Mayor Lee & Board President Breed Announce Additional $47.3 Million in New Hiring & Infrastructure Upgrades at Fire Department & Emergency Management
Increased Fire & Emergency Management Hiring, New Ambulances, Fire Engines & Fire Trucks & Technology & Facilities Upgrades to Provide Improved Emergency Services for Residents in Growing City
Mayor Edwin M. Lee and Board President London Breed today announced $47.3 million in additional investments in the San Francisco Fire and Emergency Management departments over the next two years, including hiring additional EMT/Paramedics, firefighters, and 911 dispatchers and additional resources for fire station upgrades, new technology, equipment and vehicles to meet the demands of a growing San Francisco.
“We are investing in training more firefighters, paramedics and 911 dispatchers and making necessary upgrades to the current infrastructure, equipment and capacity in order to provide improved services 24 hours a day that will meet the demands of our growing City, today and in the future,” said Mayor Lee. “Our public safety agencies are keeping our City and residents safe, and we are preparing for emergencies and disasters in this time of tremendous growth across all our diverse neighborhoods. Today, I join our Board of Supervisors and the men and women of our public safety agencies to do even more by announcing additional resources for the Fire and Emergency Management departments and celebrate the opening of our City’s new Fire Station 48 on Treasure Island.”
“San Franciscans deserve to feel safe. And we will continue working together to ensure they have the reliable fire and emergency medical system they deserve,” said Board President Breed. “Along with Mayor Lee and the Ambulance Working Group, we are launching a series of measures to resolve the ambulance crisis and keep our growing City safe.”
“I am very pleased that Mayor Lee and President Breed are supporting our efforts to serve the public in the best way possible,” said Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. “This is a big step in the right direction, and a great investment in emergency services.”
“I’m grateful that Mayor Lee and Board President Breed are providing additional resources to address the need for more personnel and equipment for the San Francisco Fire Department,” said San Francisco Firefighters Union Local 798 President Tom O’Connor. “These are critical resources that will help firefighters and paramedics keep our City safe while growing the Department and serving the public around the clock.”
Mayor Lee’s proposed two year budget includes $35.7 million in new Fire Department investments, and will add:
• Two new Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)/Paramedic training academies over the next two fiscal years, with the first graduates expected to be in the field by June 2015 and the second class in Summer 2016. This investment will add 33 more EMTs on City streets responding to 911 calls. They will join a graduating class of 42 EMTs/Paramedics who will graduate this week.
• Four firefighter training academies with the first graduates expected to be in the field by December 2015. This investment will deliver 82 new firefighters to the City’s ranks.
• Emergency vehicles including ambulances, fire engines and fire trucks. The proposed budget will fund infrastructure improvements at fire stations, and public safety radios for the Fire, Police & Sheriff Departments.
• New technology and innovation investments with a data initiative to analyze 911 call data and other emergency service metrics to better plan for and respond to emergencies, a recruitment initiative to further diversity the Fire Department, a new supervision model and civilian logistics team for the Ambulance Deployment Center at Station 49, a Mobile Integrated Healthcare Practice team to improve care for patients that rely on the 911 system for their healthcare to reduce 911 calls and emergency room use, improved technology to better track patients for emergency medical services, and long term strategic planning to address population growth.
In his proposed Fiscal Year 2015-16 and 2016-17 budget, Mayor Lee is proposing $11.6 million in new Department of Emergency Management (DEM) investments and will add:
• Three 911 Emergency Dispatcher Classes over the next two years and funding for overtime while new hires are being trained in order to address increasing call volumes. The first class will begin taking 911 emergency calls in Summer 2016. DEM’s additional budget also includes funding to strengthen 911 operations, and to continue implementation of the City’s public safety radio replacement project.
Mayor Lee made today’s announcement at Fire Station 48, a newly constructed fire station completed in eight months with a $2.7 million construction budget, serving Treasure Island with San Francisco firefighters on duty 24 hours, 7 days a week. Significant interagency cooperation by City agencies including San Francisco Public Works, the San Francisco Fire Department, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Building Inspection and the Treasure Island Development Authority delivered the crucial public safety facility project successfully.
The Fire Department is working with the Department of Public Works and the Capital Planning Program to include a new $40 million Ambulance Division facility, commonly referred to as Station 49, in the City’s Capital Plan. The combination of a better-designed facility in conjunction with specialized warehouse staff and a computerized inventory tracking and management system will significantly reduce ambulance down time. It is anticipated the new facility will open by 2019.
“We are investing in training more firefighters, paramedics and 911 dispatchers and making necessary upgrades to the current infrastructure, equipment and capacity in order to provide improved services 24 hours a day that will meet the demands of our growing City, today and in the future,” said Mayor Lee. “Our public safety agencies are keeping our City and residents safe, and we are preparing for emergencies and disasters in this time of tremendous growth across all our diverse neighborhoods. Today, I join our Board of Supervisors and the men and women of our public safety agencies to do even more by announcing additional resources for the Fire and Emergency Management departments and celebrate the opening of our City’s new Fire Station 48 on Treasure Island.”
“San Franciscans deserve to feel safe. And we will continue working together to ensure they have the reliable fire and emergency medical system they deserve,” said Board President Breed. “Along with Mayor Lee and the Ambulance Working Group, we are launching a series of measures to resolve the ambulance crisis and keep our growing City safe.”
“I am very pleased that Mayor Lee and President Breed are supporting our efforts to serve the public in the best way possible,” said Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. “This is a big step in the right direction, and a great investment in emergency services.”
“I’m grateful that Mayor Lee and Board President Breed are providing additional resources to address the need for more personnel and equipment for the San Francisco Fire Department,” said San Francisco Firefighters Union Local 798 President Tom O’Connor. “These are critical resources that will help firefighters and paramedics keep our City safe while growing the Department and serving the public around the clock.”
Mayor Lee’s proposed two year budget includes $35.7 million in new Fire Department investments, and will add:
• Two new Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)/Paramedic training academies over the next two fiscal years, with the first graduates expected to be in the field by June 2015 and the second class in Summer 2016. This investment will add 33 more EMTs on City streets responding to 911 calls. They will join a graduating class of 42 EMTs/Paramedics who will graduate this week.
• Four firefighter training academies with the first graduates expected to be in the field by December 2015. This investment will deliver 82 new firefighters to the City’s ranks.
• Emergency vehicles including ambulances, fire engines and fire trucks. The proposed budget will fund infrastructure improvements at fire stations, and public safety radios for the Fire, Police & Sheriff Departments.
• New technology and innovation investments with a data initiative to analyze 911 call data and other emergency service metrics to better plan for and respond to emergencies, a recruitment initiative to further diversity the Fire Department, a new supervision model and civilian logistics team for the Ambulance Deployment Center at Station 49, a Mobile Integrated Healthcare Practice team to improve care for patients that rely on the 911 system for their healthcare to reduce 911 calls and emergency room use, improved technology to better track patients for emergency medical services, and long term strategic planning to address population growth.
In his proposed Fiscal Year 2015-16 and 2016-17 budget, Mayor Lee is proposing $11.6 million in new Department of Emergency Management (DEM) investments and will add:
• Three 911 Emergency Dispatcher Classes over the next two years and funding for overtime while new hires are being trained in order to address increasing call volumes. The first class will begin taking 911 emergency calls in Summer 2016. DEM’s additional budget also includes funding to strengthen 911 operations, and to continue implementation of the City’s public safety radio replacement project.
Mayor Lee made today’s announcement at Fire Station 48, a newly constructed fire station completed in eight months with a $2.7 million construction budget, serving Treasure Island with San Francisco firefighters on duty 24 hours, 7 days a week. Significant interagency cooperation by City agencies including San Francisco Public Works, the San Francisco Fire Department, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Building Inspection and the Treasure Island Development Authority delivered the crucial public safety facility project successfully.
The Fire Department is working with the Department of Public Works and the Capital Planning Program to include a new $40 million Ambulance Division facility, commonly referred to as Station 49, in the City’s Capital Plan. The combination of a better-designed facility in conjunction with specialized warehouse staff and a computerized inventory tracking and management system will significantly reduce ambulance down time. It is anticipated the new facility will open by 2019.