Fire chief says unannounced concrete barricades on Cap Street risk response times; department coordinating with SFPD and MTA

San Francisco Fire Department Chief Janine Nicholson told the Fire Commission on Feb. 8 that concrete barricades put in place on Cap Street over the weekend were installed without prior notification to the department and that the agency only learned of the change after the barriers were already in place. "I was not notified until it actually happened," Nicholson said, describing multiple phone calls she made to express the department’s "grave concern."

Nicholson warned that fixed concrete barriers can impede emergency response, noting the need to access streets from both ends for firefighting operations and that narrow or blocked streets create hazards for responders and residents. "It would really, really impact…It's like working on a dead end street," she said, citing risks to response times and firefighter safety.

Commissioners said they understood residents’ frustration and pressed for better interagency coordination. Nicholson said the department has met with Supervisor Ronan’s office and is engaging the police department; she said the MTA had discussed a six-week turnaround for changes but the department is pushing to shorten that timeline.

The chief’s comments came amid wider discussion of the department’s recent response to an explosion at a house on 20 Second Avenue that displaced residents; Nicholson and commissioners said residents expressed gratitude for the department’s response at community meetings.

What happens next: Nicholson said she will continue discussions with the mayor's office, Supervisor Ronan’s office and SFPD and will keep commissioners updated on progress toward an alternate solution. No formal action was recorded at this meeting to remove or alter the barricades.