New Local 798 Board Installed

At the January General Membership meeting of San Francisco Firefighters Local 798, the new Executive Board was sworn in by IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer Frank V. Líma & IAFF 10th District VP Stephen Gilman.

2025-2026 Executive Board:

President: Alec Kauf

Vice President: Sam Gebler

Secretary: Mario Flaherty

Treasurer: Sina Riahi

Director: Tim Finch

Director: Jeramiah Cadigan

Director: Michael Guajardo

Director: Andrew Clark

Director: Alex Evanoff

Local 798 welcomed newly-appointed SFFD Fire Chief Dean Crispen and are looking forward to working together to protect and serve San Franciscans. The members also recognized the decades of service of Past-President Floyd Rollins, Secretary Adam Wood, and Treasurer Stephen Giacalone. The organization is extremely grateful for their time, energy and expertise dedicated to the betterment of Local 798 and its members.

Veteran battalion chief Dean Crispen named new San Francisco fire chief

The announcement of new leaders continues in San Francisco. Dean Crispen, a 34-year veteran San Francisco Fire Department battalion chief, has been promoted to fire chief, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Friday. "My number one goal as chief of the department is to safeguard the health and safety of all members of the San Francisco Fire Department and all San Franciscans,” Crispen said in a statement. "We are implementing Mayor Lurie's vision for a safer, cleaner San Francisco and will continue to collaborate with other departments to ensure citizens are receiving the best public safety services." Crispen becomes the 27th fire chief for the San Francisco Fire Department. A news release from the city highlighted the following accomplishments in Crispen's career:

·      Served as fire captain of stations in Chinatown, North Beach, and South of Market, and as battalion chief to stations that are among the busiest in the city and the country

·      Recognized three times for bravery in the service of San Francisco’s residents, following the rescue of elderly victims in fires in the Tenderloin

·      Acted as Incident Commander at over 50 major incidents in San Francisco and was part of the SFFD’s response in New York City in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001

NBC

SF sends nearly two dozen firefighters to SoCal blazes

San Francisco is sending nearly two dozen firefighters to Southern California to aid crews responding to the series of destructive blazes tearing through the Los Angeles area. Twenty-two San Francisco Fire Department personnel — 20 firefighters and two chiefs — left for Los Angeles around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Mariano Elias. “This is what we train for,” Elias told The Examiner. “The mission of any fire service across the country is to protect life, property and environment. That’s what our members are going to do.”

SF Examiner/NBC

San Francisco firefighters battling L.A. fires describe current situation, memorable moments

San Francisco Fire Department firefighters Antonio Custodio and Dani Rosenthal, still working the front lines in the Pacific Palisades area, speak about what they have seen and experienced while saving lives, property, and fire victims' precious memories.

CBS

San Francisco Fire Department shows off its emergency readiness in preparedness drill: 'Be vigilant'

When preparing for a disaster, San Francisco says it's ready to respond. The LA fires have raised questions about the city's readiness when it comes to an emergency. On Saturday, a unique event showcased the fire department's innovative technology and water supply. Water power was on display along San Francisco's Embarcadero. The San Francisco Fire Department was showing off some unique firefighting tools like the St. Francis Fire Boat, essentially a floating fire hydrant on the bay. New Fire Chief Dean Crispen was giving Mayor Daniel Lurie a tour outside Fireboat Station 35, and a demonstration of the city's high pressure fire hydrant system.

ABC7

Cancer is the unseen danger in the Los Angeles fires

Firefighter Matt Alba was having flashbacks. Watching video footage of Los Angeles getting torched by wind-fed flames unlocked memories of his fight against the Camp Fire six years ago. He spent 11 days in a fiery hell named Paradise, the California town that was incinerated by wildfire in November 2018. More than 18,000 buildings turned to ash. Alba had no lung protection for most of that time. But there was sickness in the smoke. He inhaled a toxic swirl of chemicals released from heavy metals and carcinogens as homes and cars burned. They can damage the brain. He remembers sniffing a smoldering tree stump in a burnt down mobile home park. It smelled acrid and unnatural. “I turned back to my crew and said, ‘Oh man, I just took five years off my life with that inhale,’” he recalled in an interview. “And that was before I came down with brain cancer.” Cancer is the No. 1 cause of death among firefighters. Now, crews battling the Los Angeles blazes are again inhaling cancer-causing chemicals without proper respiratory protection. It underscores how communities are unprepared for the changing nature of wildfire.

E&E News

What to put in your "go bag" for a fire or other emergency evacuation

Having a go-bag and kit when an earthquake or wildfire strikes will make things easier, officials say.

CBS

Man dies in San Francisco Bernal Heights shooting that left woman, toddler injured

A shooting inside a home in San Francisco Thursday morning left one person dead, another severely injured, and also injured a toddler in what appears to be an attempted murder-suicide. The shooting happened on the 1000 block of Tompkins Avenue in the city's Bernal Heights neighborhood near the Alemany Farmers Market. San Francisco police spokesperson Officer Eve Laokwansa said officers who responded found a woman and a man with gunshot wounds. The woman was treated by officers on the scene and medics who then took her to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Medics pronounced the man dead at the home, Laokwansa said.

CBS

Seven-vehicle crash in San Francisco kills 1, follow previous hit-and-run crash on Highway 280

A multi-vehicle hit-and-run crash in San Francisco Sunday evening killed one person and sent several others to the hospital, including one victim with life-threatening injuries. A suspect was detained, police said. The crash followed shortly after another multi-vehicle crash nearby on Interstate Highway 280, the California Highway Patrol said. The San Francisco Police Department said the initial report of a crash came in at about 6:10 p.m. in the area of 6th and Harrison Streets. One person and a dog died at the scene and another person was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

CBS

S.F. pedestrian fatally struck by car on Upper Great Highway identified

A 68-year-old San Francisco woman has been identified as the pedestrian struck and killed by a car along the Upper Great Highway on Dec. 27. Melissa Lai Chow died after the early morning collision at Upper Great Highway and Ulloa Street, San Francisco medical examiners said Thursday. She was transported to a local hospital, where she died, officials said. Public records show Chow was an Outer Sunset resident.

SF Chronicle

Person fatally struck by BART train in S.F., officials say

A person was fatally struck by a BART train Saturday night in San Francisco, officials said. The incident was first reported at about 8:50 p.m. between the Civic Center and Powell Street stations, BART spokesperson Chris Filippi said. “A person was on the tracks for an unknown reason when a train approached and a collision appears to have occurred,” Filippi said. “The person has been killed.” BART police and San Francisco Fire Department crews were on scene, he said. No further details, including the victim’s identity, were known.

SF Chronicle

3 injured after multi-vehicle crash in Sunset District

One person was taken to the hospital after a multi-vehicle collision Tuesday afternoon in the Sunset District, the San Francisco Fire Department announced on X. That person was taken to a trauma center and is in “serious condition.” The crash happened at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Santiago Street. Two other adults were also injured but are currently in stable condition in the hospital, according to SFFD. The adult in serious condition was helped out of the vehicle by firefighters who used a Jaws of Life tool.

KRON4

San Francisco police pursuit ends in crash, injuries

Two San Francisco officers suffered injuries early Monday after crashing into a building during a police pursuit, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Monday’s chase began at around 3:20 a.m. after SFPD officers near 9th and Howard streets in the South of Market district spotted a suspect vehicle that had evaded police on Sunday. Authorities said they observed the vehicle committing “multiple traffic violations” and attempted to pull it over. The suspect driver failed to yield, sparking a vehicle pursuit that led south, SFPD said. The chase ended in the Portola neighborhood when the suspects crashed into a pole and the police vehicle crashed into a building near San Bruno and Paul avenues.

KRON4

Photo courtesy of Paul Miller

S.F.’s Dovre Club badly damaged after car smashes into building

The Dovre Club, a storied San Francisco pub, was badly damaged after a car crashed into it on Wednesday morning, fire department officials said. San Francisco fire officials responded to the 1400 block of Valencia Street just after 9 a.m., where they found two damaged vehicles and one damaged structure, officials said. Preliminary evidence suggested that two cars collided and one hit the Dovre Club, police officials said. A photo captured by Paul Miller, who owns the nearby Royal Cuckoo bar, showed the outside of the bar bisected by a silver car with firefighters and onlookers surrounding it. Next to it, a small black car can be seen in the middle of the street, badly smashed with part of its bumper strewn across the crosswalk.

SF Chronicle

Man injured in stabbing in San Francisco’s Tenderloin

A man was stabbed and injured Friday evening in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, authorities said. The stabbing occurred about 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of Leavenworth and Ellis streets, said officer Robert Rueca of the San Francisco Police Department. When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from an injury caused by an “edged weapon,” Rueca said. The victim, who was not identified, was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

SF Chronicle

Evacuation orders lifted following gas leak in SF neighborhood

Evacuations were lifted following a gas leak in the San Francisco neighborhood of Outer Richmond Saturday. San Francisco fire posted on social media that the gas leak was shut off and the evacuations orders were lifted. Power was also shut off for about 2,200 PG&E customers after city construction workers cut into a 4-inch gas main at 47th Avenue and Balboa Street while doing roadwork, causing an active gas leak at about 11:24 a.m. The leak was active for more than an hour, according to the San Francisco Fire Department. A temporary shelter bus is staged at 48th Avenue and Balboa for about 15 residents who were evacuated.

NBC

3.6 magnitude S.F. quake, aftershock centered in same spot as 1906 quake

San Franciscans were jolted by a 3.6 magnitude earthquake that struck just after 7 a.m. Friday at what may have been exact same location of San Francisco’s infamous 1906 earthquake. A 2.9 magnitude shake — the strongest of several aftershocks — was also felt in much of the city shortly at 10:48 a.m., more than three hours after the first quake. The epicenters of both the earthquake and the 2.9 magnitude aftershock were just offshore near the San Francisco Zoo, according to preliminary reporting from the U.S. Geological Survey. USGS data suggests they may have gone off at the precise coordinates of the 7.9 magnitude 1906 earthquake, which ruptured the San Andreas Fault from San Juan Bautista up to Cape Mendocino and set off fires that consumed the city.

SF Chronicle

BUDGET

Facing massive deficit, S.F. Mayor Daniel Lurie orders citywide hiring freeze on his first full day in office

Newly minted San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a citywide hiring freeze on his first full day in office Thursday as he looks to begin closing the city’s massive $876 million two-year budget shortfall. Lurie announced the move at his first meeting with department heads, his office said in a brief news release. It comes about a month after Lurie’s predecessor, former Mayor London Breed, directed city departments to plan for 15% spending reductions next fiscal year. Breed’s office said at the time that departments should consider freezing hiring and warned that layoffs, while not preferred, may be necessary to rein in spending. City jobs that are “historically challenging to staff” and “directly support public safety and health” will be exempt from the hiring freeze, Lurie’s office said. In his inaugural speech on Wednesday, he promised no cuts to police officers, 911 operators, emergency medical technicians, firefighters or nurses.

SF Chronicle

BAY AREA NEWS

Could San Francisco be devastated by wildfire? These neighborhoods are at highest risk

San Francisco is unlikely to experience a catastrophic wildfire like those that broke out in the Los Angeles area earlier this month because of its relative lack of wildland and its cool climate, despite ruinous conflagrations early in the city’s history. However, one of the city’s neighborhoods is at high risk and several are at moderate risk of wildfires.

SF Chronicle

San Francisco has an underground emergency water supply: How reliable is it?

The fires in Southern California have many wondering how prepared San Francisco is in the event of a major catastrophe. Sure, San Francisco neighborhoods have plenty of fire hydrants, but as we learned in Southern California, hydrants can run dry. It happened to us during the 1906 earthquake. It's been a constant reminder. In the last several years, San Francisco has added underground cisterns for a citywide total of 222, many holding up to 75,000 gallons of water. The largest is located near city hall with a capacity of more than 240,000 gallons of water.

ABC7

Daniel Lurie was sworn in as S.F. mayor. Here’s what he wants to tackle right away

After being sworn in as San Francisco’s new mayor Wednesday, Daniel Lurie vowed to restore a sense of order and safety to a city beset by incessant public drug dealing, people in crisis on the streets and a declining downtown, even as he warned it will take him time to enact long-lasting change. Lurie took the oath of office under sunny skies on a blue stage erected in the middle of Civic Center Plaza, with City Hall’s iconic dome looming large behind him. Minutes later, he told the large crowd seated before him how he will focus the early efforts of his administration around a push to accelerate City Hall’s response to the fentanyl crisis and fulfill promises he made in his campaign last year. He said he would run a results-oriented administration that would tackle homelessness, help small businesses and streamline city services.

SF Chronicle

SF sets low for overdose deaths a year after record highs

San Francisco recorded fewer drug-overdose deaths in 2024 than in any year since the chief medical examiner started publishing monthly reports in 2020, according to preliminary data published Friday. The record low comes just one year after The City’s deadliest in that time. San Francisco’s 633 overdose deaths in 2024 marked a 22% decrease from the 810 recorded in 2023. “[The Department of Public Health] has transformed The City’s substance use treatment,” Dr. Grant Colfax, its outgoing director, said of the decline Friday. “Treatment saves lives.”

SF Examiner

STATE NEWS

California Fire Map & Tracker

An interactive map of wildfires burning across the Bay Area and California.

SF Chronicle

Photo by John Locher/AP

AP Top Photos California Wildfires

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

SF Gate

Dry hydrants. Grounded aircraft. How L.A. struggled to get enough water to attack fires

Firefighters in the Los Angeles area faced a severely overtaxed water system as they attacked four separate blazes to the north and west of the city. Los Angeles authorities said fire hydrants began to run dry early Wednesday morning as the Palisades Fire raged, and compounding the problem, water-drop aircraft were also grounded by high winds for more than 24 hours after the first blaze started Tuesday morning. Municipal systems “are not designed to fight wildfires,” Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works, said at a press briefing Wednesday. “A firefight with multiple fire hydrants drawing water from the system for several hours is unsustainable.” Pestrella urged residents to conserve water, or turn it off before evacuating, to help make more water available for fire suppression.

SF Chronicle

The critical emergency prep step that every Californian should take — but too many forget

Water bottles. Medication. Cash. Flashlights. There’s a long list of items to keep handy in a go-bag in case of emergency. But what about the vehicle to evacuate in? “It’s pretty simple: Keep your tank filled at all times,” Cal Fire spokesperson David Acuña said Thursday. “If there is a chance of evacuation, fill it up.”

SF Chronicle

What is Watch Duty? How to sign up for the app Californians are glued to for fire news

Like approximately 10 million other people in Los Angeles, I received a terrifying yet erroneous notification Thursday that I was in a wildfire evacuation warning zone. My group chat with my neighbors — and the one with my book club, and the one for the moms at our day care — promptly exploded. And most of us were saying the same thing: “This can’t be right. Watch Duty says we’re nowhere near the fires.” … “Watch Duty doesn’t show us as an evacuation zone.” … “I’m looking at Watch Duty right now and I don’t see anything.” A week ago, I’d never heard of Watch Duty, a free app created by a Bay Area nonprofit that displays maps and live updates on fire activity. Now, as deadly wildfires rage across the Los Angeles area, everyone I know is glued to it.

SF Chronicle

ABOVE & BEYOND

Local Heroes Night

One of the most popular professional teams in the Bay Area are the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors do a great job of bringing Bay Areians together with the excitement of games, giving the chance to people to come together and support. The Warriors organization creates nights where fans can receive the same feeling of support and limelight. Throughout the season the Warriors host different theme nights where different groups in the community are highlighted. “We do a different theme each night and we highlight and celebrate different cultures. We had Jewish heritage [December fifth] and we have Filipino Heritage Night,” explained a member of the Warriors organization. “We like to highlight different communities as well as cultural heritage. We do Special Needs Awareness Night as well, to raise awareness.” On Dec. 6, the Warriors hosted Local Heroes Night. Local Heroes Night was a night that was dedicated to “highlight members of local law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical technicians,” shared the organization member. On that night local heroes from all around the Bay Area were welcomed to the game and celebrated.

Tri-City Voice



SF businesses fundraise for SoCal wildfire relief efforts

San Francisco business owners and humanitarian organizations are giving local residents an opportunity to provide relief and financial assistance to victims of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. The Palisades (17% contained as of press time) Eaton (35% contained) and Hurst (95% contained) fires had combined to burn nearly 39,000 acres — a larger total than the land area of San Francisco— according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The since-contained Kenneth and Lidia fires burned another 1,400 acres. Officials with the Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said Tuesday that at least 25 people were dead, with the death toll expected to rise as first responders search more heavily scorched areas in Southern California and with Los Angeles and Ventura counties under a National Weather Service-issued red-flag warning that signals a particularly dangerous situation through Wednesday at 6 p.m.

SF Examiner

NATIONAL NEWS

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

988

Retired SF Firefighter Obituary: Leo R. Martinez, Sr.

02/13/1939 - 01/12/2025

It is with heavy hearts and deep gratitude that we announce the passing of Leo R. Martinez Sr., beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, on January 12, 2025, at the age of 85. Born on February 13, 1939, in Jackson, California, to Leo and Frances Martinez, Leo lived a life defined by unwavering generosity, boundless energy, and deep devotion to his faith, his family and friends, and his community. He spent nearly his entire life in two San Francisco neighborhoods he dearly loved: 24th & Potrero where he met his wife, Mary, and the Excelsior District where the couple started their family in 1961. He graduated from Lowell High School, served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, and worked at Pacific Gas & Electric prior to joining the San Francisco Fire Department. He also served as an umpire from 1960-1980 for various baseball/softball leagues, including the Pac 10, and was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Northern California Umpires Association. He was a passionate sports enthusiast with a particular love of baseball and golf, and an avid fan of the San Francisco Giants and 49ers. As a San Francisco firefighter, Leo served at Engine 43 and Engine 42 during his 30-year career and formed lifelong bonds with his firehouse family.

SF Chronicle

 Michael Murphy (Ret.)

Deceased: 12-22-24

Rank: H-30

Gary Dale (Ret.)

Deceased: 10-6-24

Rank: H-40

Brian Kyono (Ret.)

Deceased: 9-12-24

Rank: H-20

Elizabeth Leahy (Ret.)

Deceased: 9-9-24

Rank: H-2

Joseph M. Wilson (Ret.)

Deceased: 7-10-24

Rank: H-39

Tilafaiga Ta'ape Jr. (Ret.)

Deceased: 6-11-24

Rank: H-2

Stephen Silvestrich (Active)

Deceased: 4-16-24

Rank: H-20

Gregory Wyrsch (Ret.)

Deceased: 3-6-24

Rank: H-30

John “Jack” Hirshfeld (Ret.)

Deceased: 3-9-24

Rank: H-50

Walter Bertollo (Ret.)

Deceased: 2-12-24

Rank: H-20

Tom Vanderee (Ret.)

Deceased: 2-10-24

Rank: H-3

Ed Phipps (Ret.)

Deceased: 2-4-24

Rank: Chief of Department