San Francisco Program To Keep More Cops, Firefighters On The Street
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – The City of San Francisco is launching a long-term program aimed at putting more firefighters and police officers on the streets, with the ultimate goals of making the city safer, replacing retirees and cutting down on overtime.
With a large number of retirees in both departments and the expiration of the Deferred Retirement Option Program nearing, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, the chiefs of both the police and fire departments and the Board of Supervisors have come up with some extra money and a long-term plan.
KCBS' Janice Wright Reports:
"We have developed a multi-year staffing program," Mayor Lee said of the plan, which includes a six-year hiring projection for police. "With this plan, we anticipate to reach the city charter mandate of 1,971 officers by June 2018."
San Francisco Fire Department Chief Joanne Hayes-White said they will be holding six academy classes to train entry-level firefighters, which should eventually save the city some money.
"In recent years, because we haven't been able to hire to match the levels of retirement, we've had to place heavy reliance on overtime," Hayes-White said.
The Fire Department will also train more Emergency Medical Technicians, beginning with a class in July.
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