well-rounded firefighters and that is our entire job to make sure that we are profeshant. >> as we train our roles will

be to evaluate along the way. the role we have is to get them ready for fire house culture. to be a firefighter requires a fair amount of discipline. you have to understand the rules of the game. understand how to behave, how to appear, how to interact with the public and one of my roles is to make sure the recruits understand that and adhere to the codes of conduct and behavior the department lays out. >> okay, today is monday. the monday after my first big week of testing. two double day testing thursday and friday. we had to do a ems skill, take a written test and 8 different fire suppression manipulatives. we got our report card back today and if you can't tell by the way i'm smiling now, i passed every skill

that we had to do. your girl got zero deficiencies, so i am very proud of myself of being able to pass. >> you know, our saying is we dont fail people, they fail themselves. we give them all the information they need. we allow them extra hours prior to the start of class and stay late after hours, and we hope they take advant nl if they need help. they vocalize when they don't know something and part is ego. if i want to pass the class i need to ask for help. there is no slowing down. once the training is moving it isn't stopping for anybody. you are on the training or off. we don't have time to stop. we want them to pass, but they have to have their heart into it. if they think it will be easy that isn't the way it works. >> i want to speak about what happened on september

22, 2022, which was week 14 i believe. week 14 or 13. there was a big moment for me, because it was the week that i got injured. i had the ladder not completely fall on me, but it put my body in such a way it basically injured my shoulder. i had a little nerve damage coming from the top of my right shoulder radiating down. from what i remember, the ladder was coming down and a sudden movement it swerveed one way and swerved back and i remember i couldn't feel my right arm. i tried to hold on to the ladder and it just basically just hit me in a

certain position, and i fell over, and i remember feeling a combination of so much pain and honesty nothing at all. >> she had a pretty good scare of a injury, and her determination and just the way she goes about things. she is not very demon struative or outspoken but works hards and puts herinose nose down and just works. [music]

>> so, today is our last day in the academy. i think there is a lot of things going through my mind right now. on one hand, i feel incredibly relieved to be at this point. it has been a long 5 months. it has been great, but it has been really challenging and definitely really tiring, so it feels really relieving to have reached this mileston. >> we graduated friday

and just feels really exciting. you know, speaking for myself, i think i'm preoccupied worrying about starting work soon, but i think for my family and my partner, i'm excited for them to be at graduation. this is not just a journey i have been on, but a journey they have been on as well. especially my partner. she has been immensely supportive of me throughout this process. on the other side of the coin, it is nerve-wracking we go out in the field and do the job. it is mixed emotions for sure. >> super excited. it has been a long long 16 weeks, and at the end i finally get to graduate, get to be a firefighter. i'm looking forward to most is taking our time at treasure island and

bring into effect to help people. >> so many things that are going on in my mind at the moment because of the fact today is the last day that we are actually on our training grounds on treasure island. i cant believe i'm actually here and i made it these 5 months. getting in here doing the best i could possibly do, but now it is graduation is just so close. i'm just nervous. i created this family within the 130 academy class where we have gotten to know each other and gotten to do skills together, but now when i go to my probationary home, now i will get to know those people and learn so many more skills and just get all the hands on experience and you know, create that second family. it has been overwhelming. just the amount of support that i have received. my family

is my core and is my biggest support system and they have been there and have just expressed unconditional love and support every step of the way. [music] >> good morning 130. i know this is a exciting day for you, and this is just one of the many milestones in your career. i am really proud of the division of training and i'm proud of you, 130. you took the lead and you worked hard. you worked as a team and that's how we always do it in the san francisco fire department. this is a proud department with a proud history. we fight fires like no other fire

department. we are community paramedicine and alternatives to policing. we are firefighter emt, firefighter paramedics, but we are so much more as you are going to find out during your careers. i do solemnly swear, that i will support and defend, the counsitution of the united states, and the constitution of the state of california, against all enemies foreign and domestic. >> today i graduated from san francisco 130 recruit class, and i became a san francisco firefighter. i feel absolutely amazing. i thought about how i

feel graduating, but feeling it is crazy. i'm so so excited to get started. i will be in station 9 in the bayview. industrial part of the city and i'm extremely excited to do everything the truck does. learn how to raise and lower the aerial. get to all the different ladders and practice them in real life and apply them to situations that we are seen in the academy, but to see them in real life will be a brand new thing. [applause] >> going up to the stage to get my badge, i was thinking about how sweaty my hands were. i was trying not to trip, and but in realty i was just thinking about how special the moment it was, and to be honest, it felt

like everything stood still for a second, and it was a special time to reflect on the journey. i feel proud of my class mates making to graduation. i feel a lot of love towards my classmates and lot of respect and admuration towards the instructors. it feels good to be at this point after 21 weeks of hard work. >> i would say i felt an immense amount of pride for what she accomplished. having been along the ride, before academy, being a part of the journey that lead up to interviews and then academy and getting to this point. i know how much she has overcome and accomplished. so proud. i'm so proud of you. [calling out name] >> to be honest, i am

had a ball of emotions just running through me right now. it is like electric energy. to have all the overwhelming support from my family, from my friends, from everybody in the department, and from oakland department as well is truly just overwhelming and very emotional at the same time. >> hoping e-the whole thing is surreal to me. she pinned the badge on me when she was 15 years old and coming to today and seeing where she is at now, i couldn't possibly be more proud. she has a heart of passion. she has a lot of heart . >> when i saw him up there, it was just overwhelming. i was like, i will not cry, i will not cry. i tried to hold it back, it just

couldn't. >> the chief says, who will cry first. >> who will cry first? okay. (indiscernible) >> i'm supposed to be tough. man-- >> the last time i like to introduce the newest bravest san francisco firefighters, 130! [applause] >> so, i'm now at station 9 on the truck. in the bayview. junk yard dog. the day before

graduation was to ask questions what we are supposed to do and probationary firefighter instead of recruit. my first day was november 22. it was i was one of the lucky ones. i had my full weekday. i had 4 days after graduation to get my mind right, get ready to go to work. our instructors complaint us in the dark so we wouldn't know what to expect so when we got here, it's how we adapt to a situation, not so much-this is what will happen. this is what you need to do. i was kind of freaking out before i really haven't been in a fire station before, and every single member was super welcoming here. i think the most important thing is being yourself. knowing when to contribute and when to kind of sit back and listen, because there is a wealth of knowledge around you everywhere. everywhere. i could talk to any person in the station and

learn so much. i think i have been able to hold on to what people have been telling me a lot more here and learn a lot more in a lot less time. >> transitioning from graduation to being a probationary firefighters coming with a lot of changes. you learn the tower and skills and information and once you get thin field you realize how all those people come together in real time, which has been super cool to see how it all unfolds in the field. i have been super lucky. i got placed at station 17 on engine 17 and i have just been super fortunate to have a really great group of folks to work with, who put in a lot of time and energy to help get me up to speed. >> i say with i first started the academy and was nervous and excited. there is a

element of nervousness with being a probationary firefighter because you are trying to keep up and learn as much as you can. i say from the academy till now there is also a lot of confidence building that happened. the first two months what really stuck out to me is just how tight nit the station is and how much people really care about the work that they do and really pushes me i think to be better at the job. >> apparently i'm a probationary firefighter for the san francisco fire department, so the last 5 months i was in the tower in the academy lead me to here of drilling, testing, requiring all the basic foundation skills to become a firefighter. now i'm actually actively doing it, but more specifically at the current house i'm stationed at, which is station 10, i am also the role of emt because we are

on a als unit where there is a paramedic so i'm the paramedic backup providing them whatever they need as their assistant, but when it comes to fires i'm the one with the nozzle to put out the fire. me and my main concern is getting through probation because i don't have job security at the moment, because you can be let go any time if you are not meeting the expectations of what it is that they require from you. i want to be good at what i'm here to do in the position i'm in now. the call volume i have seen during my watchs are 7 to 10 calls within a day, which is pretty moderate. i'm just waiting for my first fire. [laughter]

>> (indiscernible) step on it and measure at the shoulder. >> we talk about being a model to other agencies, again we hire very diverse group. male and female. as long as you meet the standards and are able to take care of the business of the fire department and public safety and being able to get

along with your coworkers and all these stressful environments is key. you are not a individual here. we are made up as a team, so you have to be willing to listen. you have to be willing to learn, and you have to be willing to push yourself all the way to the end and you'll be successful here in san francisco. >> people ask, you just go to fires and-no, we go to everything. anything and everything 911 is called. it depends on the person and where they are at. we invite everybody to come try if they think they can get here, then by all means, we are a great department. large department. busy department, and we have a lot of things to see while working here. best job in the world to this day. >> we prep them as best we can. all the experiences and instructors and myself, we again our job is to see them-we want to see them be

successful. we want to hear good reports. it is like being a parent. i are want to make sure when they leave we want to hear good things and if we don't want also want to check and make sure, what happened? i want to hear from now the probationary firefighter what happened and how we can best support them, because they are not recruits anymore. they are professional probationary firefighters and just because they left the tower doesn't mean we are done with them. i'm more invested in them now now that they are my brother and sister then a recruit because i could be working with them in the field. i found a career i absolutely hundred percent love. it is very rare that you you can find a profession that you can love that much. i'm a public servant. i never want to forget the roots of what we do. we serve the citizens of san francisco. i'm serving the citizen of san francisco now by training new

firefighters. by job is best prepare them what they will be going to into the future. >> in the community whether we are driving around, we are on a call, or shopping, the way that the community looks at us and looks at me is kind of surreal, because it hasn't fully sunk in. sometimes i have to reflect and say, you made it here. be proud of yourself. be proud of your accomplishments because for me i want to strive and do more and be better. [siren] >> i would say first of all, we dont just employ firefighters, we employ everybody on the ambulance. emt and paramedics. firefighters and ems is a great opportunity. it is really important we have people who look like the community we are serving and that's

part of the reason many joined this department to create change from the inside and we have done a lot of that and we will continue to do that. there is a place for you here as a ems, as a paramedic, as a firefighter. you just need to be able to put in the work. this is a big deal being in public safety in san francisco working for the san francisco fire department. it is a commitment. what better place if you want to serve your community then the san francisco fire department? [music]

>> he is a real leader that listens and knows how to bring people together. brought this department together like never before. i am so excited to be swearing in the next chief of the san francisco fire department, ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome, jeanine nicholson. (applause). >> i grew up total tomboy, athlete. i loved a good crisis, a good challenge. i grew up across the street from the fire station. my dad used to take me there to vote. i never saw any female firefighters because there weren't any in the 1970s. i didn't know i could be a fire fighter.

when i moved to san francisco in 1990, some things opened up. i saw women doing things they hadn't been doing when i was growing up. one thing was firefighting. a woman recruited me at the gay-pride parade in 1991. it was a perfect fit. i liked using my brain, body, working as a team, figuring things out, troubleshooting and coming up with different ways to solve a problem. in terms of coming in after another female chief, i don't think anybody says that about men. you are coming in after another man, chief, what is that like. i understand why it is asked. it is unusual to have a woman in this position. i think san francisco is a trailblazer in that way in terms of showing the world what can happen and what other people who

may not look like what you think the fire chief should look like how they can be successful. be asked me about being the first lbgq i have an understands because there are little queer kids that see me. i worked my way up. i came in january of 1994. i built relationships over the years, and i spent 24 years in the field, as we call it. working out of firehouses. the fire department is a family. we live together, eat together, sleep in the same dorm together, go to crazy calls together, dangerous calls and we have to look out for one another. when i was burned in a fire years ago and i felt responsible, i felt awful. i didn't want to talk to any of my civilian friends.

they couldn't understand what i was going through. the firefighters knew, they understood. they had been there. it is a different relationship. we have to rely on one another. in terms of me being the chief of the department, i am really trying to maintain an open relationship with all of our members in the field so myself and my deputy chiefs, one of the priorities i had was for each of us to go around to different fire stations to make sure we hit all within the first three or four months to start a conversation. that hasn't been there for a while. part of the reason that i am getting along well with the field now is because i was there. i worked there. people know me and because i know what we need. i know what they need to be successful. >> i have known jeanine

nicholson since we worked together at station 15. i have always held her in the highest regard. since she is the chief she has infused the department with optimism. she is easy to approach and is concerned with the firefighters and paramedics. i appreciate that she is concerned with the issues relevant to the fire department today. >> there is a retired captain who started the cancer prevention foundation 10 years ago because he had cancer and he noticed fellow firefighters were getting cancer. he started looking into it. in 2012 i was diagnosed with breast canner, and some of my fellow firefighters noticed there are a lot of women in the san francisco fire department, premenopausal in their 40s

getting breast cancer. it was a higher rate than the general population. we were working with workers comp to make it flow more easily for our members so they didn't have to worry about the paper work when they go through chemo. the turnout gear was covered with suit. it was a badge to have that all over your coat and face and helmet. the dirtier you were the harder you worked. that is a cancer causeser. it -- casser. it is not -- cancer causer. there islassic everywhere. we had to reduce our exposure. we washed our gear more often, we didn't take gear where we were eating or sleeping.

we started decontaminating ourselves at the fire scene after the fire was out. going back to the fire station and then taking a shower. i have taught, worked on the decontamination policy to be sure that gets through. it is not if or when. it is who is the next person. it is like a cancer sniper out there. who is going to get it next. one of the things i love about the fire department. it is always a team effort. you are my family. i love the city and department and i love being of service. i vow to work hard -- to work hard to carry out the vision of the san francisco fire department and to move us forward in a positive way. if i were to give a little

advice to women and queer kids, find people to support you. keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep trying. you never know what door is going to open next. you really don't. [cheers and >> hello operators, i'm jeff tumlin recollect director of transportation. >> i'm jour san francisco fire chief jeanine nicholson. >> first and formost, i like to thank you for everything you do to help our passengers get around the city. it is safety in mind we like to talk about what to do if you encounter any kind of emergency scene while on your route >> if you see a ambuljs and fire engine on the side thf street, this usually indicates there is some type of medical emergency. >> the first thing you should do is look out for

emergency personnel in the area. if there is room to proceed, do so, if you cannot pass safely, contact the transit management control center for instructions. >> active fire scenes meanple while may appear static but can become dynamic in seconds. you may see engines trucks and vehicles with flashing red lights. >> the best course of action is call the tmc and give as much information as you can, including the site and nature of the emergency. there should be a captain or public safety officer on the scene who can tell you what is going on. then let you know whether you have permission to take a dudetore. >> if you are caught in the middle of the scene only proceed once directed by fire personnel. a public safety officer will guide through the emergency scene, tell you to wait or recommend that you go out of serveess if the emergency is prolonged. be sure in this situation

to give all proper notifications to the tmc. >> it is important to note that if you see a fire hose on the ground, stop. do not drive over it. you never want to drive over a fire house. >> firefighters have been serious injured. >> remember the best course of action is notify your supervisor and the tmc and wait for instructions. explain to passengers what is happen. if you cannot detour you have to stop and possibly go out of service as you waitd for direction from fire personnel. >> the san francisco fire department understands and appreciates that muni has timelines to adhere to, but no schedule is worth risking the safety of our city employees and customers. >> thank you again for all you do, and are thank you for keeping muni

so as to not