San Francisco Fire Department

TURN DOWN YOUR DAMN SIRENS!!! I can hear every single siren coming from miles away while sitting 23 floors up. It feels like I’m on the damn street I can hear them so clearly. They cause unnecessary stress and noise in a city that’s already overcrowded and jam packed thanks to tech bros. Do we really need the fire department driving their huge 40 ft fire truck, lugging around 500 gallons of water to an «emergency» situation of some crack head slipping on the ground, simply because they have the defibrillator on their truck, rather than having it on the ambulance where it belongs? All in the name of padding that annual budget to keep all your lazy asses employed.

The San Francisco Fire Department is overstaffed, and overpaid, and as a consequence bored firefighters like to cruise the streets on weekends with 40 feet fire trucks, stopping for coffee and donuts, or whatever it is that bored firefighters do.
The noise of these trucks in the narrow streets, even without their sirens on is pretty obnoxious, as is the sense of entitlement that fire fighters have that this is a perk of their job. I lived in NY, and have never seen more fire trucks cruising up and down the streets just for joy rides as I have in SF.

Michael Patt of the SFFD did an outstanding job assisting me with fire protection permit problems that cropped up years ago under another owner of a property I had purchased and was remodeling. The problem involved expired permits that had never been finalized by previous contractors who had long since lost their paperwork. I could not get my own work finalized by the Department of Building Inspection because of two, outstanding expired permits and was under a looming deadline to complete my construction work. I called and left a voice mail message for Michael Pratt on a Friday. He was on the phone with me by Monday, giving me all his attention. I explained my problem and my deadline. He got on it immediately. He researched the City’s records, found out the problem and resolved it within two days, staying in touch with me and contacting me even after hours. I never expected this kind of service from a government employee. I was told I could expect weeks of delay. Having lived in this City all my life, I have always prided myself on the slogan that San Francisco is «the City that knows how.» Michael Patt is another example of why that slogan rings true.

Another day, another story about a drunk firefighter.
Problems in the SF Fire Department go all the way to the top.
The lack of professionalism has now infected the ambulance service, too, as a result of the incompetent decision to merge it with the FD.

«San Francisco’s fire chief has explicitly banned firefighters from using helmet-​mounted video cameras, after images from a battalion chief’s Asiana Airlines crash recording became public and led to questions about first responders’ actions leading up to a fire rig running over a survivor (Ye).»
Way to skirt responsibility Joanne Hayes-​White!
«Why would anybody not want to know the truth?» «What’s wrong with knowing what happened? What’s wrong with keeping people honest? «That’s what the helmet cam did, in effect, in this case,» Anthony Tarricone, a lawyer for Ye’s family, said.

Note: this is not a post decrying the actions or abilities of the firemen of this station. While I was not conscious during the ride, they seemed to be very nice and competent people.
However, the biling department is a completely different story, These are some of the most incompetent and infuriating people I have ever met. It was a bit of a hassle the first couple of payments; you have to call and give all the information as they keep nothing on file. I asked if there was a way to make automatic payments, and the person I spoke with advised that I could do so with my bank.
My bank found SF Fire Dept and its code. I was able to send in two payments. Then, I got a bill. Neither of those payments, over $ 200, were accounted for. When I called, they said they needed the check number. I looked through my information, gave them what I had (an electronic record number). They said they didn’t support electronic payments. I asked the bank to verify. They said that they did, that it was confirmed that they received the payment. I asked them to fax over the proof of payment. I had this back and forth for a couple months. I verified that this wouldn’t affect my credit; they said no, because the notes on the account would be sufficient.
Finally, my bank decided to reimburse me the amount I sent in electronically. After making sure that this was the case and they wouldn’t try to resend, I decided to pay in full because I was just done with the whole situation. I called to do so, and they informed me that my account was already sent to a collections agency. With NO notice.
They tried to tell me that they sent a final notice (that I didn’t receive), even though this was before the date of the last personal call that I made to them when I verified that my credit wouldn’t be affected. My bank had sent them at least one more (maybe more) fax regarding proof of payment.
In sum, don’t try to send things automatically through your bank to them. Don’t take them at their word. When they start screwing up with over $ 200 of your money, they won’t care to help you in any way. They will just decide to screw over your excellent credit.
I hope to never deal with these people ever again and that when I speak with the agency they will be able to work something out with me. Because, this? This is ridiculous.

This review is specific to the paramedic/​ambulance service that we, as tax payers; citizens, receive from the city. Fasten your seat belts, it’s gonna’ be a nasty ride. (Sort of like the DISGUSTING way they handled me.) I am a 56 yr. old, working class poor woman, living in the city’s tenderloin district. I mention this because I felt a certain neglect that I feel would not have been inflicted upon me if I had an address in pacific heights. (otherwise known as ’ specific whites’) So here’s the deal– I began bleeding, profusely, all over the floor and was in exquisite pain!!!(My diagnosis was kidney cancer.) I fell down, and was writhing, in pain, on the floor, SCREAMING!!! I was terrified! I was crying! Very dramatic stuff. None the less, APPROPRIATE!!! The tumor had ruptured in my body, and, had ALSO ruptured the kidney! I had no idea. I just knew I was bleeding to death and I had so much pain that I actually had flashes of blindness! WELL — — when the damn paramedics showed up, they had the nerve to tell me to get up on the gurney. Thank heavens my husband was able to help me! I was crying and screaming, and BLEEDING. I screamed – «PLEASE,» «TRY NOT TO BUMP THE GURNEY OVER THE ELEVATOR TRACKS,» «I’M IN Sooooo MUCH PAIN,» PLEASE!!!” The paramedic said the gurney wouldn’t fit into the elevator w/​me laying flat. INSTEAD of being gentle about it, he JERKED my body up, putting his damn KNEE into my back, THEN he SHOVED me over the elevator tracks to let me SLAM into the wall. I was SCREAMING at the TOP of my lungs and crying, out of pain!!! He bent over my face and S-​C-​R-​E-​A-​M-​E-​D at me to «SHUT-​UP!» I was hysterical! What BLATANT abuse was that?!! No human compassion. No calming words. No caring human kindness. Just a NASTY bastard! They had the nerve to send me a bill for nearly 2 grand. I called and gave them my insurance info. and GRUDGINGLY paid the 100– co– pay. That was in July of this year, 2012. Know that the cancer is in remission, and I am feeling better, I intend to write a letter and INSIST on a DISAPLINARY HEARING w/​this young man. My goal is not to have him fired, rather, to teach him some compassion. The next time I had a problem, I called «KING AMERICAN.» What a stunning difference!!! These people were prompt, professional under pressure, and– C-​O-​M-​P-​A-​S-​S-​I-​O-​N-​A-​T-​E!!! God forbid, I should ever have to call for an ambulance again!!! But, honey, if I do, It WON’T be 911!!! With Love– The Pearl Of God.

I’ve used these guys more than I like to admit, for my mom, myself, my neighbor, a good friend. Each time they are nothing but compassionate and caring. They do their job well and thoroughly and treat you with respect. I hope to not have to use them again, only because who really wants to, but If I or a friend or relative need their services, I know the will be the best. They are personable and professional, they’ve got the combo down perfect.

Did you know the Fire Department will charge you $ 2,000 and up (way up), plus inflated mileage charges if you ever call an ambulance?! They won’t tell you this, but wait for the mammoth bill in the mail. Of course, they are 100% paid for by taxpayers, but I guess someone has to pay for all the extras like triple overtime, lifetime health care and lavish pensions. Yep, you, in your hour of need. Just drive yourself; you will get to the hospital just as fast and not ruin your credit.

Why are your sirens so loud? No really, why are your sirens so loud? I’ve lived in Chicago and Ann Arbor and Santa Fe, and have spent a shitload of time in New York and Boston, and I can say, with great conviction and no doubt at all, YOUR SIRENS ARE THE LOUDEST I’VE EVER HEARD. Add to that the fact that every time some drunken and/​or heroin-​addicted vagrant falls down and vomits himself we’ve got to scramble one (1) ambulance and one (1) firetruck and that makes for a HELL OF A LOT of noise.
Now, I know it’s not cool to lambaste your own fire department (or any fire department at all, really), but I have to ask again, for the third time, why are your sirens so loud? More to the point, why are they louder than Chicago’s and New York’s and Boston’s, three cities that, ambient noise-​wise, are at *least* as loud as, if not louder than, San Francisco?
ps: I’m sure you’re really competent and all, and if I ever need you you’ll be professional and kind and strong and what have you, but… the sirens – why?

If you’re going to throw 5 days of parties in San Francisco you take the chance the city might find out. If they do find out you may find yourself down at the Fire Department making sure you’ve got all the proper permits and filling out more forms than a name change requires. And if you happen to be as lucky as Ruggy and I were you’ll get the pleasure of interacting with very kind and helpful people like Brian Ballard, Fire Inspector Eileen and others.
Brian made it a possibility to check out our event space in under 24 hours to help our event go off without a hitch. And Eileen was there 3 out of 5 nights to ensure no one was hurt in case of emergency. We never needed her professionally thank goodness, but to have her there personally was a fantastic treat. She is such a positively kind woman that I would be happy to have her at any upcoming event.
For everyone that enjoyed the Holiday Hangover events you should thank the Fire Department for working with us on such short notice to get the proper permits and to be on site in case of emergency. I know I’m certainly glad it all came together!

If you’re reading this review and you were able to attend any of the five nights of Unilocal’s Holiday Hangover, you have one person (or rather, group of persons) to thank for a night of luscious libations, piquant bites, and overall good times — the fine folks at the headquarters of the San Francisco Fire Department (you probably even saw a few fire marshals at the events if you looked hard enough).
I won’t get into specifics, but with just days to spare before launching into night 1 of the festivities, there was a bit of a snafu that could have ended the extravaganza before it even began. And if you know anything about me and how much I stress out before events of this magnitude, you’d have seen a whole new side of Ruggy that I didn’t even know existed myself until the Friday before Unilocal’s Casino Royale. Lucky for me, this department is made up of some really, really great people who’ve dedicated their lives and careers to serving the public here in the 415, and helping me through some murky waters with almost zero notice at all didn’t seem to phase them one bit. It was certainly a special case scenario, but they hopped to the challenge to ensure the event went off without a hitch, and didn’t show the slightest signs of disdain or apprehension in the process.
It goes without saying that firefighters are heroes, and in this case, even though I wasn’t trying to escape a three alarm fire from an 8^th story apartment window and I didn’t have a feline companion stuck in a redwood tree… I was saved from my own unique brand of emergency and I can’t thank these men and women enough for coming to my rescue.

Remember when you were a kid and you thought that firemen were perhaps the coolest people on the planet? They were my hero and every kid I knew loved them! Every time a fire truck drove by when I was child I’d smile and wave.
Well then you grow up. Everything changes. What you loved as a child no longer interests you. Most things you felt hero worship for have let you down dozens of times.
Except for Firemen. I don’t love them as much as I did as a kid. I love them more. Now that I understand their job, they will always be my heroes! After the ’89 quake, 9/​11, the LA riots & fires, everything they do, they make us proud. It’s nice that there really are some real heroes in the world.
Thank you SFFD!

If you don’t have health insurance, if you’re not dying, don’t take an ambulance ride. it will cost you $ 1168.
p. s. To the person complaining about my complaint about this ambulance bill: both a police officer and the EMTs in the fire truck that the cop called over a block away, insisted that I take the ambulance ride. Despite my concern about being billed, they strongly assured me that I would not be charged and that I should take this step (to cover their own liable backs). This is regular procedure, and if you think that not calling an ambulance when you are not dying is common sense, then maybe the fire department should give out better advice, and not lie to people just so they can help balance their budget. This is all tied to our flawed health care system, that runs on capital rather than the needs of the public. For that, I give one star. Plus, I need to balance out the rating because there are too many dull reviews here glorifying brave individual firefighters rather than criticizing the system.

My house was on fire. They went into it… WHEN IT WAS ON FIRE!!!
They then saved my two cats and put out the fire.
Job well done!

the A-​team at Station 16 came to our rescue this weekend after seeing a cruel and disgruntled SF taxi driver boot us out of his cab into the pouring rain! The guys are really compassionate and trustworthy, and I feel safe knowing they’re around!

There was a nasty incident on Townsend yesterday involving the Caltrain tracks, my bicycle, and myself. Fortunately for me, two bystanding parties stopped to help me out — a really nice lady and a group of three SFFD employees who were headed back to work after their lunch break.
These super-​rad firepeople gave my shaken-​up self and my bike a ride back to work and even gave me first-​aid tips for my hurt wrist on the way (RICE: rest, ice, compression and elevation!!). And it was super cute when they couldn’t figure out my wheel’s quick-​release and made a «How many firefighters does it take» joke.
It was way beyond the call of duty and much appreciated. Yay for the Fire Department!!!