Photo by Adele Gilani

SF Firefighters Rally to Ban Forever Chemicals in Protective Gear

On March 26^th, members of Local 798 were joined at City Hall by leaders from the California Professional Firefighters the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) to bring awareness to the fact that our members safety is no longer going to be a passive request. As Firefighters, we encounter danger on the job everyday, but we cannot continue to stand-by while the protective gear that is supposed to keep us safe continues to be manufactured with cancer-causing PFAS forever chemicals. Our members came together to say that we can't wait any longer. Too many of our brothers and sisters have died from cancer. 

We want to thank the President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin, along with Supervisors Ahsha Safai and Connie Chan for working with us to create and introduce local legislation to make sure we are doing everything possible to become the first fire department in the country to utilize protective gear that will not contain PFAS chemicals. Most importantly, we want to thank all of the members who came out and supported this event. We showed solidarity on this issue and are committed to continuing our efforts to protect the health and safety of all of our Local 798 brothers and sisters.

Local 798

Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

San Francisco proposes strongest-in-the-nation ban on ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighter clothing

Firefighters are more likely to develop cancer and die from it than the general population, and it’s not just smoke from burning buildings that’s suspected of making them sick. Firefighting clothing is made with synthetic “forever chemicals” linked to cancers, organ damage and other illnesses, and though manufacturers have reduced the amount of these chemicals in the materials, they still remain in an inner layer close to the skin. San Francisco is poised to take the strongest step in the country to remove this layer laden with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals with a proposed ordinance barring the chemicals from the city’s firefighting gear by June 30, 2026. Supervisor Aaron Peskin said the city would be the first to pass such a law.

SF Chronicle

San Francisco firefighters rally against chemicals used in uniforms

San Francisco could be the first city in the nation to ban a common type of firefighter uniform found to emit cancer-causing chemicals. Firefighters on Tuesday joined city leaders on the steps of city hall to voice their support for new legislation introduced in the afternoon requiring San Francisco provide new uniforms to its roughly 800 firefighters over the next two years. "Each one of us knows members, has grown up with members, has had to help members who have had this horrible disease just kill their bodies," said Floyd Rollins, San Francisco firefighters union president. "Since 2006, we are looking at over 300 San Francisco firefighters that have lost their lives." Nationwide, companies are still in the testing phase of developing uniforms that do not contain the cancer-causing chemical.

NBC

2 killed, 3 injured after car crashes into San Francisco bus stop

Two people, including one child, were killed and three others were injured when a car crashed into a San Francisco bus stop Saturday, firefighters said. Four people were at the bus stop at Ulloa Street and Lenox Way, outside the West Portal Branch Library, when an eastbound car struck the shelter about 12:13 p.m., said Lt. Mariano Elias, a San Francisco Fire Department Public Information Officer. Two people at the bus stop were pronounced dead at the scene. The other two people at the bus stop and the vehicle's driver were injured and taken to the hospital, Elias said.

NBC



Infant's organs donated to save other children in need after entire family dies in SF crash

New details in the deadly crash that killed a family of four at a San Francisco bus stop on Saturday. The 78-year-old driver who hit them is out of the hospital. Meanwhile, family members say the organs of the youngest victim, a 3-month-old baby, were donated. The baby died of his injuries on Wednesday. His parents and brother died last weekend. The victim's family is thanking the community for their support. The family said in a statement "Diego and Matilde" were what one would call real "life enhancers -- the kind of people everyone loved to be around."

ABC7

10 displaced, 2 injured in overnight apartment fire in San Francisco's Lower Nob Hill

Fire crews in San Francisco rescued two adults, a child and a cat from a burning apartment building on Post Street late Tuesday night, authorities said. According to a tweet posted Wednesday morning, firefighters responded to a one-alarm structure fire at 825 Post St. that was reported at about 11:40 p.m. The first unit arrived quickly and observed heavy fire emerging from the second-floor window that extended to the third floor of this four-story multi-residential building. One child and two adults were rescued from an exterior fire escape by firefighters as flames and heat quickly closed on them. The fire grew to engulf the second and third floors, with multiple rescues from the interior and roof of the building. A child and one of the adults were transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Crews were able to contain the fire by around 12:12 a.m. The post also noted that a pet cat was safely rescued from the building. A total of ten people were displaced by the fire.

CBS

Photo courtesy of the SFFD

Electric scooter fire in Tenderloin apartment displaces residents

At least four residents were displaced after firefighters extinguished a San Francisco apartment building fire caused by an electric scooter, authorities said. At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were dispatched to a single-alarm incident at a six-story building at Leavenworth and O'Farrell streets in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood, San Francisco fire spokesperson Lt. Justin Schorr said. When firefighters arrived within two minutes at a six-story apartment building at 500 Leavenworth St., they found a fire in a second-floor apartment with no extension to nearby apartments.

The SF Standard

Photo courtesy of the SFFD

San Francisco crews contain 1-alarm fire in home

Crews contained a 1-alarm fire in the 600 block of Morse Street in San Francisco Sunday morning, according to firefighters. The San Francisco Fire Department responded to reports of a structure fire at around 7:56 a.m. It added that an engine arrived shortly after, and saw flames and heavy, black smoke visible in a second-story window. Crews then searched the home and extinguished the fire before it spread to other buildings, ultimately containing it at 8:26 a.m. The department reported that no one was injured, although two people were displaced.

NBC

1 hospitalized after car crash at bus stop near Golden Gate Park

A person was taken to the hospital after a car crash Saturday afternoon at a bus stop near Golden Gate Park, the San Francisco Fire Department confirmed. The crash happened around 4:50 p.m. at the Fulton Street and Park Presidio Bypass. The victim was taken to the hospital for evaluation, SFFD said.

KRON4

United flight lands in San Francisco with a hydraulic leak and ‘small amount of smoke’

A United Airlines flight landed in San Francisco on Thursday with a hydraulic leak and other issues, the latest in a string of alarming malfunctions for the airline. Flight 1816, originating from Dallas-Fort Worth and bound for San Francisco International Airport, landed safely after four hours of travel with 150 passengers and five crew members on board. Emergency vehicles stood by as a precaution as the passengers deplaned at the gate, according to a spokesperson for United. “A small amount of smoke was observed around the landing gear,” they added. However, they reassured, “This is routine and is often caused when hydraulic fluid comes in contact with brakes.”

SF Chronicle

Two dead after shooting in S.F.’s Portola neighborhood

Two people were killed in a shooting inside of a home in San Francisco’s Portola neighborhood Sunday night, authorities said. The shooting happened just before 8:45 p.m. in a home on Dwight Street, San Francisco police said in a statement. Officers rendered aid to two victims, who were later declared dead by medics at the scene, police officials said. The victim’s identities were not immediately known.

SF Chronicle

Two hikers and their dog rescued from a cliff at Fort Funston in San Francisco

Two people and their dog were rescued from a cliff at Fort Funston in San Francisco on Sunday night, a spokesperson for the fire department said. Rescue crews received a call at 7:52 p.m. from two people who were visiting from out of town and had found themselves stuck on a cliff after the tide came in, the fire department said. The pair and their collie-breed dog had been hiking until after the sun went down, only to find, after it got dark, that they could not get back to the trail. They used their cellphone to call 9-1-1 and coastal rescue crews arrived to get them to safety. One person suffered a superficial injury but, other than that, they and the dog are OK, the fire department said.

CBS

BAY AREA NEWS

San Francisco Firefighters Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Another amazing St Patrick’s Day! We are so appreciative of everyone who came from near and far who represented with us and especially to all of our family members who participated in the parade.

Local 798/SFFD

STATE NEWS

California to expand its memorial to fallen firefighters

The California Fire Foundation kicked off a $12 million fundraising effort this week to expand the California Firefighters Memorial in Capitol Park to make sure that all fallen firefighters in the state are properly remembered. Currently, over 1,500 firefighters’ names are etched on this wall, with 35 additional names added just last year. In recent years, deaths attributed to health reasons, even if they happen after the person has left the job, are more considered as being linked to working as a firefighter, leading to the need for a larger memorial. The foundation wants to add memorial space for another 4,600 names, which would provide for additional engravings over the next 150 years. The expansion could take five years to complete.

Fox5

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: John Henry Kruse Hirshfeld Jr.

July 13, 1928 - March 9, 2024

John Henry Kruse Hirshfeld, Jr., known affectionately as Jack or Jackie, passed away at the age of 95 on March 9, 2024, surrounded by loved ones at home in San Rafael. Jack was a lifelong Bay Area resident and a cherished friend to many. He was born on July 13, 1928, in San Francisco to the late John Henry Kruse, Sr. and Amelia Dorothy Arietta. Jack grew up in San Francisco alongside his sister, Valerie Jeanne Hirshfeld Dickinson, and his first cousin, Ella Frances Aiello, who was born in the same house as he, three months prior. He attended Balboa High School, where he was president of his senior class. Post-graduation, Jack proudly served his country during WWII as a Seaman 1st Class in the US Coast Guard and later enjoyed his years of travel as a U.S. Merchant Marine. Jack's professional life was marked by his dedication to the San Francisco Fire Department, which he joined in 1954, originally as a temporary Marine Fireman hired to be a stoker on Fireboat 2. He rose through the ranks and retired as Assistant Chief. Jack spent most of his career on Trucks 15 and 5, retiring after 35 years of service in July 1989. During his retirement, he remained close to his SFFD family at regular get-togethers. Before his passing, the Retired Firefighters of Sonoma County honored Jack's lifelong commitment to the fire department and its community with an award recognizing his 35 years of service and 34 years of happy retirement. Father John Greene, retired Chaplain of the SFFD and Jack's friend, remarked, "When Jack answered the 'last alarm,' he was one of the most respected members of the San Francisco Fire Department."

SF Chronicle

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

Dennis Sullivan (Ret.)

Deceased: 1-5-24

Rank: H-20

Michael McLaughlin (Ret.)

Deceased: 12-22-23

Rank: H-

Terrance Lee (Ret.)

Deceased: 12-11-23

Rank: H-2

Vincent Davis (Ret.)

Deceased: 12-2-23

Rank: H-2

Peter Killpack (Ret.)

Deceased: 4-19-23

Rank: H-2

Gerald Murphy (Ret.)

Deceased: 4-8-23

Rank: H-2

Andrew Roth (Ret.)

Deceased: 2-21-23

Rank: H-2