San Francisco Fire Department reports 12,700 April calls, highlights multi-alarm responses and buprenorphine pilot

Deputy Chief Robert Postel told the San Francisco Fire Commission the department recorded roughly 12,700 calls for service in April, including 22 working fires and three greater-alarm incidents. Postel described three notable incidents: a second-alarm apartment fire on Upper Terrace with wind-driven conditions, a multi-structure Noe Valley fire that complicated laddering and required aerial operations, and a commercial/attic fire in West Portal that prompted a precautionary third alarm.

Postel praised incident commanders and crews for coordinating hose lines, ventilation and aerial operations that confined fires to the initially involved structures and prevented wider spread. Assistant chiefs on scene (identified in the transcript as Assistant Chief Storey, Assistant Chief Mike Thompson and Assistant Chief Nicole Juradovac) were singled out for their command roles.

Postel also described a mutual-aid deployment: the department's fireboat Saint Francis responded to a Benicia pier fire where its bow-mounted under-pier monitor nozzles allowed crews to reach deep-seated asphalt-deck fire. The boat was on scene for 26 hours and flowed water for more than 18 hours, Postel said, and the deployment provided regional benefit.

On emergency medical services, the department reported steady daily call volumes (about 300350 per day), several academy graduations that boosted staffing, and the start or expansion of community-paramedicine, street crisis and street wellness teams. Chief Simon Peng told commissioners the department has been approved for a pilot program allowing community paramedics to administer buprenorphine for opioid dependence; three people were started on the medication under the pilot during the previous month. Peng said buprenorphine can reduce the immediate risk of re-overdose after Narcan reversal and called the pilot an important step to provide timely treatment.

Bureau of Fire Prevention data in the report showed 706 plan submissions and 637 plan approvals in April and 1,611 inspections completed that month; staff said they continue to meet with SFMTA and the Street Design Advisory Team to review streetscape changes that could affect fire access. The department said it is participating with SFMTA and a third party on a study that uses GPS-tracked vehicle data to analyze how street changes affect response times and that the report will be shared when available.

The commission thanked staff for the report. Commissioners asked follow-up questions on training, the Evans Street facility, response-time studies and coordination with SFMTA. No additional formal actions were taken during the report.