San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Appoints New Fire Chief 1st Week in Office

Updated 1:42 p.m. Friday

Mayor Daniel Lurie made his first official appointment after being sworn into office this week, tapping Dean Crispen as the new chief of the San Francisco Fire Department.

Crispen, a battalion chief, grew up in San Francisco and is a 34-year veteran of the fire department, where his father worked before him. He will replace Sandy Tong, who former Mayor London Breed appointed as interim chief of the department last fall.

“My goal for this department is to ensure it remains in touch with the communities it serves. Department members must concern themselves not just with the beauty of the fire engine or ambulance, but the beauty and health of the neighborhood,” Crispen said at a press conference on Friday, standing beside family and other fire officials. “I will ask our members to engage with the public to form bonds that will move our city forward.”

Lurie’s appointment comes one day after he announced a citywide hiring freeze for most departments. The San Francisco Chronicle first reported the appointment.

Lurie said the freeze is part of efforts to stabilize the city’s nearly $900 million budget deficit. On Thursday, Lurie met with all of the city’s department heads to discuss budget priorities. That’s after Breed directed department heads to identify areas for cuts of at least 15% last December.

“I’m acutely aware of the potential budget shortfalls we face,” Crispen said Friday. “I’ll work collaboratively with other departments and the mayor’s office to tackle these issues head-on.”

However, during his inaugural address on Wednesday, Lurie said he does not plan to cut funding for first responders and emergency service providers like police, firefighters and nurses.

“You have my guarantee that there will be zero cuts to sworn officers, 911 operators, EMTs, firefighters and nurses,” he said.

This week, San Francisco deployed nearly 30 firefighters to help battle wildfires in Southern California. Blazes across Los Angeles County this week have destroyed thousands of structures, putting them on track to be the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. As of Friday, 10 people have been confirmed dead.

San Francisco is anticipating additional requests for resources and help fighting the fires and cleaning up the aftermath, officials said Friday. That could include sending public works crews down to Los Angeles to assist with debris cleanup, according to Mary Ellen Carroll, who leads the city’s Department of Emergency Management.

Lurie acknowledged the firefighters who were traveling to fight the blazes during his announcement Friday.

“I want to express my deep concern for everyone affected by the wildfires down in Southern California and our first responders working to keep them safe,” Lurie said. “When one of our communities is hurting, we all feel it. The very best thing that we can do right now is to come together.”