[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6637954,"mediaKeyId","2578054-9bf97710c1ca7b47f4fa472023e01a2b","parentId",2578054,"title","Public commenters urge review of AWOS water plan and quick solar permit turnarounds","audioSeconds",292,"startMs",250000,"endMs",542000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2578054-9bf97710c1ca7b47f4fa472023e01a2b&start=250&end=542","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2578054-9bf97710c1ca7b47f4fa472023e01a2b/thumbnail_250000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6637954/San-Francisco-City/San-Francisco-County/California/Public-commenters-urge-review-of-AWOS-water-plan-and-quick-solar-permit-turnarounds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637954-b63b45b3e76f00032388d2c25d3c9678/orig.mp4?Expires=1770961867&Signature=SXNgek8wbl1bSC3~8GoqtWDrxu4OFMYl7gnIo9Xswjk5cop92EB2yk5nsLn2G-iW3sjz4KRyufFq2j4VRvInV8t4cQ9aowju18e5~j5TGLpFOghPRrnlDZ24UlVwRS3XWqzaDej5UZ~FSXGCakKXZBJYDHNYHM80YXfIeLJYeAwIeEJ2lXLJry6pkiHCRfG1dxsJA-B9og2bj-yhUM1sfO-Q7uThnfmNRmatNEqE6-AlZLdVLAf3RUl0uq1ZdmHlXiVnhs9k4PJ7k0yLw7CIw-xKmUNNpqu3o7RkMAZA0-LiGTkmVzi4c75URtDCh3YvW32UP5718nhzrnWOumhPMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of San Francisco","date","2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","article","Two members of the public used the Fire Commission's public‑comment period on March 12 to raise concerns about water supply plans for an Automated Water Supply (AWOS) system and delays in the fire department's plan review for solar and energy‑storage installations.

Eileen Bokin, identifying herself as a member of the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods speaking on her own behalf, urged the commission to review the project files and flagged what she described as long delays, cost overruns and technical problems she attributed to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's handling of AWOS pump station work dating back to 2010. Bokin said PUC proposals to extend AWOS service to the city's West Side would use potable water pipes and, in some proposals, source water from Lake Merced.

“If non drinking water is introduced into drinking water pipes, the Department of Health would need to issue a boil water alert,” Bokin said, warning that flushing potable pipes after firefighting could take “1.5 to 2 days.” She urged the Fire Commission to review the AWOS contract and project despite its completion and said she disagreed with PUC conclusions that dedicated AWOS to the West Side is infeasible.

Bokin also referenced state bodies she said could approve coastal or water permits more quickly than the PUC estimated, and she told the commission that the PUC's timeline estimates of 10 to 20 years for required permits were “beyond questionable.”

Separately, Eric Schoonmert, director of engineering for Luminalt, a San Francisco photovoltaic and energy‑storage contractor, said that SFFD had previously prioritized solar and battery permit plan reviews with 24–48 hour turnaround times but that his company is now “experiencing significant delays with wait times of up to 4 weeks before plan reviews even begin.” He said the delays contradict San Francisco's own priority permitting for solar and energy storage and that the slowness increases costs and delays installation for residents.

Schoonmert asked the department to return to the earlier 24–48 hour review standard for solar and energy‑storage plans.

Ending: The commission did not take immediate action during the meeting on either public comment item. Commission leadership and the department logged the comments into the record for follow‑up; no formal referral or review timeline was announced during the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of San Francisco - Video Open Video Only in Windows Media Player - Mar 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Two public commenters asked the Fire Commission to review the PUC's AWOS water plans and to restore previously faster SFFD plan‑review times for solar and energy‑storage permits.","taxTitle","San Francisco City, San Francisco County, California","taxId",5751,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6637959,"SFFD chief reports $876 million shortfall, prepares street teams rollout and CAD upgrade",10,1470000,1460000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2578054-9bf97710c1ca7b47f4fa472023e01a2b&start=1470&end=1460","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2578054-9bf97710c1ca7b47f4fa472023e01a2b/thumbnail_1470000.jpg","/articles/6637959/San-Francisco-City/San-Francisco-County/California/SFFD-chief-reports-876-million-shortfall-prepares-street-teams-rollout-and-CAD-upgrade","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637959-6dfe58a23e3e1bf4a6dafeb75cdcb530/orig.mp4?Expires=1770961867&Signature=n6Jk0gq0JnqWgu2nLP5LoWw4KnFyt8YKvz4~aHySAQ30vz8ZxorVh-7to1OdAtzTEXeYyF3uDO8hI9atk5zGyZokruHszz5IiQskNCYDs7SlVM7MoB0C-bj11n7zArxAb8BQ-O9w6bD8AoSII7pVVgj8CJbe0u1KIErR6xi-vNXX8gji8yWPfdMoidX23lsubCgWEIVw1bKxqhLiBRVpPe1hLQ8u9X3V3nL4A5hJUpYBBfuKUwawawn3NgorLSe~zLHjSm4L3Uvd8QbSFUaOS5dmUD9pZ2C5ODTvfM-3KhZqxaH5E495ICWGgC67gQrut7WFlUh1Qjj0BjaeeSOXlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief of Department Dean Crispin told the San Francisco Fire Commission on March 12 that the department is facing a large budget shortfall and is preparing several operational and organizational changes aimed at maintaining services while the city addresses revenue gaps.

“The overarching message is, we're gonna have to do more with less,” Crispin said, adding that the department's latest shortfall figure is $876,000,000 and that roughly $200,000,000 in FEMA reimbursements remain outstanding.

Why it matters: the reported shortfall and uncertain federal reimbursements could affect staffing, equipment purchases and rollout of new programs; Crispin described near-term steps to preserve essential services and to pursue revenue opportunities.

Crispin outlined several initiatives and operational changes:

- Street teams: Crispin described a city plan to field localized neighborhood street teams, initially three units (including a Tenderloin/Northern District team, a Mission team and a citywide roving team) with the stated aim of focusing on a by‑name list of individuals in need. The department expects a rollout on March 24 and said SFFD roles are still being finalized. “The plan…is to roll out this new plan of localized neighborhood based street teams,” Crispin said.

- Permit fee study and revenue work: Crispin said he and his command staff met with the treasurer's office to explore increasing revenue from ambulance billing, permitting and fire prevention fees; he said Director Corso will hire an outside firm to conduct a fee study to determine whether fees align with costs.

- CAD upgrade and disaster manual: Crispin said the department will begin a long‑overdue computer‑aided dispatch (CAD) upgrade—its first in 17 years—and is revising the disaster manual to add a CD4 command staff role and clarify responsibilities for large incidents.

- Strategic planning: Crispin said the department is preparing a new strategic plan to follow the 2022–26 plan and to lay out priorities for 2027 onward.

Personnel: Crispin said interviews were held for the H‑42 assistant fire marshal position and that he selected a promotion from within. The chief announced the promotion in the meeting: “we came to the correct decision, which was to promote Captain [Gower] to the H‑42 position,” and noted the promoted officer was present at the meeting. The transcript recorded inconsistent first names for the promoted officer; the department announced the promotion during the meeting and the position is H‑42 (assistant fire marshal). The promotion was an internal personnel decision rather than a commission vote.

Community and outreach: Crispin highlighted recent community events and murals—including a Black Firefighters Association mural in the Tenderloin and a mural program involving department members—and he praised local training programs such as the city EMT cohort run by retired chief Attica Bowden.

Crispin said the department will continue to examine efficiencies and to pursue fee and revenue updates in light of the budget pressures.

Ending: Commissioners asked for follow‑up on fee‑study timing and details about the street‑team integration. Crispin said the department will return with additional information as projects progress.","Chief Dean Crispin told the Fire Commission the department faces an $876 million budget shortfall and described a March 24 rollout for neighborhood street teams, a permit fee study, a CAD dispatch upgrade, and an internal promotion to the H‑42 assistant fire marshal post.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6637964,"SFFD reports ambulance offload delays, warns private BLS pilot strains resources",479,3841000,4320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2578054-9bf97710c1ca7b47f4fa472023e01a2b&start=3841&end=4320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2578054-9bf97710c1ca7b47f4fa472023e01a2b/thumbnail_3841000.jpg","/articles/6637964/San-Francisco-City/San-Francisco-County/California/SFFD-reports-ambulance-offload-delays-warns-private-BLS-pilot-strains-resources","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637964-3660b1ee859dabb239d0e3f1199c04e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770961867&Signature=lpdOP8JgdiHbD3L~Ip3tFPMK9UnfmXugSdfUh9mftnQJrqBQ2f1huDxAdkE7-0Rvxm~9KAdPWjAKH7bg7AvhXa6cHsPZFqT606cN3KDEPY6Ag~ge9i-KwPSwBaFvX3kSXwMC8filVrWLUf9tiMoO6Gn6LBCLf1YbEys6ITW8bN4l9l9Eu6OG0LJduAzpagmDUcLUFTmI4OLEJmQi21cV8Pr5A~TJi-IeZFcMISfEns7-K3cnnqxGtsQtqMWomWvKroIXWjIfZ40QVsY5OMcc7RgXSbNi2g-oi7sazPnJnGbkfp1XuSx51HjqXT6o9huFvdPVGvNJz3cLGGHDsb1xmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Chief Simon Pang told the San Francisco Fire Commission on March 12 that the department’s average ambulance patient offload time in February was about 50 minutes, well above the state benchmark of 30 minutes, and that prolonged delays have reduced advanced life-support capacity in the field.

“On average our time to transfer care to the hospital was about 50 minutes,” Pang said, adding that the department saw numerous lengthy delays, including instances that exceeded two hours. He told commissioners the delays have produced more “medic-to-follow” incidents—situations where an engine or other ALS unit must accompany or follow a private ambulance because additional treatment is required—reducing the department’s surge capacity.

Why it matters: prolonged offload times (APOT) tie up San Francisco Fire Department ambulances and paramedics, reducing available ALS units for new calls and contributing to staff burnout. Pang said the problem has operational and patient-safety implications and recommended tighter data collection and direct talks with hospital leaders.

Pang said the department is holding internal town halls this week to verify the APOT data before discussing it with hospitals and that he has proposed an APOT summit with hospital leadership. “We want to make sure that our data is as accurate as possible,” he said, noting inconsistent on‑scene signature practices can make offload times appear shorter than they were.

Pang described the city’s new pilot that allows private ambulance companies to place basic life-support (BLS) ambulances into the 911 system and said the department views the pilot as a contributing factor to operational strain. “We are not fans of the pilot, the BLS ambulance pilot. We certainly don't want to become permanent policy,” he said, explaining that when a BLS crew encounters a patient who needs ALS care, a paramedic from an engine must be assigned, removing ALS capacity from engine companies.

Pang gave several clinical and system examples to illustrate the department’s workload and outcomes. He said the department achieved return of spontaneous circulation in about 46 percent of the cardiac arrests it attempted to resuscitate in February. He also described a high-profile rescue at the Caret Center at USF, where bystanders and SFFD crews revived a swimmer, and a recent ambulance delivery of twins in which responders provided neonatal support.

Commissioners pressed for details and asked how the commission and city can help. Commissioner Alan Lowe suggested billing private contractors when SFFD resources are deployed to incidents originally assigned to private ambulance providers; Pang said the department would explore reimbursement options with the finance director. Commissioners also urged that front‑line experience inform hospital discussions; Pang said attending ER nursing and triage leadership in any APOT summit would be a priority.

Data caveats: Pang said some transcripted numeric counts of delayed transports in February were internally inconsistent and that the department is verifying the raw logs; he urged commissioners to await the validated figures from the internal town halls before drawing firm conclusions.

The commission expressed support for the department’s efforts to tighten APOT measurement, pursue a hospital summit, and bring verified examples from the field to discussions with hospital leadership.

Ending: Pang said the department will return with refined APOT metrics and with specific cases to present to hospitals. Commissioners signaled willingness to assist in convening hospital partners and reviewing reimbursement or policy options.","Deputy Chief Simon Pang told the San Francisco Fire Commission on March 12 that the department's average ambulance patient offload time in February was about 50 minutes, above the state 30-minute benchmark, and that prolonged delays are reducing ALS capacity and causing \"medic-to-follow\" incidents.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters urge review of AWOS water plan and quick solar permit turnarounds

SFFD chief reports $876 million shortfall, prepares street teams rollout and CAD upgrade

SFFD reports ambulance offload delays, warns private BLS pilot strains resources