11. Public Safety
Enhancement Projects
| Project Name | Description |
| DEM – 911 Call Center Renovation | San Francisco’s 911 Call Center needs capital improvements to support workstation replacements that will require an expansion of the existing operations floor. The workstations are at the end of their useful life and need to be replaced; the maintenance contract is expiring, and replacement parts are already in short supply. To accommodate the larger footprint of contemporary fire dispatch workstations, the floor will need to be reconfigured. The Call Center also needs an elevated supervisor bridge, which would require ADA work. The expansion will displace DEM’s executive offices along with other administrative personnel who will need to be relocated. The estimated budget for this renovation project and associated relocations is $9.2 million, funded through the ESER 2020 G.O. Bond. |
| FIR & SFPUC – Emergency Firefighting Water System |
The Emergency Firefighting Water System (EFWS) is the City’s high-pressure emergency fire protection system. The system includes two pump stations, two storage tanks, one reservoir, and approximately 135 miles of pipes and 150 functional cisterns. Additionally, the system includes 52 suction connections along the northeastern waterfront, which allow fire engines to pump water from San Francisco Bay, and fireboats that supply seawater by pumping into any of the five manifolds connected to pipes. Implementing the expansion of EFWS on the west side will be prioritized for upcoming funding, beginning with Phase 1 as described above. Funding for continued improvements to the EFWS primarily comes from the ESER G.O. Bond program; $102.4 million and $54.1 million were authorized and issued for the project in the 2010 and 2014 ESER G.O. Bonds, respectively. An additional $153.5 million was approved by voters in the 2020 ESER Bond. Of that, $140 million is planned to deliver west side EFWS improvements. In addition, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission plans to support $53.8 million in west side EFWS improvements using Water Revenue Bonds; those funds are shown in the Infrastructure and Streets chapter. Future work is expected to be funded through the ESER 2027 G.O. Bond. |
| FIR – Neighborhood Fire Stations | Driven by a comprehensive SFFD Capital Improvement Plan, the Neighborhood Fire Stations program addresses the most urgently needed repairs and improvements to critical firefighting facilities and infrastructure. Projects can be comprehensive, focused, or seismic in scope. Comprehensive renovations correct all deficiencies pertaining to emergency response and health and safety issues and include renovation, renewal, or replacement of major building systems to promote station functionality for at least 25 years. Focused scope projects correct deficiencies of selected building components and promote station functionality for at least 25 years. Seismic improvements bring stations up to current building codes and include a comprehensive remodel. Priority stations include stations 3, 7, 8, and 40. This program is funded primarily through the ESER G.O. Bond program; $66.9 million and $80.4 million were authorized in the ESER 2010 and ESER 2014 G.O. bonds, respectively. An additional $275 million was authorized in the ESER 2020 G.O. bond, to be used for both Neighborhood Fire Stations and the new SFFD Training Facility. |
| FIR – Treasure Island Fire House Replacement |
The Treasure Island fire station will be demolished as part of the Island’s greater development plan. Once redevelopment proceeds, a new fire station is planned to be built to meet the needs of the island’s occupants and visitors. The budget for this project is estimated at $20 million and will be entirely developer-funded. |
| FIR – Fire Station 13 Replacement | As part of a public-private partnership, the City and County of San Francisco has entered into an agreement with a private developer to construct a new station for Fire Station 13 as part of a mixed-use development project in Chinatown. As a portion of this project, the Department’s aging Fire Station 13 will be demolished and replaced with a new facility adjacent to the current one. This project will create a seismically enhanced fire station that meets the current operational demands of the Fire Department. The budget for this project is an estimated $30 million and will be entirely developer-funded. |
| Multiple Departments – JFIP HOJ Admin Exit Construction |
A hub that co-locates Courts-related functions and services for justice-involved populations is the most efficient use of space and resources for San Francisco’s criminal justice system. Building in this way will enable the relocation of justice functions remaining in the Hall of Justice. Once funding for the Courts is secure, planning can begin in earnest for a consolidated justice campus. Meanwhile, the project budget is estimated at $367 million in FY2025 Certificates of Participation. |
| Multiple Departments – Public Safety Training Facilities |
SFFD, SFPD, and the Sheriff’s Department have all identified training facility needs. SFFD currently rents a facility on Treasure Island, which will be demolished as part of the Island’s redevelopment plan, and the department’s second facility in the Mission District is too small to accommodate all training operations. The Police Academy facility does not have adequate floor space to accommodate training programs for the department’s officers and needs to expand. The Sheriff’s Department has been using the old County Jail #6 facility for training as needed, but that building needs to be brought up to code and reconfigured to serve a new City purpose. Given the time-sensitive need for SFFD to relocate, that department’s timeline and requirements will have first consideration in project development. Other department needs may be incorporated as budget and schedule allow. The new SFFD Training Facility is prioritized in the ESER 2020 G.O. Bond, with a total of $275 million authorized for both Neighborhood Fire Stations and the new Training Facility. |
| POL – Police Facilities Retrofits and Improvements |
According to Seismic Hazard Rating (SHR) studies completed in 2018, Ingleside and Taraval Stations were both found to have an SHR 4 rating, an expected total or partial collapse structural performance level. These seismic retrofits are the SFPD’s top priority for the ESER G.O. Bond Program. The estimated cost for each structural retrofit and complementary station improvements, which may be alteration or replacement, is approximately $45 million to $75 million. All other stations, except Southern Station built as part of the new Police Headquarters, are rated SHR 3 which provides for life-safety, but does not ensure occupancy after a large earthquake, the continued operational capacity of these facilities. To achieve this, an SHR 1 rating would be the goal and would require considerable alteration or replacement of stations. Currently, SFPD's facilities are not adequate to meet the department's operational needs. A recently refreshed Facility Evaluation & Standards Study noted that many of the stations exhibited a broad range of functional, safety, security, accessibility, and technical inadequacies, including space shortfalls. Priorities for improvement and expansion include Bayview, Tenderloin, as well as the Old Potrero Station, which could serve as a base for the MTA and Community Engagement units. Replacement of Central, the most functionally inadequate, is a key priority. The overhead trusses and baffling at the Lake Merced Police Range are failing. The firing range needs to be replaced. In addition to the SFPD, the Lake Merced range is also used for training by the Sheriff’s Department. The Police Academy facility does not have adequate floor space to accommodate training programs and needs to expand. The roof and HVAC systems especially need attention. Those needs will also be prioritized to meet SFPD's training obligations. Finally, in conjunction with Public Works, SFPD has developed District Station Facilities Standards, and would like to implement these recommendations to provide consistency in policing operations and improve community experience. Estimated costs for station improvements vary depending on the level of intervention. Improvements to District stations are funded primarily through the ESER G.O. Bond Program. The 2014 ESER bond included $29.6 million for SFPD facilities, as well as the major SFPD Traffic Company and Forensic Services Division construction project budgeted at $163.4 million, and ESER 2020 includes $120.8 million for SFPD. |
