San Francisco Fire Department

What San Francisco Fire Department does

The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) is a municipal public safety agency of the City and County of San Francisco, established in 1878, that delivers fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), hazardous materials response, technical and water rescue, fire prevention, and community paramedicine across a jurisdiction covering San Francisco and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The department operates 45+ fire stations citywide plus three dedicated Airport Division stations at SFO, deploying 44 engine companies, 20 aerial truck companies, 2 rescue squads, 9 battalion chiefs, and a specialized ARFF fleet that includes four foam-capable aircraft rescue vehicles and a 65-foot High-Reach Extendable Turret. SFFD is the largest municipal fire department on the West Coast north of Los Angeles and the primary EMS provider in the city, handling approximately 80% of ambulance response and over 73,000 EMS calls per year. It holds an ISO Public Protection Classification of 01/1X and runs an Accredited Local Academy, one of only 12 in California.

The department's operational technology stack includes a public-facing Fire Incident Dashboard built on ArcGIS and the SF Open Data Portal, a drone, body-worn camera, and security camera surveillance program with formal policies and annual impact reports filed under the San Francisco Surveillance Ordinance, and a simulated BART station training prop at the Treasure Island Training Facility. Specialized capabilities at SFO include an Emergency Water Rescue Facility with four watercraft and an SFO Medical Reserve Corps partnership. The department also participates in clinical research collaborations with UCSF, CDC, the American Heart Association, and Emory University through programs such as the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES), RAMPART, and PHTSE studies.

SFFD's revenue model is dominated by biennial public tax revenue appropriations approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors through the Fire Commission, supplemented by federal grants (notably FEMA), ambulance transport billing (handled by third-party customer service lines split between pre- and post-August 2022 services), permit and plan check fees at the Bureau of Fire Prevention (49 South Van Ness Ave), and charitable donations (publicly disclosed for contributors of $100+ annually). The department operates a Community Outreach Education program, the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) volunteer program, and the SF Firefighters Toy Program (since 1949), which distributes over 200,000 toys annually to more than 40,000 children. Distribution is exclusively through direct emergency response via 911, the 311 non-emergency line, fire station visits, and the dedicated Airport Division.

Name

San Francisco Fire Department

Legal name

San Francisco Fire Department

Website

https://sf-fire.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1878

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The San Francisco Fire Department is a municipal public safety agency delivering fire suppression, EMS, hazardous materials response, water rescue, fire prevention, and community paramedicine to San Francisco residents, visitors, and San Francisco International Airport, operating 45+ fire stations and three airport stations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Aircraft rescue firefighting
• Fire prevention inspection
• Community emergency response

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Revenue: As a municipal fire department of the City and County of San Francisco, SFFD is primarily funded through public tax revenue and the city budget process. Annual operating budgets are developed through the Fire Commission and approved by the Board of Supervisors. The department's fiscal years run on a two-year budget cycle (e.g., FY26-27 and FY27-28).
2. Federal Grants: SFFD receives federal funding including FEMA grants to support major equipment purchases such as the $3 million non-PFAS turnout gear transition.
3. Ambulance Service Billing: The department bills for ambulance services. Customer service lines handle pre-August 2022 services (888-980-9218) and post-August 2022 services (833-532-2237). Medical and billing records are maintained at Station 49.
4. Permit and Plan Check Fees: The Bureau of Fire Prevention and Permits office at 49 South Van Ness processes permits and plan check applications, generating fee revenue. Permits are accepted until 4:30 p.m. daily.
5. Donations and Gifts: SFFD accepts charitable donations. Donors contributing $100 or more per calendar year are listed publicly. Notable recent donors include the Arlette Green Trust ($100,000 EMS equipment donation), San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, San Francisco General Hospital, and Greater Horizons ($2,000 to Station 36).
6. Fire Prevention and Investigation Services: Revenue generated through fire prevention inspections, code enforcement, fire investigation reports, and the SRO Hotel Fire Safety Education Program under the Bureau of Fire Prevention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) is a municipal emergency services agency that protects the lives and property of San Francisco residents and visitors from fires, natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, and other emergencies. SFFD delivers fire suppression, emergency medical services (handling approximately 80% of city ambulance response), fire prevention and code enforcement, aircraft rescue firefighting at San Francisco International Airport, and community paramedicine programs. The department operates 45+ fire stations across the city plus dedicated Airport Division stations at SFO.

Product overview

The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) is a government emergency services organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of core public safety services including Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Fire Prevention & Investigation, and Airport Division services at SFO. Supporting operations include the 20-week Recruit Training Academy, NERT volunteer program, Clinical Research program, and specialized training facilities (Treasure Island Training Facility and 19th/Folsom Tower). The department also operates surveillance technology programs (drones, security cameras, body-worn cameras) and community programs (Toy Program). The SFFD responds to over 73,000 EMS calls annually and provides approximately 80% of San Francisco's ambulance response.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SF Firefighters Toy Program: The city's largest and nation's oldest toy distribution program, distributing over 200,000 toys to more than 40,000 disadvantaged children annually since 1949.
• Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT)
• Community Paramedicine

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Services

Quantifiable outcome

• SFFD transitioned 100% of turnout gear to non-PFAS protection, becoming the largest U.S. fire department to achieve this milestone, with a $3 million investment funded by FEMA grant.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swinerton BuilderscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 28 April 2026Swinerton Builders was selected as the Construction Manager/General Contractor for the new $145 million SFFD Division of Training facility project awarded through San Francisco Public Works. The state-of-the-art campus will feature a 50,000-square-foot scenario district, multi-story burn buildings, and specialized training towers in the Hunters Point/Bayview neighborhood.
• Milliken & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025Milliken & Company collaborated with SFFD to develop and supply non-PFAS moisture barrier technology for the department's new turnout gear. The gear met rigorous safety standards and incorporated North America's first non-PFAS moisture barrier, enabling SFFD to become the largest U.S. fire department to transition away from PFAS chemicals in firefighting gear. The $3 million transition was facilitated by a FEMA grant.
• Fire-DexcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025Fire-Dex partnered with SFFD to procure new non-PFAS turnout gear as part of the department's transition following a city ordinance ban on PFAS chemicals in firefighting gear. The gear incorporated North America's first non-PFAS moisture barrier and met all applicable safety standards.
• San Mateo County Fire Departments (Millbrae, Burlingame, Daly City, South San Francisco, San Bruno)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFFD Airport Division trains and coordinates with fire departments from San Mateo County for mutual aid responses. Units from Millbrae, Burlingame, Daly City, South San Francisco, and San Bruno respond to SFO along with SFFD units from the City during Mutual Aid requests.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFFD participates in the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES), a public health registry developed by CDC, American Heart Association (AHA), and Emory University Department of Emergency Medicine. The registry tracks cardiac arrest cases and identifies opportunities for treatment improvement. The CARES program has been ongoing since March 2009.
• American Heart Association (AHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the CARES cardiac arrest registry along with CDC and Emory University. SFFD is also an approved American Heart Association Training Site conducting CPR, ACLS, and PALS recertification courses for all department members. SFFD's Clinical Research program has produced publications in the New England Journal of Medicine related to prehospital seizure treatment.
• Emory University Department of Emergency MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the CARES registry with CDC and AHA since March 2009. The registry consolidates all essential data elements of pre-hospital cardiac arrest events and utilizes an internet database to register events, record response times, and track patient outcomes with hospitals.
• University of California San Francisco (UCSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFFD collaborates with UCSF on multiple clinical research studies: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Genetic Analysis (blood samples from cardiac arrest patients), RAMPART trial (intramuscular vs. intravenous anticonvulsant therapy), PHTSE study (prehospital seizure treatment - first NIH-funded prehospital trial), and cardiac electrophysiology research. SFFD was the conducting agency for the PHTSE study.
• ZOLL Medical CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Capnography & Prognosis Trends in Ventricular Arrest (CAPTIVA) study, evaluating ZOLL equipment in measuring end-tidal carbon dioxide and ventricular fibrillation waveforms to predict survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Study ran from November 2003 to October 2006.
• Revivant Corporation, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the AutoPulse Resuscitation Device Evaluation, comparing resuscitation outcomes using automated chest compression devices against manual CPR for pre-hospital atraumatic sudden cardiac arrests. Study ran from July 2002 to June 2004.
• Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials Network (NETT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFFD participated in the RAMPART clinical trial sponsored by NIH and conducted through NETT, comparing intramuscular versus intravenous therapy for prehospital status epilepticus. Results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February 2011.
• HHS Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFFD's NERT program operates in partnership with the national Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) network, a HHS-supported volunteer program. MRC volunteers assist during emergencies and public health initiatives, with a primary mission of logistical support during disaster situations. The program trains medical, health, and other volunteers to strengthen public health infrastructure.
• City College of San FranciscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFFD has a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with City College of San Francisco for training and education. The partnership provides SFFD access to CCSF facilities for training and allows CCSF students to receive fire service education. An addendum to the MOU was approved by the Fire Commission in January 2023.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Phoenix Fire Department: One of the largest municipal fire departments in the southwestern U.S., operating with similar ISO Class 1/2 metrics, ARFF mandate at Sky Harbor International Airport, and a comparable EMS-heavy call mix.
• Boston Fire Department: Historic municipal fire department serving a dense coastal urban environment with waterfront and ARFF responsibilities at Logan Airport. Operates under a similar commission-oversight governance model and unionized workforce.
• Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD): The largest municipal fire department on the U.S. West Coast and the most direct comparable to SFFD in scope, urban density, and ARFF mandate at LAX. Operates fire suppression, EMS, hazmat, and USAR with similar command structure and unionized workforce.
• Seattle Fire Department: West Coast municipal fire department with comparable urban density, ARFF mandate at Sea-Tac, and water rescue responsibilities on Puget Sound. Operates under similar ISO PPC regime and labor cost structure.
• Houston Fire Department: Large urban municipal fire department with high EMS call volume, ARFF operations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and similar Tier 1 response protocols. Comparable in scale and fire academy accreditation standards.
• Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY): The largest fire department in the United States, providing fire suppression, EMS, and technical rescue across all five boroughs. Closest peer in terms of urban complexity, research partnerships, and high-volume EMS response model that mirrors SFFD's ambulance-first structure.
• Chicago Fire Department: Large urban municipal fire department providing fire suppression, EMS, and ARFF at Chicago O'Hare and Midway airports. Comparable in scale (3,000+ sworn personnel), collective bargaining dynamics, and tiered response model.

Emerging players

• American Medical Response (AMR): National private ambulance and EMS provider that competes with or complements municipal EMS delivery in many U.S. cities. Relevant as a private-market alternative operating model to SFFD's in-house ambulance service, providing a benchmark for cost structure and efficiency.

Others

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF): National labor union representing SFFD firefighters through Local 798. Relevant as an ecosystem stakeholder governing labor relations, training standards, and advocacy that directly shape SFFD's operating model and capital decisions.

Regional players

• Oakland Fire Department: Neighboring Bay Area municipal fire department participating in mutual aid with SFFD, including responses at the Port of Oakland. Comparable urban setting with overlapping training and certification frameworks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sffdpio
• Facebookfacebook.com/yoursffd

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Fire Department