Fire Department details Omicron impacts, booster clinics and firefighter cancer research; City EMT pipeline highlighted

Chief Janine Nicholson opened the department report on Jan. 26 by saying Omicron infections among members had fallen from about 160 to 36 cases in the previous 10 days, but significant mandatory overtime remains necessary to cover sick leave and retirements.

"We are still doing our best to...cover for our members who are out sick, with mandatory overtime," Chief Nicholson said. She noted a mayoral supplemental has been submitted to address staffing shortfalls and support recruitment and training efforts.

Deputy Chief Tom O'Connor and division chiefs reviewed training, health and wellness activity in December and the department’s response to the Omicron wave. O'Connor credited medical and occupational teams for setting up rapid antigen testing and two booster clinics, saying the department boosted about 250 employees in two weeks and had set up clinics at the Division of Training and Station 49.

Assistant Deputy Chief Bryce Peoples described the City EMT (99.10) pipeline program run by a nonprofit in partnership with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the department: five participants are currently in the program, four have completed the required 500 ride-out hours and will be eligible to take the H3 Level 1 test for EMT qualification, and the department hopes to expand the pipeline.

O'Connor summarized the department’s firefighter cancer research involvement: the department contributed data to a large NIOSH cohort study of roughly 30,000 firefighters across San Francisco, Philadelphia and Chicago; that study, completed earlier this decade, is cited as a foundational data set linking increased cancer rates to occupational exposures and has informed protective measures such as more frequent turnout cleaning, post-fire decontamination and ongoing biomonitoring.

Commissioners asked for and received clarifications on return-to-duty procedures: a positive test requires up to 10 days isolation, and an employee may return after five days if symptom-free and negative on a rapid antigen test reported through the physicians’ office. O'Connor also addressed concerns about PFAS in turnout linings, saying the industry and department are seeking PFAS-free options though no definitive causation between PFAS in turnouts and cancer has been established.

Ending

Commissioners thanked staff for the reports and recognized operational impacts and long-term health initiatives; the Commission will continue budget and staffing oversight as the supplemental and academy planning move through the Mayor’s Office and Board of Supervisors.