San Francisco fire chief reports nearly $498 million budget, new recruits and training progress

Chief of Department Janine Nicholson reported to the San Francisco Fire Commission on department operations, staffing and the budget, saying the department is “very close to half a billion dollar budget this year. It’s $498,000,000.” Nicholson summarized recent events and personnel developments, including assistance at the Warriors Victory Parade, the graduation of 24 community paramedics who will join street teams, and the start of an academy class of approximately 50 new firefighter recruits.

Nicholson said the department’s training-facility project has advanced through at least one Senate committee and that every committee the project has faced so far has voted unanimously in favor; she said she hoped the process would conclude by September. She also announced the selection of Battalion Chief Patrick Darcy as assistant deputy chief at the airport division, to begin Monday.

Commissioners pressed for operational details. Vice President Steven Nakasho asked whether crowd behavior at the Warriors parade—where people reportedly “broke through and basically surrounded the bus”—had disrupted operations; Nicholson said police stepped in, units were staged across Market Street, and staff would follow up with a crowd-size estimate. Commissioners also sought clarity on station staffing levels and the timing of the next academy; Nicholson said the next academy is expected to begin in January 2023 after the current class.

Regarding budget mechanics, Nicholson said the department and the mayor’s budget office resolved structural issues with overtime and premium pay so fewer end-of-year requests are necessary. She characterized the budget as a structural fix to recurring funding needs and noted the department will appear before the budget committee for a second hearing the following day.

The commission received the report and had no public comments on the item. The department’s statements about staffing levels, training milestones and the budget were presented as updates; no formal policy actions were taken during this segment.