Fire commissioners press for review after retired chief warns slow streets could delay emergency response

A letter read into the record on April 14 by the commission secretary from retired San Francisco Fire Chief Robert L. Demens warned that converting temporary slow streets into permanent ones could impede emergency response and put lives at risk. Commissioners used the letter — and their own local observations — to press the fire department and the fire marshal for more data and policy clarity.

Demens wrote that “San Francisco's slow streets do just what the name implies. They slow or stop traffic on those streets, but they can also slow responses to emergencies by police cruisers, ambulances, and fire apparatus,” and cited Page Street as an example where traffic diversion has pushed vehicles onto neighboring streets.

Fire Marshal Dan DeCo and department staff explained that two separate permitting tracks exist: shared spaces (DPW) and slow streets (MTA). DeCo said the department reviewed temporary programs and supported many at the time of their short‑term approval but urged caution before making temporary designs permanent, noting the department’s internal tracking shows response‑time increases “anywhere from just a few seconds to 32 seconds” in some neighborhoods since 2016.

Commissioners asked whether the department had veto power; DeCo said the fire department provides data and recommendation but that the MTA or DPW are lead agencies on those programs. Commissioners pressed for more granular reporting on any increase in response times, specific examples of blocked intersections, and the cost/reimbursement status for waterfront rescues; several asked to agendize a formal review comparing traffic patterns and response metrics before MTA moves streets to permanent status.

Next steps: the commission asked staff to return with a focused agenda item that would include response-time data, a list of temporary installations that cause access concerns, and options for coordinating with MTA and DPW on mitigations before any permanent conversions.