Fire chief warns Vision Zero street changes slow response, presses Capital Plan for station repairs and PFAS-free gear

Chief of Department Janine Nicholson updated the commission on department activities and funding needs, saying street-design changes tied to Vision Zero have slowed response times without measurable reductions in pedestrian or cyclist deaths. “We're the only ones that seem to have been impacted on that,” Nicholson said, urging improved enforcement and coordination with police and MTA to mitigate traffic impacts on firefighters.

Nicholson announced a $700,000 grant secured through the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi to support the department’s training center and reiterated a previously reported $2,300,000 award aimed at replacing turnout gear. When asked for a ballpark cost to replace all turnouts, Nicholson estimated between $10 million and $12 million.

She outlined staffing and training updates: the department is running EMT internship placements that offer 500 hours of ambulance experience, and several academy classes (H2/H3) are progressing but have faced attrition and other challenges. Nicholson described ongoing efforts to develop an internal dashboard to surface key operational data for the mayor’s office, supervisors and the public.

On capital needs, Nicholson said she and Support Services lead Mark Corso requested approximately $7,000,000 from the Capital Plan Committee for priorities such as seismic retrofits and station repairs — a modest ask against hundreds of millions in total needs. “The process that the Capital Plan Committee currently has is not working for us, and it needs to change,” she said, urging coalition building across public-safety agencies to press for greater support.

Nicholson framed the department’s push for PFAS-free turnouts and foam as a multi-year effort: staff have pursued legislation and vendor engagement and participated in hearings. Commissioners offered support and asked the department to continue advocating for state-level changes where needed.