Here’s the latest news from San Francisco Firefighters Local 798…
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Firefighter injured, multiple buildings damaged in 3-alarm fire in SF's West Portal neighborhood
One firefighter was injured as crews battled a blaze that damaged three buildings Monday in San Francisco's West Portal neighborhood. The three-alarm fire was sparked accidentally by construction, about 11:35 a.m. in the 300 block of West Portal Avenue, according to the San Francisco Fire Department. Crews contained the fire shortly after 2 p.m. The firefighter who was injured will be OK, the department said on social media. No other injuries were reported. Three commercial buildings with six addresses were damaged by the fire, and officials said one structure partially collapsed.
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Tent Fire Spreads to Building in San Francisco at Church and 15th Streets
Residents of a residential complex near San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood were evacuated Monday morning after a tent fire spread to their building, fire officials said. No injuries were reported in the one-alarm fire in the 300 block of Church Street, according to San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Jonathan Baxter. The tent fire was first reported about 6:30 a.m. and spread to a nearby three-story residential complex, which includes 1999 15th Street and 301-303 Church Street. The building was evacuated as a precaution, Baxter said. The fire was extinguished shortly before 7 a.m. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
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San Francisco has a new approach to the fentanyl crisis
San Francisco has developed a new response team to combat overdose deaths. In 2021, fentanyl killed more San Franciscans than covid-19.
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Fire in SF’s Tenderloin neighborhood contained
Firefighters responded to a one-alarm fire at an apartment building that broke out Sunday afternoon in the Tenderloin neighborhood, according to a tweet from the San Francisco Fire Department. The fire has now been contained. The fire was at a residence on 370 Turk Street, which is roughly three blocks away from the Civic Center BART station. Officials did not say how the fire started but know the fire started on the third floor at around 2:38 p.m. The fire was contained a few minutes later at 2:47 p.m. Video from the Citizen App shows San Francisco police were also at the scene of the fire.
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Firefighters, Coast Guard put out fire near Treasure Island
After a vessel was seen in distress between Pier 27 and Treasure Island, the San Francisco Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard responded and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported.
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4/20 Festival in SF's Golden Gate Park Returns After 2-Year Hiatus
San Francisco's annual 4/20 bacchanal kicked off Wednesday morning at Golden Gate Park for the first time in two years and organizers are expecting a large and enthusiastic crowd. Gates opened at 10 a.m. to welcome revilers to the park's Hippie Hill and Robin Williams Meadow areas and for the first time people are able to purchase smokey treats and edibles directly from venders on site. The cannabis products are "legal and tested," according to San Francisco Parks and Recreation spokesperson Daniel Montes. "The sales will help support the local cannabis industry. Because of the sales, however, this year no one under 21 years old will be permitted inside," Montes said. Roughly 20,000 people were expected to attend and to ensure everyone's safety, festival security measures include two layers of fencing around the event area, 40 park rangers, 90 private security guards, San Francisco fire and EMS personnel, a first aid tent and an increased SFPD presence of both uniformed and plainclothes officers in surrounding neighborhoods.
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S.F. gathers at Lotta’s Fountain before dawn for 116th commemoration of the 1906 earthquake and fire
Light from the waning full moon that hung over Market Street reflected off the gold of Lotta’s Fountain as former 49ers stadium announcer Bob Sarlatte stepped to the microphone with all the enthusiasm and drama that one can possibly muster at 4:45 a.m. in 47-degree cold on a Monday morning. “Once again you hearty, crazy folks have come together at this ungodly hour to remember and honor the memories of those hearty San Franciscans who survived being tossed from their beds 116 years ago this morning,’’ he began. The annual predawn commemoration of the earthquake and fire that began on April 18, 1906 was back to welcome the public for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders shut it down in 2020.
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S.F. police responding to fewer mental-health calls, but officials call for quicker action
San Francisco’s efforts to reduce the number of mental-health-related calls handled by police have shown progress but need to be accelerated, according to a new city report and the supervisor who has spearheaded the program. The report released this week showed that while new teams of mental health professionals have increased the percentage of calls they responded to about people in crisis, and police have reduced their portion of those calls, officers are still involved in a “significant” number. Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who drafted legislation that created the teams, praised the city’s efforts in a hearing on Wednesday, but said that the teams have not reduced the workload of police enough, and that many people in crisis have remained on the streets. “We all agree police should not be the primary first responders to incidents of people experiencing mental illness, substance use disorder or just not having a place to live,” she said. “We’re investing so much time, money and energy. By this time next year, we’ve got to see movement. … The public has to feel some difference in the street or otherwise we’re going to lose any goodwill we have left.” San Francisco is struggling to show improvements in addressing the crises of homelessness, mental illness and addiction on its streets even as it runs the Street Crisis Response Team and eight other outreach teams operated by multiple departments that respond to mental health crises, opioid overdoses and homeless encampments, among other issues.
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California Fire Map & Tracker
An interactive map of wildfires burning across the Bay Area and California. Read up on what you need to know about California fire season in 2021.
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Officials gather for wildfire management summit in the Bay Area
Executives at agencies battling wildfires around the world are meeting in California’s Bay Area Monday for a wildfire management summit. Mark Neveau, a former battalion chief and federal coordinating officer with FEMA, joined KCRA 3 to talk about the event. Neveau said wildfires are not only happening at a greater frequency but they’re four times larger. In 2014, there were 3,000 fires in the United States, he said. In 2020 that number jumped to 12,000. The Caldor Fire alone burned 221,835 acres — the size of New York City.
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Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters |
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Gary May (Ret.)
Deceased: 4-16-22
Rank: H-20
Thomas Griffin (Ret.)
Deceased: 4-5-22
Rank: H-2
James Juarez (Ret.)
Deceased: 3-29-22
Rank: H-20
Richard Fall (Ret.)
Deceased: 3-22-22
Rank: H-20
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James Garvey (Ret.)
Deceased: 3-16-22
Rank: H-20
Eric Nylander (Ret.)
Deceased: 3-6-22
Rank: H-3
Dennis Martino (Ret.)
Deceased: 2-24-22
Rank: H-2
Brendan Ward (Ret.)
Deceased: 2-24-22
Rank: H-40
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Robert Moser (Ret.)
Deceased: 2-22-22
Rank: H-40
Robert Haggett (Ret.)
Deceased: 2-3-22
Rank: H-2
Tyrone Rockett (Ret.)
Deceased: 1-24-22
Rank: H-30
John R. Ahern (Ret.)
Deceased: 1-14-22
Rank: H-30
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Local 798 Presents “Road to Recovery: Invest in Your Safety”
San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 is honored to present “Road to Recovery: Invest in Your Safety.” 2020 was an unprecedented year that was dominated by a global pandemic forcing nationwide shutdowns, unimaginable suffering, and loss of human lives. Through it all, the nearly 1,700 Firefighters, Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) of the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) went above and beyond the call of duty to provide lifesaving service under the most difficult and dangerous circumstances in recent history. COVID-19 impacted every aspect of our lives, and it highlighted the critical need to maintain a diverse and professional fire department that is fully staffed with adequate resources to protect the people of our City during times of crisis. This publication illustrates the critical needs of our brave Firefighters and Paramedics. Click HERE to view the publication.
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About Local 798
Local 798 is the labor organization of the proud men and women that serve as Firefighters and emergency medical responders protecting San Francisco. The members of the San Francisco Fire Department rely on Local 798 to focus on the wellbeing and safety of those that protect the lives of others. For more information, visit www.sffdlocal798.org.
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