The video recording is attached:  http://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=180&clip_id=24794

 

President Covington called the meeting to order at 5:04 PM. 

 

1.         ROLL CALL
 

Commission President, Francee Covington     Present 

Commission Vice President, Ken Cleaveland   Present

Commissioner, Stephen Nakajo                       Present

Commissioner, Michael Hardeman                  Present

          Chief of Department, Joanne Hayes-White      Present

 

Mark Gonzales, Deputy Chief - Operations

Raemona Williams, Deputy Chief – Administration

 

Jeff Myers, EMS

Ken Lombardi, Support Services

Dan DeCossio, Bureau of Fire Prevention

Jeff Columbini, Division of Training

Shane Francisco, Homeland Security

Rudy Castellanos, Airport Division

Assistant Chiefs

Kevin Taylor, Division 2

Kirk Richardson, Division 3

     

Staff

Mark Corso, CFO

Jesusa Bushong, Personnel Officer

2.         PUBLIC COMMENT

Ray Crawford spoke regarding RC-4.  He gave a brief history since it’s deactivation in 2010, talked about the Grand Jury Audit and urged the Commission on behalf of the EMS Officers’ Association and the citizens of San Francisco, for assistance with the administration to please reactivate the RC-4 unit.

3.         PRESENTATION FROM NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (NERT) [Discussion]

Report from Lt. Erica Arteseros, Coordinator of the NERT Program and NERT Board Members.

Lt. Arteseros started by thanking and recognizing the members in the room who are NERT trained by asking them to stand.  President Covington acknowledged that she is NERT certified.  Lt. Arteseros also announced the members of the NERT advisory board that were in attendance which included Robert Geleta, Gary Pegueros and Rebecca Liebersbach.  She added that the Board meets monthly to provide guidance to the program.  She gave a brief history of her time with the SFFD, joining the Department in 1997 and has been the NERT coordinator since 2004.  She spoke about how the story of NERT is a safe story and safe is safety awareness for everyone.  It’s a non-profit that organizes Neighborhood Watch.  The program has been in existence since October 1990.  She stated that the basic training is really geared toward making sure that people have the tools they need to prepare for and respond during an emergency such as an earthquake, whether it's to take care of themselves personally or to take care of the greater community.  The NERT program is closely related to the federal CERT program, Community Emergency Response Team.  Training volunteers by neighborhood is a force multiplier to a fire station in that neighborhood.  It allows additional responders knowing that when the wheels come off the bus in this city from a disaster, that we are going to be overwhelmed quickly and the community will be ready.  She provided a definition of the acronym of NERT as follows:  N is for neighborhood, the program is very neighborhood based and they are fiercely loyal generally to the neighborhoods that we live in, and that's a city identity in and of itself.  E is for effective.  They are really focused on having effective responders and that's where the retention side is so important for volunteers.  R is for the infrastructure.  They want to have a ready infrastructure to support additional training of residents in San Francisco and to fund adequately and support of program in a way that it can thrive and grow.  T is for the team aspect.  They want healthy teams in each neighborhood, and that involves partnerships and collaboration.  Lt. Arteseros invited members of the board to talk.  Mr. Robert Geleta introduced himself and stated that he’s been in NERT since 2001, and is on the advisory board.  He added that since 1990 they've trained over 26,000 San Franciscans to be self-reliant in a major disaster.  Mr. Gary Pegueros stated he is the chair of the NERT advisory board and has been training since 2006.  He explained how NERT does their basic training which consists of about 20 hours of training offered throughout the year, and generally broken down into six classes.  Throughout the year, they offer additional drills, classes and workshops to refresh and strengthen the skills that were learned.  He mentioned that the certification is good for two years and at the end of those two years, the individual needs to retake class five and six, which extends the certificate for two more years.  Rebecca Liebersbach stated she has been NERT trained since 2011 and talked about the specific slides in the PowerPoint Presentation attached below.

Attached is the PowerPoint presentation she provided:  http://sf-fire.org/sites/default/files/COMMISSION/Fire%20Commission%20Support%20Documents%202015/SFFD%20NERT_Fire%20Commission%202-2016%20v3_0.pptx

Vice President Cleaveland thanked the presenters and mentioned what a great program NERT is.  He asked what the budget for NERT is.  Lt. Arteseros stated the current budget if $450,000.00 and covers all of the year round instruction for thirty 20-hour courses, the ongoing retention and training efforts, and a full time salaried position.  She added that they do need an increase in the budget to support the day to day operations of the training program and she would estimate that to be about $100,000.00.  Vice President Cleaveland added that he thinks there needs to be more outreach into middle schools and high schools on fire prevention and the NERT program and teen NERT can be a significant contributor to education on fire prevention.

Commissioner Nakajo acknowledged former Fire Commissioner Larry Griffin who was sitting in the audience and thanked him for his service under Mayor Frank Jordan. 

Commissioner Nakajo thanked Lt. Arteseros and stated he appreciated all the hard work she and her staff put into the NERT program.  He shared his experience during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the birth of NERT.

Chief Hayes-White stated how very proud she is of the development of the NERT program, which was born out of the Loma Prieta earthquake.  She added that she used to be a NERT instructor in the 90's, and is proud to say that she was the person that picked Lieutenant Arteseros to lead NERT, and who has done a phenomenal job.  Lt. Arteseros has served as NERT coordinator as long as Chief Hayes-White has served as Chief and it's more than just a job to her, she really lives, eats, and breathes the NERT program.  Chief Hayes-White added that she also gives a great deal of respect and admiration for the Advisory Board for the work that they do.  It is volunteer work, not paid.  They also share a similar passion for the importance of a Neighborhood Emergency Response Team in the City and County of San Francisco.  She thanked them very much, and in addition to the men and women representing nearly 26,000 people that have been trained, they could be doing  many things on Saturdays and the days they put in for the drills but they choose to continue to work together to make our neighborhood stronger.

Commissioner Hardeman acknowledged what a fantastic program NERT is.  He read the names of all the board members, Gary Pegueros, Maxine Fasulis, Lisa Dunmeyer, Cris Martin, Sylvia Borgonovo, Rebecca Liebersbach and Robert Geleta.  He stated that his wife is NERT trained and went on to describe his experience on the night of the Loma Prieta earthquake.

President Covington thanked everyone who presented on NERT.  She mentioned that she was NERT trained and she encouraged her fellow citizens to get out and be NERT trained, and that it is actually a lot of fun and when you’re done, you feel less vulnerable, and you feel that you can be of service to your fellow citizens.  She asked Lt. Arteseros to delineate on some of the other areas NERT covers.  Lt. Arteseros stated that through basic NERT training you will be exposed to personal preparedness, utility shut off, triage, search and rescue, incident command and hands on skills that include how to handle a fire extinguisher.  Once you complete the basic training, they are put in a context of working in a neighborhood command post, which is tracking volunteers, radio communications between volunteers and fire battalion stations, damage assessment and things of that nature.  Lt. Arteseros stated that their two big events of the year are in April and October, where they set up mock neighborhoods and based on the number of people who have registered they play out drills that one might encounter in a real catastrophe.

There was no public comment on this agenda item.

4.         OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY OF SUPER BOWL 50) [Discussion]

Assistant Deputy Chief of Homeland Security, Shane Francisco to provide after action report of Super Bowl 50.

Chief Francisco gave a recap of the events during Super Bowl 50.  He mentioned that the event was very successful and safe and most people noticed the heavy police presence.  He acknowledged Incident Commander, Assistant Chief Dave Franklin, Operations Chief, Battalion Chief Mike Thompson, EMS Chief Jeff Myers and EMS Operations, Section Chief Tony Molloy who all did a great job.  He also gave a shout out to the members of Station 49 and the firefighters that volunteered to work long hours.  He mentioned that some of the information was not available, such as tax revenue and hotel occupancy rates.  He shared the attached PowerPoint presentation:  http://sf-fire.org/sites/default/files/COMMISSION/Fire%20Commission%20Support%20Documents%202015/AAR%20SB50%20Fire%20Commission%20-.pdf

Vice President Cleaveland thanked Chief Francisco for a job well done, including his team.  He mentioned on behalf of the Commission and the City, how grateful they are for the Fire Department’s involvement in keeping the Super Bowl 50 event as safe as it was.  He asked if Chief Francisco knew what the cost to the Fire Department was for the Super Bowl 50 event.  Chief Francisco responded that the numbers are not in yet but he thinks it’s in the neighborhood of around $250,000.00.  Chief Hayes-White added that originally, when the budget was being discussed last year, they earmarked approximately $250,000.00 for Super Bowl 50, but subsequent to that, during discussions with the Mayor’s office, it was projected to be closer to a $500,000.00 range, but the details will be finalized in the coming weeks.

Commissioner Nakajo also thanked Chief Francisco and his staff for the work done in preparing for Super Bowl 50.  He stated that the presentation, as comprehensive as it was, is really important for San Franciscans to really know what it takes in order to pull off something like the Super Bowl Event/Super Bowl City.  He added that whatever budget figure gets submitted to the Mayor’s office, the citizens of San Francisco can see what it costs to be able to provide a great event.

Commissioner Hardeman thanked Chief Francisco and commented on his athletic strength and conditioning.  He added that it was very reassuring that with all the folks he had working with him protecting the visitors and all the residents was comforting and because he was so prepared he deserves a pat on the back.

President Covington thanked Chief Francisco as well as Chief Castellanos and Chief Guzman.  She thought everything went fabulously well.  She added that it was very good that the Chief of the Department selected Chief Francisco for these duties as he brings a wealth of knowledge and a depth of experience which was put to good use over those nine days. 

Public Comment:  Larry Griffin expressed his appreciation for the Fire Department’s response to a fire on February 13, 2016 right around the corner from his house.  He acknowledged how professional the firefighters were and just wanted to commend them for a job well done.

5          CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT’S REPORT [Discussion]

REPORT FROM CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT

Report on current issues, activities and events within the Department since the Fire Commission meeting of February 10, 2016, including Fiscal Year 2015-2016 budget, staffing changes, academies, strategic planning, 150^th Anniversary update, special events, communications and outreach to other government agencies and the public.

Chief Hayes-White’s report covered information since the last meeting on February 10, 2016.  She started with the budget, stating they were successful in submitting it on time, on February 22, 2016 and she looks forward to ongoing discussions with the Mayor’s Budget Office prior to their submittal of a balanced budget to the Board of Supervisors on June 1, 2016.  She added that they are in the process of confirming a date for the Budget Committee to meet with the Mayor’s Budget Director, Kate Howard and Chief Hayes-White anticipates that will be sometime next month.

With regards to the 119^th academy, she mentioned they are off to a good start, they began on January 25^th, and two weeks later were joined by 14 members from Station 49 with a graduation date in May followed by the 120^th recruit class which has yet to be selected.  She touched on other staffing matters, including 13 members that are transitioning to become full-time EMT’s of the Department.

Chief Hayes-White stated that the Strategic Planning Committee met on February 23, 2016 and had their final subcommittee report out, including communications, revenue, fleet and they welcomed Vice President Cleaveland, who recently joined the Committee.  The goal is to synthesize all of the subcommittee reports and put them into a working draft document and set another meeting date to discuss the path forward in terms of how to disseminate it to the Commission and members in the Field.

Regarding the 150 Anniversary, Chief Hayes-White mentioned that they are looking forward to an official kick off in conjunction with the NERT drill on April 17^th and on April 18^th with the commemoration of the 1906 earthquake and fire.  She reported that she has made steady progress in terms of getting corporate sponsors to assist and partner with the Department on many of the events.  She touched on special events, including the Chinese New Year Parade, and the attendance of Commissioners Nakajo and Hardeman, alongside the Asian Firefighters Association at that Parade.  She mentioned that she and the deputies are continuing to have open lines of communication with the membership and Local 798, in addition to meeting with the United Fire Service Women and Los Bomberos on February 16, 2016.  She met with BOS President London Breed on a number of department issues related to the training facility, the rebuild of Station 5 and the need to get back on track with the apparatus replacement plan.   She announced that the Department of Human Resources administered the Assistant Chiefs Exam on February 19^th and 20^th and 21 members participated and completed that process.  She also announced that she nominated Firefighter/Paramedic John Christy who oversees the Employee Assistance/Stress Unit, and he received an award at the Rotary Club Luncheon for his outstanding work.  She concluded her report by stating this morning, she participated in a leadership forum with Treasurer Jose Cisneros and the Mayor's Office of Economic Workforce Development, Todd Rufo, on a panel discussion for mid-level to high level city managers at the main library where they were asked about challenges related to their respective roles in city government.

Vice President Cleaveland thanked Chief Hayes-White for her report and mentioned that it is always very informative and appreciated.  He asked her how much money they were trying to raise for the 150^th Anniversary Events.  Chief Hayes-White explained that they have a lot of very good partners that appreciate the dedicated work the men and women of the Department do, active and retired and she would share the information with the commission and publically at the next commission meeting.  Vice President Cleaveland inquired as to the event to take place on December 3, 2016, if it would be open to members of the public.  Chief Hayes-White stated that it is still being developed and they definitely want to acknowledge the members that are working that day, but also offering something for off duty members.  They are also looking into a civil celebration sometime in September.  Vice President Cleaveland suggested also including and inviting the NERT participants and NERT certified members.

Commissioner Nakajo thanked Chief Hayes-White for her report.  He asked for clarification where she reported that some interim per diem H-8’s were offered permanent positions.  Chief Hayes-White confirmed that they offered 14 people the opportunity to transition from their per diem status to full-time status.  They are EMT positions and they are very well trained, they all have paramedic licenses and 13 have accepted the offer. Commissioner Nakajo acknowledged what a great accomplishment that is.  He also asked how the graduates of the 117^th and 118^th academy classes have integrated within the Department.  Chief Hayes-White stated that 117^th class is off probation and the 118^th is still undergoing some testing and are still on probation.  Commissioner Nakajo suggested at some point, he would like an update on how the new graduates are performing out in the field.  Commissioner Nakajo also acknowledged a letter received from Supervisor Campos encouraging the Commission to hold a meeting in the Mission.  Chief Hayes-White stated that she has been more than willing to go out to the Mission District and she has spoken with some of the advocates in the Mission with that offer, similar to what President Covington suggested about perhaps something more informal like a roundtable where there would be Department presence, including the Fire Marshal and two Commissioners and she stated that she would defer the decision to President Covington.  President Covington acknowledged there will be a meeting in the Mission, but the details still have to be worked out.

Commissioner Hardeman thanked Chief Hayes-White for her report and read the letter sent by CHP thanking the SFFD for their quick response on February 2, 12016 when one of their members was stabbed and their gratitude to Paramedic Tianero, EMT Yukich and Paramedic Intern Edelman.  Letter attached:  http://sf-fire.org/sites/default/files/COMMISSION/Fire%20Commission%20Support%20Documents%202015/letter%20from%20chp.pdf

Chief Hayes-White echoed the great work done by the members that day, and often times when they respond to incidents, the members give their heart and soul and sometimes the challenge or the frustration is that they don’t always find out what the outcome is.  In this particular case, they were able to reunite the three members, and put them out of service when they found out the CHP Commissioner was flying in from Sacramento to meet with his injured member at the hospital and he was able to personally thank them.

REPORT FROM ADMINISTRATION

Report on the Administrative Divisions, Fleet and Facility status, Finance, Support Services, Homeland Security and Training within the Department.

Chief Williams’s administrative report covered the month of February, 2016.  She touched on the Super Bowl 50 after action report, the Chinese New Year Parade, the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) workgroup meeting.  She stated that the assignment office has been conducting interviews for the vacant H-20 position and the filling of the two 1844 civil service positions.

Chief Williams reported that Captain Sheila Hunter conducted 32 random alcohol and drug tests and all results were negative.

Chief Williams stated that the 119 recruit academy is in their 5^th week and staff is very busy during this time as they are also administering the six month and one year testing for the probationary members in the field as well as in-service training of members which includes below grade training taking place on Yerba Buena Island.  She acknowledged Lt. Arteseros in overseeing NERT training, and who is very dedicated and involved in the program.  Chief Williams gave a brief update on the ESER Bond projects, including Station 16, Station 5 and other projects in the works.  She added that Chief Lombardi has met with representatives from the Union, the Cancer Prevention Foundation and members from the airport to discuss concerns regarding health and safety of the relocation and construction projects taking place.  She mentioned that BOE continues to reorganize their warehouse for more efficiency and better operations and staffing.

Vice President Cleaveland thanked Chief Williams and asked when the new Fireboat will be completed.  Chief Williams responded that it’s tentatively scheduled for completion on May 31^st.  Vice President Cleaveland asked if the concerns about the Airport health issues have been taken care of.  Chief Williams confirmed that they have been addressed.  There was discussion on continuing education and all members are encouraged to seek additional education as well as what is in the budget for continuing education.

Commissioner Nakajo thanked Chief Williams for her report and asked for clarification on the finalization of the ESER projects.  Chief Williams confirmed that some of the ESER projects are in their final stage of completion as far as repairs and replacements.  Chief Lombardi confirmed that it is in reference to the 2010 ESER bond and the only two projects that will be left will be Stations 5 and 16.  Commissioner Nakajo suggested that at a future meeting, getting an update on the operations of Station 4.

Commissioner Hardeman commented that Chief Williams has become very efficient in her report.

President Covington inquired regarding the training fund.  She mentioned that it was her understanding that an opportunity for members of the department to have additional training and get certified in particular areas, if they decide to take a class and it’s an away class at the end of the year, and the funds have already been expended from the training fund, the member has to pay for the class themselves.  She asked if there was a way to spread the monies out so they last throughout the year.  Chief Hayes-White responded that it is something they can look into to, but generally it is done on a first come, first served basis.  She added that it would be less of an issue if they are able to achieve growth in the training fund.  President Covington encouraged members to apply as soon as they realize they want a particular training course.   Chief Hayes-White added that it should also be noted there is a financial incentive built into the memorandum of understanding with Local 798 whereby if you take the initiative to grow yourself and expand with classes and education, they are compensated for that by the City at a 6.5% training and education incentive pay increase.

President Covington asked if there was a name for the new fireboat.  Chief Hayes-White stated that it is under development at this point, but they intend to have a competition most likely with the Unified School District, along with the Chronicle, where they will assist in putting out information for a 30-day period, where school children will have an opportunity to submit names for the fireboat.

President Covington asked Chief Hayes-White to elaborate on the discussions she had with BOS President Breed pertaining to Station 5.  Chief Hayes-White stated they are ongoing discussions, as President Breed has taken quite an interest in Station 5 as it’s in the heart of her district.  Chief Hayes-White added that they have agreed to provide her with the most up to date blueprints and that Chief Lombardi will review with her.

There was no public comment.

6.         AGENDA FOR NEXT FIRE COMMISSION MEETING [Discussion]
Discussion regarding agenda for the March 9, 2016 regular meeting.

• Fire Safety Task Force
• EMS-6 Update
• Staffing at Station 49
• 911 Task Force

There was no public comment.

7.         COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED SINCE LAST COMMISSION MEETING

• Letter from Leonard Peoples received 2/16/16

There was no public comment.

8.         ADJOURNMENT     

President Covington adjourned the meeting at 7:00 p.m.