San Francisco's newest mayor picks new fire chief
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's new mayor announced that the city will have a new fire chief in weeks.
Mayor Daniel Lurie looked inside the department and tapped Battalion Chief Dean Crispen as the next chief.
Crispen is a San Francisco native and has been with the department for more than 30 years. He takes over a department as the city and state grapple with massive fires in southern California.
Just two days after his own inauguration, Lurie announced his pick to lead the San Francisco Fire Department.
"I am honored and privileged to announce that I am appointing Battalion Chief Dean Crispen as Chief of the San Francisco Fire Department," said Lurie.
Crispen is a veteran San Francisco firefighter and native San Franciscan. Surrounded by his family and colleagues, he reflected on the challenging times in which he accepted the position.
"It is with a heavy heart that we gather here today in light of the tragic events unfolding in Los Angeles," said Crispen. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the citizens enduring such incredible devastation. We also pray for our first responders, who have committed to bring safety and stability to the affected communities. It is the honor of my life to receive this appointment."
The announcement comes as San Francisco and other Bay Area fire departments send crews to help address the devastating fires in Southern California. San Francisco has already sent eight vehicles and 31 firefighters to lend a hand.
On top of that, crews were on alert Friday morning after an earthquake off the San Francisco coastline.
"I received a stark reminder of the seriousness of this position this morning," said Crispen. "At 7:02 hours, we were struck by a 3.7 magnitude earthquake. Citizens of this city, our department stands ready to protect you and your loved ones."
The fire department said those crews in Southern California are working on overtime paid out of a state mutual aid agreement, and won't impact San Francisco's readiness for an emergency closer to home.
The new mayor said he was in communication with the head of emergency management within two minutes of the earthquake off the city's coastline.
"We are well-resourced," said Lurie. "That we are committed to safety here in San Francisco first and foremost and any additional resources we can provide down south we will."
City leadership said San Francisco stands ready to send more resources to the southland but is waiting for word from emergency management in Southern California to call for help when needed.
"The worst thing is to arrive uninvited before they're ready," said Mary Ellen Carroll from San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management. "So, that is a process and I fully expect that we will get those mutual aid requests within the coming days."
The city's next fire chief greeted rank-and-file firefighters, there to watch the announcement. Crispen will be sworn in later this month. Until that time, Interim Chief Sandy Tong will continue to lead the department.