Appointed and sworn in on September 3, 2024 by Mayor London Breed, Chief of Department Sandra “Sandy” Tong has over thirty-five years of experience working in Emergency Medical Services. Chief Tong started her EMS career in San Francisco as a field paramedic, and later in the 911 dispatch center for the Department of Public Health prior to the merger with the Fire Department in 1997.

Her extensive experience as a clinical supervisor in the field, 911 dispatch, and ambulance administration in San Francisco uniquely prepared her to serve as Assistant Deputy Chief of EMS and Community Paramedicine, and now as Chief of Department.

Throughout her career, Chief Tong has valued and appreciated the dedication of all providers doing the difficult and challenging work of first responders, EMTs, and paramedics. Her goals are to ensure the Department operates as effectively as possible by educating the members with training and feedback, strengthening our capacity to respond and be resilient to disasters, prioritizing the wellness and safety of our members, meeting the emerging challenges of an expanding and evolving EMS system, increasing diversity in our new hires and promotions, and ensuring our members have the necessary equipment to provide the best service to all the citizens and visitors of San Francisco.

Chief Tong earned a bachelor’s degree in Sino-Soviet Relations from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.