SFFD operations report: lithium-ion battery incidents and recent rescues highlighted

Deputy Chief Robert Postel presented the operations report for April, saying the department responded to 21 working fires, two greater alarms and multiple water and cliff rescues. He described a complex apartment fire at 1625 Leavenworth and a second‑alarm response at the Kelly Moore paint store on Bayshore Boulevard that involved a hillside encampment behind the building.

Postel highlighted a recent high‑rise incident in which a fire started by a lithium‑ion battery in a lift device required a second alarm; crews rescued five trapped occupants, including an elderly person in a wheelchair. "This fire was started by a lithium ion battery," he said, and noted that these battery fires can be difficult to extinguish and sometimes require HazMat and extended operations.

The operations report also covered 97 fire‑code citations issued in April, plan‑review workload (888 plans in review with 749 awaiting applicant responses), and progress on traffic‑calming analysis to assess how streetscape changes affect response times. Postel described a recent high‑rise drill and a new truck‑academy curriculum developed by senior battalion chiefs to transfer institutional knowledge to younger crews.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about encampment fire loads in industrial areas and probationary class timelines; training staff provided details on academy graduations and probationary schedules.

The commission did not take additional formal action on these operational items during the meeting.