SFFD: Chinatown Waymo incident prompts 92 AV reports and push for state‑level rules
February 14, 2024 | San Francisco City, San Francisco County, California
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San Francisco Fire Department leaders used their Feb. 14 commission meeting to flag increasing incidents involving autonomous vehicles and to urge statewide standards for handling them.
Chief of Department Janine Nicholson and operations leaders recounted the recent Waymo incident in Chinatown and described how the department has begun treating autonomous‑vehicle (AV) encounters as a distinct reporting category. "We took it out of the regular unusual occurrence form and made it a distinct AV reporting form," one chief said, noting the form captures response time, company communications and other AV‑specific details. The department reported 92 AV incidents to date.
Officials said San Francisco is coordinating with other cities and national bodies on an AV response framework but that primary regulatory authority rests with state agencies. As Nicholson put it, "the DMV and the CPUC have the say" over regulating vehicle operations, so the department is working with elected officials and state partners to push for consistent standards.
Why it matters: Commissioners and chiefs said AV encounters can obstruct emergency operations, create novel hazards for first responders and require different on‑scene tactics than conventional crashes. Chief staff described instances of obstruction, slow company response times to remove vehicles, and a need for standardized reporting so cities can aggregate data and press for regulatory fixes.
Commissioners praised the department's data‑sharing and training efforts. Deputy operations staff noted the department has been in conversation with chiefs nationally and with Los Angeles County Fire, and that having a standardized AV report has been valuable to other jurisdictions.
Next steps: The department said it will continue to share AV data with city and state partners, participate in national working groups, and pursue legislative or regulatory avenues that clarify AV company responsibilities and response times.
Chief of Department Janine Nicholson and operations leaders recounted the recent Waymo incident in Chinatown and described how the department has begun treating autonomous‑vehicle (AV) encounters as a distinct reporting category. "We took it out of the regular unusual occurrence form and made it a distinct AV reporting form," one chief said, noting the form captures response time, company communications and other AV‑specific details. The department reported 92 AV incidents to date.
Officials said San Francisco is coordinating with other cities and national bodies on an AV response framework but that primary regulatory authority rests with state agencies. As Nicholson put it, "the DMV and the CPUC have the say" over regulating vehicle operations, so the department is working with elected officials and state partners to push for consistent standards.
Why it matters: Commissioners and chiefs said AV encounters can obstruct emergency operations, create novel hazards for first responders and require different on‑scene tactics than conventional crashes. Chief staff described instances of obstruction, slow company response times to remove vehicles, and a need for standardized reporting so cities can aggregate data and press for regulatory fixes.
Commissioners praised the department's data‑sharing and training efforts. Deputy operations staff noted the department has been in conversation with chiefs nationally and with Los Angeles County Fire, and that having a standardized AV report has been valuable to other jurisdictions.
Next steps: The department said it will continue to share AV data with city and state partners, participate in national working groups, and pursue legislative or regulatory avenues that clarify AV company responsibilities and response times.
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