San Francisco County Grand Jury
2024-2025
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Findings & Recommendations
1 findings
F5:
Incomplete and inconsistent Department of Agree Budgets, Innovation, organization charts do not adequately Technology Silos and More [June [August 24, 2024] portray the structure of San Francisco 25,2024] city government. Lifting the Fog: On Budgets, Innovation, Silos and More 2023-2024 CIVIL GRAND JURY FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND RESPONSES TO FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Respondent Assigned
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
4 Department of Technology implemented it now points to the official San Francisco org chart presented in the Budgets, Innovation, [for F5] Department of Technology fix the Silos and More [June website link to the official organization [August 24, 2024] Mayor's Proposed Budget document for the Fiscal Years 2023-2024 25,2024] & 2024-2025. chart at https://sfgov.org/org-chart within 90 days of the release of this report. Lifting the Fog: On Budgets, Innovation, Silos and More
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
As the city’s budget has grown and become more complex, the Office of the Mayor encounters oversight constraints.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
Mayorwithin60calendardays.
F2:
The role and responsibilities of the City Administrator need to be more clearly defined. TheCharterandtheMunicipalCodedonotmeaningfullydescribetheCityAdministrator’s specificroleinrelationtoitsmanyfunctions.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table1:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,4.2 BoardofSupervisors 1,2,4 1.4,2.1,4.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable2.
F3:
City legislation is not formally assessed for its costs and benefits, which can result in inefficient or unwarranted spending of city funds.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
CityAdministrator,Controller,andDepartmentofTechnologywithin60calendardays. Table2:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 3 3.1 OfficeoftheController 3,4,5 3.1,4.1,5.1,5.2,5.3 DepartmentofTechnology 5 5.4
F4:
Departmental objectives and funding incentivize siloing, which impedes the effective delivery of city services.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Mayorwithin60calendardays.
F5:
Incomplete and inconsistent organization charts do not adequately portray the structure of San Francisco city government. IncompleteandinconsistentorganizationchartsfromtheMayor’sOfficeandtheOfficeofthe Controllermakeitdifficultforstakeholders,includingcityresidents,tofullyandaccurately understandthefunctionandstructureofSanFranciscocitygovernment.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table1:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,4.2 BoardofSupervisors 1,2,4 1.4,2.1,4.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable2.
Additional Recommendations
14
Not linked to specific findings.
R6:
CityAdministrator,Controller,andDepartmentofTechnologywithin60calendardays. Table2:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 3 3.1 OfficeoftheController 3,4,5 3.1,4.1,5.1,5.2,5.3 DepartmentofTechnology 5 5.4
R7:
Mayorwithin60calendardays.
R8:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table1:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,4.2 BoardofSupervisors 1,2,4 1.4,2.1,4.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable2.
R9:
CityAdministrator,Controller,andDepartmentofTechnologywithin60calendardays. Table2:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 3 3.1 OfficeoftheController 3,4,5 3.1,4.1,5.1,5.2,5.3 DepartmentofTechnology 5 5.4
R10:
Mayorwithin60calendardays.
R11:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table1:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,4.2 BoardofSupervisors 1,2,4 1.4,2.1,4.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable2.
R12:
CityAdministrator,Controller,andDepartmentofTechnologywithin60calendardays. Table2:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 3 3.1 OfficeoftheController 3,4,5 3.1,4.1,5.1,5.2,5.3 DepartmentofTechnology 5 5.4
R13:
Mayorwithin60calendardays.
R14:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table1:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,4.2 BoardofSupervisors 1,2,4 1.4,2.1,4.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable2.
R15:
CityAdministrator,Controller,andDepartmentofTechnologywithin60calendardays. Table2:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 3 3.1 OfficeoftheController 3,4,5 3.1,4.1,5.1,5.2,5.3 DepartmentofTechnology 5 5.4
R16:
Mayorwithin60calendardays.
R17:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table1:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,4.2 BoardofSupervisors 1,2,4 1.4,2.1,4.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable2.
R18:
CityAdministrator,Controller,andDepartmentofTechnologywithin60calendardays. Table2:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 3 3.1 OfficeoftheController 3,4,5 3.1,4.1,5.1,5.2,5.3 DepartmentofTechnology 5 5.4
R19:
CityAdministrator,Controller,andDepartmentofTechnologywithin60calendardays. Table2:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 3 3.1 OfficeoftheController 3,4,5 3.1,4.1,5.1,5.2,5.3 DepartmentofTechnology 5 5.4
Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
As the city's budget has grown and become more complex, the Office of the Mayor encounters oversight constraints......31
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
1 The Office of the Mayor shall establish a task force to examine how to improve budget oversight and manage the executive branch more effectively by December 31, 2024.
F2:
The role and responsibilities of the City Administrator need to be more clearly defined....................................
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
1 By June 30, 2025, the Board of Supervisors shall introduce an ordinance that clarifies the description of the City Administrator's role, along with reporting relationships between the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and other city entities with consideration for budget oversight responsibilities.
F3:
City legislation is not formally assessed for its costs and benefits, which can result in inefficient or unwarranted spending of city funds.......32
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
1 By December 17, 2024, the Mayor, in consultation with the Controller and the City Administrator, shall introduce an ordinance requiring a disclosure of expected costs and benefits associated with all legislative proposals that exceeds a minimum cost threshold. This disclosure shall take place prior to seeking first passage by the Board of Supervisors.
F4:
Departmental objectives and funding incentivize siloing, which impedes the effective delivery of city services......32
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
1 By December 31, 2024, the Controller, in their role as City Services Auditor, shall request information from the top ten funded city departments (as presented in Figure 1) to determine 1) how their operating structures and funding requirements constrain the city in its delivery of programs, activities, and services and 2) approaches for better coordination among other components of city government. The assessment shall address with specificity opportunities for 1) organizational reform, 2) cooperative funding models and 3) information Lifting the Fog: On Budgets, Civic Innovation, Silos and More sharing approaches that will incentivize these departments to work more collaboratively and effectively with each other and with other parts of city government. This process shall result in the publication of a public report for the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors, to be completed by June 30, 2025.
F5:
Incomplete and inconsistent organization charts do not adequately portray the structure of San Francisco city government...................................
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
1 By December 31, 2024, the Controller, in consultation with the Mayor and the City Administrator, shall provide a comprehensive and up-to-date city organization chart for inclusion in the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report that presents and shows the relationship between Charter commissions, key governing boards, city departments, and operating entities.
Findings & Recommendations
4 findings
F1:
The Amount of Degraded Assets is Unknown...........................................................25
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
1 By March 31, 2025, the Controller shall conduct a financial analysis of the additional cost to the city entailed by delaying full repair of “degraded facilities assets” and issue the report to the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and publish the report to the public.
F2:
Capital Facilities Projects Require More Accountability and Oversight...................26
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
3, R2.4, R2.5, R2.8,
F3:
Completed Capital Facilities Projects Require Auditing............................................28
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
3, R3.4, R3.5 Capital Planning Committee F1 R1.4 Public Works Commission F1, F2 R2.6, R2.7, R2.9,
F4:
Department of Public Works Needs to Educate Other Departments about How It Calculates Labor Costs................................................................................................................29
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Controller F1, F3 R1.1, R3.1, R3.2,
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Findings & Recommendations
4 findings
F1:
The Amount of Degraded Assets is Unknown...........................................................25
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
1 By March 31, 2025, the Controller shall conduct a financial analysis of the additional cost to the city entailed by delaying full repair of “degraded facilities assets” and issue the report to the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and publish the report to the public.
F2:
Capital Facilities Projects Require More Accountability and Oversight...................26
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
3, R2.4, R2.5, R2.8,
F3:
Completed Capital Facilities Projects Require Auditing............................................28
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
3, R3.4, R3.5 Capital Planning Committee F1 R1.4 Public Works Commission F1, F2 R2.6, R2.7, R2.9,
F4:
Department of Public Works Needs to Educate Other Departments about How It Calculates Labor Costs................................................................................................................29
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R4:
Controller F1, F3 R1.1, R3.1, R3.2,
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Findings & Recommendations
9 findings
F1:
No up-to-date, accurate list of active appointed bodies exists, which impedes government transparency Mostcitydepartmentsareoverseenoradvisedbyoneormorecommissionsandboards.Yet thereisnoreadilyavailable,reliablewaytoidentifyallcurrentlyactivebodies.
Related Recommendations (2)
R8:
1,R9.1,R9.2,R9.3 CityAttorney F1,F5 R1.1,R1.3,R1.4,R5.2 TheJuryrequestsresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationswithin60calendardays. Requestedresponse Respondent Findings Recommendations Controller’sOffice F2 R2.7
R9:
1,R9.2,R9.3 BoardofSupervisors F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6, R1.2,R1.3,R2.1.R2.2,R2.3,R2.4,
F2:
It’s difficult to evaluate appointed bodies, because no authority systematically reviews their performance
Related Recommendations (1)
R9:
1,R9.2,R9.3 BoardofSupervisors F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6, R1.2,R1.3,R2.1.R2.2,R2.3,R2.4,
F3:
The high number of advisory bodies creates unnecessary administrative burdens Thesheernumberofadvisorybodiesresultsinredundancy(multiplebodieswithasimilar purview)andadministrativeburdensforcitydepartmentsinstaffingthebodiesandinpreparing formeetings.
Related Recommendations (2)
R4:
3,R5.1,R6.1,R7.1,R7.2,R8.1
R9:
1,R9.2,R9.3 BoardofSupervisors F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6, R1.2,R1.3,R2.1.R2.2,R2.3,R2.4,
F4:
Unfilled seats can result in canceled meetings, which imposes extra costs and delays decision-making Theprimaryreasonforcanceledmeetingsisthelackofaquorum.Theprocessofrecruiting andappointingmembersisatime-intensive,significantcostofcommissionsandboards. Reducingthesizeofcommissionsandboardsandlimitingspecificmemberrequirementscan reducethetimeandcostofappointingmembers.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9:
1,R9.2,R9.3 BoardofSupervisors F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6, R1.2,R1.3,R2.1.R2.2,R2.3,R2.4,
F5:
Most appointed bodies have no sunset dates, which affects their relevance and accountability Morethan75percentofadvisorybodiesdonothavesunsetdatesdespitetheguidanceinthe BoardofSupervisors’RulesofOrderthatalladvisorybodieshaveasunsetdatethatdoesnot exceedthreeyears.
Related Recommendations (2)
R8:
1,R9.1,R9.2,R9.3 CityAttorney F1,F5 R1.1,R1.3,R1.4,R5.2 TheJuryrequestsresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationswithin60calendardays. Requestedresponse Respondent Findings Recommendations Controller’sOffice F2 R2.7
R9:
1,R9.2,R9.3 BoardofSupervisors F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6, R1.2,R1.3,R2.1.R2.2,R2.3,R2.4,
F6:
The descriptors for commissions are varied and confusing
Related Recommendations (1)
R9:
1,R9.2,R9.3 BoardofSupervisors F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6, R1.2,R1.3,R2.1.R2.2,R2.3,R2.4,
F7:
Annual reports vary in content and availability, which greatly undermines their value Therequirementsforannualreportsthatcommissionsandotherappointedbodiesmustsubmit arevague;theannualreportsvarygreatlyinsubstanceandquality;andtheyaredifficulttofind, allofwhichlimitstheirvalue.
F8:
The appointment process lacks visibility into appointee political activities Thecurrentprocessforappointingboardandcommission(includingadvisorybody)members hasminimalrequirementsforinformationrelevanttotheappointee’sactivitiesand qualifications,especiallypoliticalactivity.
F9:
A lack of training and performance reviews hampers commissioner effectiveness
Findings & Recommendations
9 findings
F1:
No up-to-date, accurate list of active appointed bodies exists, which impedes government transparency....................................
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
2, R1.3, R2.1, R2.2, R2.3, R2.4, Mayor
F2:
R2.7 Commission Impossible Methodology To prepare this report, the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury: Created an up-to-date, accurate list of commissions and boards largely derived from the following sources: Office of the City Attorney, "List of City Boards, Commissions, and Advisory 0 Bodies Created by Charter, Ordinance or Statute," dated May 7, 202433 Office of the City Attorney, Memorandum re: "Mayoral Appointments to and Seats 0 on Boards, Commissions, and Other Bodies," dated May 7, 202434 Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, "2024 Annual Listing of Active Boards, 0 Commissions, Committees, and Task Forces with Requirements for Membership, Qualifications, Appointment and Term Dates, and Terms Expiring in 2023," dated December 29, 2023 San Francisco Boards & Commissions website35 0 Jury discussions with the Office of the Mayor, San Francisco. Conducted interviews with nearly 100 city officials and employees including various commissioners and board members. Submitted and reviewed surveys provided to city employees in order to assess the costs of administering commissions. City and County of San Francisco, "List of City Boards, Commissions, and Advisory Bodies Created by Charter, Ordinance, or Statute," City Attorney of San Francisco, Accessed May 7, 2024. https://www.sfcityattorney.org/good-government/list-of-commissions-boards/. Deputy City Attorney Jon Givner to Mayor London N. Breed, "Mayoral Appointments to and Seats on Boards, Commissions, and Other Bodies," May 7, 2024. City and County of San Francisco, "Boards," Granicus. April 15, 2024. Commission Impossible • Reviewed commission meeting videos, agendas, and minutes. Reviewed the websites and related Municipal Code for all commissions and for the city • departments that they oversee or advise. Obtained from the Ethics Commission itemized political campaign donations for each • commissioner over a 10-year period. Analyzed data from peer cities San José, San Diego, and Los Angeles. • Commission Impossible Appendix A: Active San Francisco Commissions and Boards The Civil Grand Jury compiled an up-to-date list of what we believe to be all active commissions and other appointed bodies whose exclusive purview is the City and County of San Francisco. About this list, please note: We excluded bodies whose jurisdiction is not limited to the city (for example, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission). We excluded bodies that govern agencies distinct from the city (Housing Authority Commission). We excluded bodies in the Municipal Code and in the City Attorney's 2024 list of boards and commissions that we determined to be inactive (see Appendix C: Inactive Bodies). We excluded all elective bodies (San Francisco Board of Supervisors). In addition to bodies created by ordinance or charter, we included advisory bodies approved through executive authority rather than legislation (Mayor's Disability Council). For commissions that constitute more than one body, we included the total number of bodies (the Assessment Appeals Board consists of three separate boards). In the Appointed By column, some entries for Mayoral appointments are marked with asterisks to denote conditions for approval: * Each appointment is effective immediately unless rejected by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days following the transmittal of the Notice of Appointment to the Clerk of the Board. Commission Impossible ** Each appointment is subject to approval by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. If the Board does not act on the nomination within 60 days following the transmittal of the Notice of Appointment to the Clerk of the Board, the nominee is deemed approved and the appointment becomes effective. *** Each appointment is subject to approval by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. If the Board does not act within 30 days following the transmittal of the Notice of Appointment to the Clerk of the Board, the nominee is deemed approved and the appointment becomes effective. **** Each appointment is subject to approval by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. These appointments are not effective until the Board approves them. Commission Impossible Active San Francisco commissions and boards Decision / Charter Start Required City Affiliation Authorization Sunset Date Mtgs /Yr Members Name Purpose Appointed By Advisory Commission Date Animal Care Commission of Board of San Francisco Ν Health Code 1973 11 1 Holds hearings and makes Α None 11 Animal Control and Animal Care and
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
5, R2.6, R2.7, R3.1, R4.1, R4.2,
F3:
The high number of advisory bodies creates unnecessary administrative burdens......40
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
1 The ordinance described in Recommendation 2.1 shall require that for each appointed body, the COB recommend retaining, abolishing, or merging with another appointed body, as part of the evaluation process described in Recommendations 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5. To aid in making its initial recommendations, the COB shall review
F4:
Unfilled seats can result in canceled meetings, which imposes extra costs and delays decision-making.......40
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
3, R5.1, R6.1, R7.1, R7.2, R8.1
F5:
Most appointed bodies have no sunset dates, which affects their relevance and accountability.......41
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
1 By May 1, 2025, the City shall enact an ordinance or propose a ballot measure to codify a sunset date that does not exceed three years for all advisory bodies for which it has the authority to pass such an ordinance or propose such a ballot measure. If passed, this law shall apply immediately to advisory bodies that currently have no sunset date. For advisory bodies with a sunset date, this law shall apply if or when the body is reauthorized.
F6:
The descriptors for commissions are varied and confusing....................................
Related Recommendations (1)
R6:
1 By May 1, 2025, the City shall enact an ordinance or policy to standardize the names of future commissions and other appointed bodies. The Jury recommends the following naming conventions and recommends that the Board of Supervisors present the text of the ordinance or policy to the COB for approval: Commission or Board for a decision-making body, for example, Film Commission or • Assessment Appeals Board. Advisory Committee or Task Force for an advisory body. For example, Advisory Committee for bodies with a broad scope that have a longer duration (Bicycle Advisory Committee) and Task Force for bodies with a narrow scope and shorter duration (Permit Prioritization Task Force).
F7:
Annual reports vary in content and availability, which greatly undermines their value............. 42
Related Recommendations (1)
R7:
1 By May 1, 2025, the Board of Supervisors shall amend as follows Administrative Code Section 1.56 requiring appointed bodies to submit annual reports: (a) Annual reports shall be submitted to the COB for its review by March 31 of the following year. (b) Annual reports shall include the information specified in
F8:
The appointment process lacks visibility into appointee political activities.......43
Related Recommendations (1)
R8:
1 By May 1, 2025 the City shall enact an ordinance requiring appointee Notice of Appointment statements for an appointed body to include the following information: Previous service as a member of a commission or board; Political activity, including service as an officer, employee, consultant, or volunteer for a political party or campaign committee; Lobbying activity, including contacting any legislative member, legislative staff, or government employee to influence the support or opposition to specific legislation; Local political campaign contributions in excess of $500 per campaign; Relevant work or life experience that qualifies the appointee for the commission and reasons for wanting to serve. Commission Impossible
F9:
A lack of training and performance reviews hampers commissioner effectiveness.......44 Required and Requested Responses................................... Methodology................................... Appendix A: Active San Francisco Commissions and Boards.................................... Appendix B: Abolish or Retain.................................... Appendix C: Inactive Bodies.................................... Appendix D: Annual Report Requirements.................................... Commission Impossible Background Several media stories have asserted that San Francisco's many commissions - more than Los Angeles, more than San Diego, all unelected - add a layer of bureaucracy that constrains the city's ability to address our most pressing problems.2 In interviews with the Jury, city officials and employees shared similar concerns. We interviewed nearly 100 of them as we sought to learn how commissions originate, how they operate, and whether they are effective. The results of that work follow in this report. A Brief History of San Francisco's Commissions The California state constitution was ratified in November 1849. In February 1850, the state legislature divided California into counties, including San Francisco. In April of the same year, the City of San Francisco was established by the state and in September statehood was granted by the US Congress. Six years later, in April 1856, the state legislature passed the Consolidation Act, which consolidated the county and city government of San Francisco and established the physical boundaries that we have today.3 San Francisco voters passed our first city charter in 1898 (the 1898 Charter), which became law in 1900. The Charter establishes "home rule" authority, whereby San Francisco is able to make its own laws at the local level, and exercise wide-ranging authority in municipal matters. The 1898 Charter embodied a "strong mayor" model: the Mayor was the presiding officer of the Board of Supervisors, had veto power over legislation and the budget, and had sole appointment authority for commissioners. City government consisted of an executive branch (Mayor), 2 Josh Koehn, "Only 1 Person at SF City Hall Knows the Answer to This Simple Question," The San Francisco Standard, July 6, 2023. Adam Lashinsky, "Why Creating a Homeless Accountability Commission is the Epitome of What's Wrong with San Francisco," San Francisco Examiner, October 14, 2022. The Consolidation Act and Other Acts Relating to the Government of the City and County of San Francisco, (United States: Wm. M. Hinton & Company, 1887). Commission Impossible legislative body (Board of Supervisors or Board), and 21 charter boards and commissions to provide oversight of core city departments.4 A revised City Charter approved by voters in 1932 gave voters the power to create policy by amending the Charter through ballot measures, and the Board of Supervisors the power to create boards and commissions by ordinance which must be signed by the Mayor.5 San Francisco's 1996 Charter, enacted as November 1995's Proposition E, took effect on July 1, 1996.6 Since then a number of new commissions have been added to the Charter by amendment, and the Charter has also been amended to incorporate changes to existing commissions including changes as to which elected officials make appointments. San Francisco Has Many Commissions San Francisco has 115 active commissions. That's more than the cities of San José (27),7 Los Angeles (48),8 and San Diego (49).9 Even on a county basis, with the exception of Los Angeles, San Francisco has more commissions: Santa Clara (70), 10 Los Angeles (151) 11 and San Diego (96).^{12} The growth in San Francisco commissions started in earnest in the 1970s, increasing nearly four-fold between 1970 and 2020. Not surprisingly, the proliferation of commissions has outpaced the city's ability to keep track of them. The Jury compared numerous lists of 4 William Issel and Robert Cherny, "San Francisco City Charters 1916-1932," FoundSF. San Francisco Charter Commission, San Francisco Charter Commission Records, 1931-1980, San Francisco Public Library SFH 25. San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget and Legislative Analyst, "Analysis of City Commissions, Boards, Task Forces and other Oversight and Advisory Bodies (Project 100152.2)." 6 San Francisco City Charter. City of San José, "Boards & Commissions," City of San José, Accessed May 8, 2024. City of Los Angeles, "Boards and Commissions," City of Los Angeles, Accessed May 8, 2024. City of San Diego, "Boards and Commissions," City of San Diego, Accessed May 8, 2024. Santa Clara County Advisory Commission on Consumer Affairs, "Maddy Report (Local Appointments List)," Accessed May 21, 2024. County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, "Membership Roster," Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Accessed May 8, 2024. San Diego County, "Committees," PrimeGov Portal, Accessed May 8, 2024. commissions and boards provided by various city departments - and found none of them to be complete, or fully consistent with one another. Accordingly, we conducted an extensive review of these lists and other sources to produce Appendix A: Active San Francisco Commissions and Boards, a compilation of every active appointed body that we discovered during our investigation. The Jury also collected information about each commission, including its purpose, statutory basis, sunset date, frequency of meetings, vacancies and much more. Throughout this process, we gathered insights and information from a large number of city employees and officials familiar with commissions, as well as a number of commissioners themselves. This process required constant vetting, as new commissions are created and sunset dates for existing commissions are extended on a regular basis. In addition, some commissions are difficult to find in the Municipal Code. This list does not include appointed bodies that we determined to be inactive – or possibly so – but that still appear in the Charter or Municipal Code and often in lists provided by city departments. For a discussion of these apparently inactive bodies, see Appendix C: Inactive Bodies. Commissions Go By Many Names Appointed bodies established by the city employ an astounding array of descriptors, including commission, board, committee, task force, council, working group, and so on. In fact, the Jury found 25 different permutations of these terms. Commission Impossible Table 1: Permutations of names for appointed bodies in San Francisco Different Names of San Francisco Boards, Commissions and other Bodies Advisory Board Coordinating Council Advisory Committee Council Advisory Council District Advisory Group Executive Committee Authority Group Authority Board Oversight and Advisory Committee Board Oversight Board Board of Directors Oversight Committee Board of Trustees Partnership Commission Public Authority Task Force Committee Working Group Coordinating Board Coordinating Committee Other than the use of commission to refer to the appointed bodies outlined in Article IV of the San Francisco Charter, we could not find consistent naming standards. (What's more, there are non-Article IV bodies called commissions.) It's unclear what criteria, if any, define a commission as opposed to a board or a council. In this report we use the terms commissions and boards, commissions and other appointed bodies, and sometimes simply commissions to refer collectively to the appointed bodies whose purview includes one or more of the following responsibilities: Overseeing city departments, with the power to approve budgets and in some cases hire and remove department heads Advising city departments and/or the Mayor's Office Adjudicating issues (appeals boards) Advising the Board of Supervisors Advising other commissions. For example, a citizens advisory committee may advise a commission that oversees a city department. Commission Impossible We also refer to commissions and boards as being either "decision-making" or "advisory." This is largely based on classifications from the Office of the City Attorney and the Jury's research. Decision-making bodies exercise the sovereign powers of the city and others are advisory. Not All Commissions Are Alike Nearly all commissions are authorized by either the San Francisco Charter13 or the Municipal Code. Within the Municipal Code, most commissions are authorized by the Administrative Code, although some are authorized by the Planning Code, Building Code, Health Code, and Police Code. Some commissions are created by the Charter but with composition or responsibilities defined by an ordinance. Their roles, authority, size, and requirements for membership vary greatly. This report delves into these differences in an attempt to classify and evaluate San Francisco's myriad commissions. San Francisco City Charter, Article IV: Executive Branch—Boards, Commissions and Departments. Analysis The Jury found it useful to distinguish commissions based on their statutory origin and authority, which among other things reveals how much power - or how little - a particular body has. We developed this approach from commission lists provided by the City Attorney's Office and other city entities, provisions in the City Charter and Municipal Code, and interviews with city officials and employees who work with or regularly appear before commissions. Commissions Created by Charter Charter commissions are created by and derive their authority from the City Charter. The oldest existing commissions - some of the most powerful - were created by Charters adopted in 1898 and 1932. For example, the predecessors for the current Recreation and Park, Fire and Police commissions were established in 1898. Out of the 115 commissions we identified, 42 are charter commissions. Most charter commissions oversee major components of the city's executive branch — the Mayor, city departments, and other units of government. Although the Board of Supervisors cannot directly engage city departments regarding day-to-day operations, the board can have an oversight role in investigating departmental operations. Only through voter approval of a charter amendment or adoption of a new Charter can a charter commission be created, dissolved, or modified. The Board of Supervisors can place a charter amendment on the ballot with a simple majority (6 out of 11 votes), while citizens can do so with signatures from at least 10% of the total number of voters in the most recent election.14 14 City of San Francisco, "Guide to Qualifying San Francisco Initiative Measures," City of San Francisco, Accessed May 21, 2024. Commission Impossible Depending on the requirements outlined in the Charter, members of a charter commission may be appointed exclusively by the Mayor (for example, the Health Commission, Human Rights Commission), jointly by the Mayor and Board of Supervisors (Planning Commission, Police Commission), or jointly by the Mayor, Board, and other entities (Elections Commission, Ethics Commission). There are important caveats, however. Certain mayoral appointments to charter commissions take effect immediately and the Board of Supervisors has 30 days to reject such appointments by a supermajority of 8 out of 11 votes (Airport Commission, Civil Service Commission) or a simple majority (Police Commission, Public Utilities Commission). In some cases, the Mayor's choice is limited to the Commission's own nominees (Asian Art Commission). The Mayor, on the other hand, has no power to approve or reject appointments made by the Board of Supervisors. This imbalance means that the Board of Supervisors generally has more power than the Mayor over who is appointed to charter commissions. Commissions Created by Ordinance An ordinance is a law that either has been passed by the Board of Supervisors with a simple majority, with presentation to the Mayor for signature, non-signature, or veto, or has been adopted by the voters at an election. Most commissions created by ordinance are authorized in the Administrative Code, such as the Immigrant Rights Commission, Ballot Simplification Committee, and the Film Commission. A few are established by other municipal codes like the Building Code (Access Appeals Commission) and the Health Code (Commission of Animal Control and Welfare). Out of the 115 commissions we identified, 73 were created by ordinance. Depending on the commission, members may be appointed: i) solely by the Mayor; ii) solely by the Board of Supervisors; iii) jointly by the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, or other entities such as the Controller's Office; or iv) jointly or solely by other entities other than the Mayor and Board of Supervisors. Commission Impossible Commissions created by ordinance are generally easier to establish, amend, or abolish, than charter commissions because they don't require voter approval unless the commission had originally been established by the voters. Commissions Associated with State or Federal Law The city has created commissions to meet requirements for receiving state and federal funds, or to otherwise implement state or federal legislation. For example, the Children and Families Commission (formerly First 5 of San Francisco) is authorized by the administrative code to guide the local distribution of Prop 10 funding, which uses monies from a statewide tobacco tax. Decision-Making Commissions Decision-making commissions oversee the department or agency with which they're associated. They can create, revise, and approve department policies, programs, and proposed budgets. Depending on their purview, they can also hear testimony and conduct investigations into departmental operations, and they can recommend for appointment or remove department heads. Out of the 115 commissions we identified, 52 are decision-making. Nearly all charter commissions are decision-making, although a few, like the Youth Commission and the Public Utilities Rate Fairness Board, are advisory. In addition, while some commissions created by ordinance are decision-making, such as the Film Commission and Assessment Appeals Board, most are advisory. Quasi-Judicial Commissions Some decision-making commissions have a quasi-judicial function, meaning they can hear evidence, make findings, and issue rulings based on evidence and applicable law. Quasi-judicial functions include issuing and revoking permits, and adjudicating matters between the city and Commission Impossible its employees, and between the city and private parties. Out of the 115 commissions we identified, 26 have quasi-judicial authority. For example, the Police Commission, in addition to overseeing the Police Department, has a quasi-judicial role, specifically: [T]he chief of the police department ... may temporarily suspend a member of the department pending a hearing before the police commission on disciplinary charges against the member....15 As noted, this provision gives the Police Commission authority to adjudicate employee discipline matters through a hearing process. Similarly, the Planning Commission oversees the Planning Department and issues development permits through its quasi-judicial hearings. The Board of Appeals, on the other hand, is an example of a quasi-judicial commission with no oversight power — its only role is to hear and decide appeals on licenses and permits that have been denied by city agencies or departments. Advisory Commissions In contrast to decision-making commissions, advisory bodies have no real authority or oversight power. Typically they are created to provide broader and deeper opportunities for community engagement, such as to collect feedback and make recommendations for matters being considered by the Board of Supervisors, city departments, and the Mayor. These bodies often have a narrow focus and connections to specific city constituencies. For the most part, advisory bodies did not come into existence until the 1970s - decades after the first decision-making commissions were created under the 1898 Charter. Out of the 115 commissions we identified, 63 are advisory. While most advisory commissions were created through the Administrative Code, a few, like the Youth Commission, are charter commissions. San Francisco Charter, Appendix A, § A8.343, "Fine, Suspension, and Dismissal in Police and Fire Departments." Does San Francisco Have Too Many Commissions? The Jury reviewed the historical growth of commissions. We identified all commissions in several cities and counties in California of similar size and character, and compared these to San Francisco's commissions. We also analyzed the benefits and costs of commissions. San Francisco has 115 Active Commissions The proliferation of San Francisco's appointed bodies began in earnest in the 1970s, when the city had about 30 of them, and has grown nearly fourfold, to 115 active commissions today. (For the criteria we used to include or exclude appointed bodies from our list, see Appendix A: Active San Francisco Commissions and Boards.) Growth in Commissions Figure 1 shows the number of San Francisco commissions beginning to increase in the early 1970s. This growth was largely driven by the introduction of advisory boards into the Municipal Code. Commission Impossible Figure 1: Growth of advisory and decision-making bodies in San Francisco16 Advisory Decision 125 100 75 50 25 0 1930 - 1960 1970 1980 2000 2020 1990 2010 Today, San Francisco has more advisory boards (63) than decision-making commissions (52). In addition, the number of advisory boards and other types of bodies (73) now greatly exceeds the number of charter commissions (42). Growth in Charter Commissions Several charter commissions have been added in recent years: Public Works Commission (newly formed in 2020), Sanitation and Streets Commission (2020), Sheriff's Department Oversight Board (2020), and Homelessness Oversight Commission (2022). Other charter commissions added since the 1970s include the Youth Commission, Asian Art Commission (previously an advisory body), Airport Commission, Human Rights Commission, Commission on the Status on Women, Health Commission, Small Business Commission, Ethics Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and Building Inspection Commission. See Methodology for a description of the Jury's use of historical commissions documents. Commission Impossible Growth in Advisory Boards Beginning in the 1970s, the Board of Supervisors got into the practice of creating new advisory boards to address specific issues. Although Section 2.21 of the Board of Supervisors Rules of Order provides that advisory boards should sunset after three years, many advisory bodies have been in existence for decades. Repeatedly, many of these bodies have been legislatively reviewed and renewed by the Board. Among the changes introduced by the 1996 City Charter was a transfer of the power to appoint certain department heads from their related commissions to the Mayor. In the ensuing years, however, the Board of Supervisors has endeavored to take some of this new authority away from the Mayor by initiating legislation that gives the Board more power to appoint commissioners. For example, starting in 2000, the Board created several ballot measures, subsequently approved by voters, that gave them more power over a number of important commissions including the Planning Commission, Board of Appeals, and Police Commission. One critical change approved by the voters: the threshold by which the Board can reject certain mayoral commission appointments was reduced from a supermajority to a simple majority. Veteran city officials and employees indicated to the Jury that these changes accelerated the creation of more advisory bodies, such as the Park, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Committee (2000) and the Public Utilities Commission Citizens Advisory Committee (2004). since these bodies provided more opportunities for departmental oversight. Comparison to Peer Cities and Counties To put the total number of San Francisco's commissions in context, the Jury compared San Francisco's commissions to those in metropolitan Los Angeles, San Diego, and San José. This analysis was not without a few challenges. Because San Francisco is unique in its status as a city and county, it was necessary to analyze peer cities and their surrounding counties. Certain types of commissions exist on a city-only basis (for example, police), some cover city and county (health, airport) and others are county-only (sheriff). Second, because commissions with similar functions had varying names, we had to develop a system of classifying these commissions to facilitate an apples-to-apples comparison. Third, counties spanning large geographical areas often had many commissions of the same type across the county. For example, Los Angeles County has 48 water commissions. Fourth, the cities and counties we selected have much larger populations. This difference required us to compare both the absolute number of commissions as well as the number of commissions per capita. The analysis was quite revealing: although San Francisco has the smallest population compared to its peers, the city has about one and a half times as many commissions and, if we adjust for population, about five times as many commissions. Table 2: Number of San Francisco commissions as compared to peer cities and counties Peer Comparison—Cities City San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego San José Number of Residents 848,000 4,050,000 1,420,000 1,078,000 Number of Commissions 48 49 27 115 Peer Comparison—Counties County San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego Santa Clara Number of Residents 9,539,730 3,298,000 1,840,000 848,000 Number of Commissions Benefits of Commissions However challenging a commission-counting exercise may be, their absolute number is less important than their value to citizens and the city entities that they oversee or advise. We conducted interviews with about 100 city officials and employees familiar with the workings of specific commissions. Given the number of commissions, it was not practical to speak with representatives from each of them, but we believe our large sample set made it possible to apply what we learned to all of San Francisco's appointed bodies. Commissions Are Valuable Checks and Balances When San Francisco's commission structure was created in the first Charter, its objective was to oversee the office of a strong mayor. The power that the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor wield in regard to commissions has see-sawed over the years, yet commissions continue to provide important checks and balances by preventing the Board or the Mayor from having undue influence over city departments. The greatest benefits of our commissions and boards are the opportunity for the public to learn what their government is doing and to provide forums for inquiry and feedback, through a body that is largely independent of the Mayor and Board of Supervisors. Commissions Provide Citizen Engagement San Franciscans are notably vocal and involved in local politics. Commissions are a primary means by which they can engage directly with the government. Nearly all commissioners are residents of San Francisco and together reflect the wide variety of constituencies that make up the city. Most commissions hold regular public meetings and engage in public outreach to connect people to their elected and appointed officials. Ideally, these officials then make more informed decisions. Commission Impossible Commissions Foster Transparency The primary benefits of citizen engagement are transparency and accountability. By soliciting public feedback and encouraging public inquiry, departments know that the citizens they serve are paying attention. Many commissions work directly with the departments they oversee to create policies and operating plans that are presented to the public. As a result, the public can see department goals, proposed budgets, and programs. By preparing annual reports, commissions also enable citizens to evaluate departments' effectiveness and oversight. Commissions Promote Accountability Accountability flows from transparency. Because decision-making commissions often have responsibilities for approving budgets and contracts and conducting department heads' performance evaluations, these commissions' very existence communicates to elected and other city officials that the public is paying attention, ideally leading to more careful decisions by these officials. Commissions Provide Oversight The commissions in the 1898 Charter were created to provide an important oversight role in the "strong mayor" model. Today, when a department has an oversight commission, the department head reports to both the Mayor and the commission. With few exceptions, decision-making commissions have the power to approve contracts, approve department budgets for submission to the Mayor, conduct the performance evaluation of the department head and, if necessary, remove the department head. Because it's not feasible for the Board of Supervisors to manage the day-to-day operations of departments, commissions provide a certain level of scrutiny and oversight that would otherwise not happen. However, notwithstanding the buffer that commissions provide between the Mayor and department heads, veteran city officials let us know that if the Mayor were determined to remove a department head, the effort would likely be successful. Commissions Contribute Expertise Commissioners contribute a wide range of knowledge, experience, and community connections. Many are experts in fields related to the departments they oversee, bring decades of other relevant experience, and are deeply connected to communities that benefit from their commissions' work. Commissioners, who are essentially part-time volunteers, can't be expected to have as deep and nuanced understanding of day-to-day issues facing departments as full-time departmental staff. However, we learned from many higher-level department figures that there is a general appreciation for the guidance commissioners provide to departments. Costs of Commissions As volunteers, members of decision-making bodies generally receive small stipends for attending meetings, and some commissioners are also entitled to San Francisco health insurance benefits, although very few take advantage of it. In the context of the San Francisco budget, these costs are insignificant. Costs come in the form of time and effort spent by administrative and department management staff to support commissions. Other costs, harder to gauge but real enough, include decisions deferred and programs delayed as a result of the Board of Supervisors appointing a board to study an issue and make recommendations, rather than the Board or the appropriate city department taking action themselves. Administrative Costs For nearly every commission, one or more employees of the department that the commission oversees or advises is responsible for scheduling meetings, preparing and circulating meeting materials, exchanging documents with the City Attorney's office, and coordinating public meeting broadcasts with SFGovTV. In part, their work is mandated by San Francisco's Sunshine Ordinance17 and California's Brown Act, 18 which require that meetings be open to public comment and that related materials be publicly available. The Jury determined that the average advisory board required 0.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, while the average decision-making commission required double the staffing resources, or 1.5 FTE. In the case of a few advisory bodies, a member of the body performed administrative tasks, but for most advisory and all decision-making bodies, the role is typically filled by a commission secretary or other administrative staff who are city employees. In addition to administrative staff, many commissions also require assistance from the City Attorney's Office for tasks such as preparing and reviewing contracts. Although the Office does not precisely track how much time their attorneys spend supporting commissions, it was clear, from discussions with the Office, that their assistance adds up to a significant amount of time. Department Management Costs In addition to their day-to-day job, city department heads, senior department staff, and analysts must also work to support the city's commissions. They routinely prepare presentations and reports for commission meetings - and often must present similar reporting to multiple appointed bodies. From interviews, the Jury found that these tasks consume about 8% of senior department staff time, with decision-making commissions requiring an average of 10% and advisory commissions an average of 6.5%. We also learned that the preparation and presentation of departmental reports to commissions can be a major distraction from the department's focus on the delivery of city services. This time spent supporting commissions represents the most significant driver of commissions' cost. SF Admin. Code Chapter 67. Cal. Government Code § 54950 et seg. Commission Impossible Appointment Costs and Vacancies Approximately 1,200 seats are authorized for San Francisco commissions. The process for recruiting, vetting, and approving so many commissioners is arduous, time-consuming - and inadequate. The Jury obtained data on both required and actual membership of 110 commissions and advisory bodies. In nearly a quarter of cases, these bodies had less than three fourths of their required members. We researched the number of expired terms among all seats on 98 commissions, and found 228, representing over 15% of commission seats. Members of non-charter commissions with expired terms often continue in their roles until they are replaced,19 but the volume of holdovers is evidence that the city's appointment processes struggle to keep up. Table 3: Commission metrics for advisory and decision-making bodies Vacancies Meetings Canceled Members Advisory Bodies 25% 20% 13.0 Decision-Making Bodies 10% 11% 8.2 To navigate the many and varied requirements governing the commissioner appointment process, a full-time staffer in the Mayor's Office manages mayoral appointments to commissions, while the Board of Supervisors' Rules Committee and the Clerk of the Board spend significant time managing that body's appointments and approvals. After each potential commissioner is recruited, a Notice of Appointment is submitted to the Rules Committee for approval. The Jury determined that if the number of commissions were reduced from 115 to 100, and the average number of seats per commission decreased from 12 to 10, then the number of commissioners would decrease by almost 20%. Cal. Gov't Code § 1302. Commission Impossible In addition to decreased appointment costs, the benefits of fewer commissions seats would be more fully-staffed commissions, more selective appointment of commissioners, and fewer meetings canceled for lack of quorum — resulting in more work performed. Nearly 20 Percent of Meetings Canceled in 2023 In 2023, almost 20% of commission and board meetings were canceled. Advisory boards were more likely to have canceled meetings (25%) than decision-making boards (10%). In addition to wasted administrative resources and inconvenience to members of the public who may have traveled to attend the meeting, canceled meetings are particularly problematic when a commission is responsible for approving contracts. Delayed contract approvals can result in late payments to organizations that furnish vital services to the city's most vulnerable residents. Deferred Decisions, Delayed Policies and Programs Several city officials cited a perception that officials tend to refer difficult decisions to commissions instead of taking action directly, resulting in delays. Through resolution and ordinance, the Board of Supervisors has created task forces to address a myriad of issues in which decisions might have proven politically controversial or unpopular. We found more than 40 resolutions and ordinances to establish task forces or advisory bodies to study, provide input, and make recommendations. A typical resolution created a committee "to supervise a consultant study to develop policy criteria and recommendations." Annual Reports Required But Not Readily Available Nearly all San Francisco commissions are required to provide annual reports. Per the City Charter, annual reports for charter commissions must document the commission's activities, areas of jurisdiction, authority, purpose, and goals. The Administrative Code requires reports to provide a general summary of commission services, programs, and achievements.20 20 San Francisco Administrative Code § 1.56, "Annual Reports." San Francisco City Charter, § 4.103, "Boards and Commissions - Annual Report." Crucially, however, the Jury found no consistent or simple means of obtaining this reporting. We observed that some commissions post reports on their website, some append them to annual budget proposals, and some furnish them to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for inclusion in the Board meeting agenda - although we did not find evidence that the Board discussed or acted on these reports. Links to some reports, but not all, are available on a San Francisco Public Library webpage.21 The reports themselves varied greatly in their composition and reporting depth. These ranged from two simple paragraphs to glossy reports of many pages. Because of the effort required to obtain these reports, they provide little to no benefit for monitoring the performance of commissions, nor do they furnish transparency for the public. The Jury believes the city would be well served by having clear requirements for comprehensive annual reports. Such reporting ought to include statements of purpose, areas of jurisdiction, authorities, goals, summaries of services and programs, highlights of achievements, commission/body members, commissioner attendance, history of vacant seats, meeting frequency, canceled meetings, support staff, other costs and more. Evaluating Commission Performance To evaluate the effectiveness of commissions and boards, the Jury collected data on each commission, including its purpose, statutory basis, corresponding city department, number of seats and vacancies, meeting requirements, and actual meetings. We also reviewed meeting agendas, minutes to assess each body's accomplishments and level of public comment and participation. This research was supplemented by over 100 interviews with officials, commission members, and city employees. San Francisco Public Library, "Annual Reports of City Agencies," SFPL.org, Accessed May 21, 2024. Commission Impossible Charter Commissions The City Charter has a total of 42 commissions of which a majority, 23, are established in Article IV. The remaining commissions are established in other articles, including Article V (for example, the Arts Commission), Articles VIIIA (Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors) and VIIIB (Public Utilities Commission), Article X (Civil Service Commission), Article XII (Retirement Board), Article XIII (Elections Commission), and Article XV (Ethics Commission). The decision-making charter commissions are essential oversight bodies for key departments and agencies. In general, the Jury found these commissions to be professionally run and to perform their oversight roles adequately; that is, the benefits of nearly all these commissions exceeded their costs. That said, we encourage these commissions to consider the Jury's
Related Recommendations (1)
R9:
1 By May 1, 2025 the City shall enact an ordinance requiring that within three months of an individual's initial appointment to a commission or board (including advisory bodies), the individual must undergo training to serve with excellence in the role. This training would be in addition to any other training required by law.
Findings & Recommendations
6 findings
F1:
- Climate SF Governance and Coordination are Inadequate.....27
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
1 – Henceforth, the quarterly Director level meetings of ClimateSF shall be included as part of the monthly Capital Planning Committee meeting agenda.
F2:
- Transparent Identification of Resilience Projects....................................
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
1 — By April 30, 2025, the Controller shall aggregate and publish departmental expenditures that address climate change adaptation and mitigation. This information shall be given consistent search tags describing resilience projects that allow for efficient tracking of expenditures.
F3:
- Funding of Climate Resilience is Hampered by Debt Cap and Service Rate Constraints 28
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
1 – By December 31, 2024, the Mayor and/or City Administrator shall develop and publish a cross-department financial plan to respond to the anticipated costs of climate change resilience and potential sources of funding.
F4:
- Interdepartmental Coordination of Flood Management......29
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
1 – By December 31, 2024, the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors shall request a report from the City Administrator, as Floodplain Administrator, on the optimal governance structure (for example, CPC, Deputy City Administrator, Floodplain Administrator) to implement interdepartmental flood adaptation procedures.
F5:
– Flood Damage Claims Not Funded by Insurance....................................
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
1 — By December 31, 2024, the Board of Supervisors shall request a Budget and Legislative Analyst report on the advisability of a Board resolution urging modification of the federal mandate to purchase flood insurance beyond that which is currently required in the FEMA designated floodplain.
F6:
- Failure to Communicate Impacts of Climate Change......30
Related Recommendations (1)
R6:
1 — Starting October 1, 2024, ClimateSF shall coordinate the communication of the projected impacts of climate change and the city's mitigation and adaptation efforts.
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Findings & Recommendations
6 findings
F1:
– ClimateSF Governance and Coordination Are Inadequate ClimateSFprovidesneitherthenecessarygovernancenorinterdepartmentalcoordinationof projectstoaddressclimatechangebecausethecurrentlyconfiguredDirectorlevelmeeting cannotexecutetherecommendationsgeneratedfromthestafflevelmeetings.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
ClimateSFassistsincoordinatingplanningprojects,yetlackstheauthoritytocoordinate projectimplementationandmanagement.
F2:
– Resilience Projects Are Not Easily Identifiable Thecityinfrastructureprojectsdesignedforclimateresiliencearenottransparentlyidentifiable, hinderingmanagementandaudits.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
Floodmanagementlacksthenecessaryinterdepartmentalcoordination.
F3:
– Funding of Climate Resilience Is Hampered by Debt Cap and Service Rate Constraints Absentacitywideplantofundthenecessaryadaptationinfrastructure,thecityisadditionally hamperedbyaself-imposedlimitontheuseofgeneralobligationbonds($0.1201per$100of assessedvalue).Further,thejuryfindstheSFPUC,SFMTA,SFO,andPortfaceservicerate constraintsorcompetitiveconcernsthathamperadditionaluseofrevenuebonds.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
Withnoplantofundthenecessaryadaptationinfrastructure,thecityishamperedbya self-imposedlimitontheuseofdebtfinance.
F4:
– Flood Management Needs Interdepartmental Coordination Floodmanagementlacksaformalcoordinationprocessforanincreasingenvironmental extremitythatrequiresplanningandimplementationbetweenmultiplecitydepartments.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Thecityispayingavoidableflooddamagerecoverycosts.
F5:
– Flood Damage Claims Are Not Funded by Insurance ThecityiscompensatingclaimsforflooddamagefromtheGeneralFundthatmightbe obtainedbyinsuranceunderwriting.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
Thecity’sactivitiesforclimateresiliencearenottransparentinthecity’sbudget.
F6:
– The City Fails to Communicate Impacts of Climate Change Thecityisfailingtocommunicatethefutureimpactsofclimatechangetotheresidentswhowill bemostaffected.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6:
Thecityisfailingtocommunicatetoresidentsthefutureimpactsofclimatechange. Ourrecommendationstoaddressthesefindingsentail:
Additional Recommendations
35
Not linked to specific findings.
R7:
ReformingtheprocessofdecisionmakingintheClimateResilienceProgram
R8:
Providingmoretransparencyinplanningforclimateadaptation
R9:
Reassessingthecertainfundingshortfallsneededtorespondtotheimpactsfrom climatechange
R10:
Improvinginterdepartmentalcoordinationbythecitytoaddressexpectedflooding
R11:
Steppingupeffortstonotifythepublicaboutfloodinsuranceoptionsandtoinformthe publicaboutthoseareasmostlikelytobeaffected. ComeHellorHighWater:FloodManagementinaChangingClimate Contents
R12:
MayorandCityAttorneywithin60calendardays
R13:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table2:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4,6 1.1,3.1,3.4,4.1,4.2,6.1 BoardofSupervisors 1,3,4,5,6 1.4,3.2,4.1,5.1,6.2,6.3 OfficeoftheCityAttorney 5 5.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable3.
R14:
CityAdministrator,Controller,ORCPDirector,PortDirector,andPUCManagerwithin60 calendardays.
R15:
HumanRightsCommissionandCommissionontheEnvironmentwithin60calendar days. Table3:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 1,3,4,5,6 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,3.4,4.1 4.2,5.2,6.1 OfficeofResilienceandCapital 1,6 1.1,1.3,6.1 Planning OfficeoftheController 2,3 2.1,3.3 Respondent Findings Recommendations ExecutiveDirectorofthePortofSan 4 4.2 Francisco GeneralManageroftheSanFrancisco 4 4.2 PublicUtilitiesCommission HumanRightsCommission 6 6.5 CommissionontheEnvironment 6 6.4
R16:
MayorandCityAttorneywithin60calendardays
R17:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table2:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4,6 1.1,3.1,3.4,4.1,4.2,6.1 BoardofSupervisors 1,3,4,5,6 1.4,3.2,4.1,5.1,6.2,6.3 OfficeoftheCityAttorney 5 5.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable3.
R18:
CityAdministrator,Controller,ORCPDirector,PortDirector,andPUCManagerwithin60 calendardays.
R19:
HumanRightsCommissionandCommissionontheEnvironmentwithin60calendar days. Table3:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 1,3,4,5,6 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,3.4,4.1 4.2,5.2,6.1 OfficeofResilienceandCapital 1,6 1.1,1.3,6.1 Planning OfficeoftheController 2,3 2.1,3.3 Respondent Findings Recommendations ExecutiveDirectorofthePortofSan 4 4.2 Francisco GeneralManageroftheSanFrancisco 4 4.2 PublicUtilitiesCommission HumanRightsCommission 6 6.5 CommissionontheEnvironment 6 6.4
R20:
MayorandCityAttorneywithin60calendardays
R21:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table2:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4,6 1.1,3.1,3.4,4.1,4.2,6.1 BoardofSupervisors 1,3,4,5,6 1.4,3.2,4.1,5.1,6.2,6.3 OfficeoftheCityAttorney 5 5.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable3.
R22:
CityAdministrator,Controller,ORCPDirector,PortDirector,andPUCManagerwithin60 calendardays.
R23:
HumanRightsCommissionandCommissionontheEnvironmentwithin60calendar days. Table3:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 1,3,4,5,6 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,3.4,4.1 4.2,5.2,6.1 OfficeofResilienceandCapital 1,6 1.1,1.3,6.1 Planning OfficeoftheController 2,3 2.1,3.3 Respondent Findings Recommendations ExecutiveDirectorofthePortofSan 4 4.2 Francisco GeneralManageroftheSanFrancisco 4 4.2 PublicUtilitiesCommission HumanRightsCommission 6 6.5 CommissionontheEnvironment 6 6.4
R24:
MayorandCityAttorneywithin60calendardays
R25:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table2:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4,6 1.1,3.1,3.4,4.1,4.2,6.1 BoardofSupervisors 1,3,4,5,6 1.4,3.2,4.1,5.1,6.2,6.3 OfficeoftheCityAttorney 5 5.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable3.
R26:
CityAdministrator,Controller,ORCPDirector,PortDirector,andPUCManagerwithin60 calendardays.
R27:
HumanRightsCommissionandCommissionontheEnvironmentwithin60calendar days. Table3:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 1,3,4,5,6 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,3.4,4.1 4.2,5.2,6.1 OfficeofResilienceandCapital 1,6 1.1,1.3,6.1 Planning OfficeoftheController 2,3 2.1,3.3 Respondent Findings Recommendations ExecutiveDirectorofthePortofSan 4 4.2 Francisco GeneralManageroftheSanFrancisco 4 4.2 PublicUtilitiesCommission HumanRightsCommission 6 6.5 CommissionontheEnvironment 6 6.4
R28:
MayorandCityAttorneywithin60calendardays
R29:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table2:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4,6 1.1,3.1,3.4,4.1,4.2,6.1 BoardofSupervisors 1,3,4,5,6 1.4,3.2,4.1,5.1,6.2,6.3 OfficeoftheCityAttorney 5 5.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable3.
R30:
CityAdministrator,Controller,ORCPDirector,PortDirector,andPUCManagerwithin60 calendardays.
R31:
HumanRightsCommissionandCommissionontheEnvironmentwithin60calendar days. Table3:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 1,3,4,5,6 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,3.4,4.1 4.2,5.2,6.1 OfficeofResilienceandCapital 1,6 1.1,1.3,6.1 Planning OfficeoftheController 2,3 2.1,3.3 Respondent Findings Recommendations ExecutiveDirectorofthePortofSan 4 4.2 Francisco GeneralManageroftheSanFrancisco 4 4.2 PublicUtilitiesCommission HumanRightsCommission 6 6.5 CommissionontheEnvironment 6 6.4
R32:
MayorandCityAttorneywithin60calendardays
R33:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table2:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4,6 1.1,3.1,3.4,4.1,4.2,6.1 BoardofSupervisors 1,3,4,5,6 1.4,3.2,4.1,5.1,6.2,6.3 OfficeoftheCityAttorney 5 5.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable3.
R34:
CityAdministrator,Controller,ORCPDirector,PortDirector,andPUCManagerwithin60 calendardays.
R35:
HumanRightsCommissionandCommissionontheEnvironmentwithin60calendar days. Table3:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 1,3,4,5,6 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,3.4,4.1 4.2,5.2,6.1 OfficeofResilienceandCapital 1,6 1.1,1.3,6.1 Planning OfficeoftheController 2,3 2.1,3.3 Respondent Findings Recommendations ExecutiveDirectorofthePortofSan 4 4.2 Francisco GeneralManageroftheSanFrancisco 4 4.2 PublicUtilitiesCommission HumanRightsCommission 6 6.5 CommissionontheEnvironment 6 6.4
R36:
MayorandCityAttorneywithin60calendardays
R37:
BoardofSupervisorswithin90calendardays Table2:Requiredresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations Mayor 1,3,4,6 1.1,3.1,3.4,4.1,4.2,6.1 BoardofSupervisors 1,3,4,5,6 1.4,3.2,4.1,5.1,6.2,6.3 OfficeoftheCityAttorney 5 5.2 TheJuryinvitesresponsestothefindingsandrecommendationsfromthecityinstitutions showninTable3.
R38:
CityAdministrator,Controller,ORCPDirector,PortDirector,andPUCManagerwithin60 calendardays.
R39:
HumanRightsCommissionandCommissionontheEnvironmentwithin60calendar days. Table3:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 1,3,4,5,6 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,3.4,4.1 4.2,5.2,6.1 OfficeofResilienceandCapital 1,6 1.1,1.3,6.1 Planning OfficeoftheController 2,3 2.1,3.3 Respondent Findings Recommendations ExecutiveDirectorofthePortofSan 4 4.2 Francisco GeneralManageroftheSanFrancisco 4 4.2 PublicUtilitiesCommission HumanRightsCommission 6 6.5 CommissionontheEnvironment 6 6.4
R40:
CityAdministrator,Controller,ORCPDirector,PortDirector,andPUCManagerwithin60 calendardays.
R41:
HumanRightsCommissionandCommissionontheEnvironmentwithin60calendar days. Table3:Requestedresponses Respondent Findings Recommendations OfficeoftheCityAdministrator 1,3,4,5,6 1.1,1.2,1.3,3.1,3.4,4.1 4.2,5.2,6.1 OfficeofResilienceandCapital 1,6 1.1,1.3,6.1 Planning OfficeoftheController 2,3 2.1,3.3 Respondent Findings Recommendations ExecutiveDirectorofthePortofSan 4 4.2 Francisco GeneralManageroftheSanFrancisco 4 4.2 PublicUtilitiesCommission HumanRightsCommission 6 6.5 CommissionontheEnvironment 6 6.4
Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
Lack of Coordination for Combating Illegal Fireworks . ......................................... 41
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
7, R2, R3.1, R3.2, R4.1, R4.2,
F2:
Conflicting Messaging for Reporting Illegal Fireworks . ......................................... 42
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The Working Group, or if the CIty fails to implement such Group then another separate collaboration between the DEM, 311, Fire, and Police departments, shall develop and aid in the implementation of public messaging that provides robust, consistent and clear instructions to the public on the preferred way to contact the city about reporting of illegal fireworks the issues and the information to be provided when making reports. Such public messaging shall be designed and published by March 31, 2025.
F3:
The City’s Public Education and Engagement is Inadequate ............................... 43
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
1 The Working Group, or if the CIty fails to implement such Group then another separate collaboration between at least the DEM, Fire, and Police departments, shall develop and facilitate the publication and distribution of educational materials on the dangers to self, harms to others and the environment, and the laws and penalties associated with illegal fireworks. Such information shall be designed and published by May 1, 2025.
F4:
The City Fails to Control Deployment of Illegal Fireworks . ................................... 43
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
3, R5.1, R5.2, R5.3 The Jury requests responses to the findings and recommendations shown in Table 2 within 60 calendar days. Table 2: Requested responses Respondent Findings Recommendations Department of Emergency F1, F2, F3, F4 R1.2, R1.3, R1.4, R1.5, R1.6, R1.7, Management R2, R3.1, R3.2, R4.1, R4.2, R4.3 Fire Department F1, F2, F3, F4 R1.2, R1.4, R2, R3.1, R3.2, R4.1,
F5:
The City Fails to Gather and Monitor Illegal Fireworks Metrics ............................ Required and Requested Responses ...................................................................................... Methodology . ......................................................................................................................... Glossary and Abbreviations . ................................................................................................... Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... Appendix A: San Francisco Firework Data . .............................................................................. Data from 311 Calls ..................................................................................................................... Data from Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service: Closed . ......................................... Data from Police Department Incident Reports: 2018 to Present ............................................ Data from Fire Incidents .............................................................................................................. Appendix B: Data Calculations . ............................................................................................... SF Households with Pets Harmed . ............................................................................................. SF Children Under 5 Harmed . ...................................................................................................... SF Autistic Residents Harmed ..................................................................................................... SF Residents with Dementia Harmed . ........................................................................................ SF Veterans and Residents Suffering from PTSD Harmed . ...................................................... Appendix C: Federal, State and Local Laws . ............................................................................ Appendix D: CA State Bill AB1403 . ......................................................................................... Appendix E: Fireworks Task Force References . ..................................................................... Task Forces in California ........................................................................................................... Task Forces Across the United States ...................................................................................... Appendix F: Distinguishing Fireworks from Gunshots . .......................................................... Background The San Francisco night sky is filled with thousands of illegal fireworks and booming explosions that rock the city on July 4th each year. This activity envelops the entire city and continues in some neighborhoods well into the early morning hours of July 5th. This is not just a July 4th issue but occurs in the neighborhoods to a lesser extent during the other holidays as well as spontaneously. Predicting the Boom: When and Where to Expect Illegal Fireworks Figure 1: Dispatched Fireworks Calls By Month from 2018-2023 The July 4th holiday and its surrounding weeks are times when neighborhoods throughout the city experience the window rattling effects of a higher than normal volume of explosions. The witnesses interviewed for this report who were knowledgeable about fireworks in San Francisco all agreed that illegal fireworks are mainly viewed as a July 4th problem but are in fact a 2 Gentile, Dan. 2023. “ S an Francisco erupts with illegal street fireworks for July Fourth. ” SFGATE . constant activity that must be dealt with throughout the year. All of the firework call entries represented in Figure 1 originate from the public via calls to the 911 call center. All neighborhoods across the city experience illegal fireworks, however, the Mission District has over double the number of fireworks-related police incidents when compared to other neighborhoods from 2018-2023. Figure 2: Police Fireworks Incidents By Neighborhood from 2018-2023 Other top neighborhoods for fireworks related police incidents include Chinatown, the Financial District/South Beach, South of Market, Sunset Parkside, and the Tenderloin. DataSF. 2021. “ Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service - DataSF | Dataset Explainers. ” GitBook . Police Department Incident Reports: 2018 to Present, accessible through the DataSF web interface. The Mission is one of five neighborhoods generating a significant number of calls to the 911 call center, second only to the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood. Figure 3: Dispatched Fireworks Calls by Neighborhood from 2018-2023 In terms of police districts, the Mission District had 25% of the police incidents related to fireworks from 2018-2023. The Central District handled 18%, the Taraval District handled 11% and the Tenderloin District handled 10% of the police incidents. Quieting the Boom: Reporting Illegal Fireworks to the City Illegal fireworks related issues can be reported to the city via: 5 Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service: 2018 to Present , accessible through the DataSF web interface. See Figure 13: Police Fireworks Incidents By Police District from 2018-2023 in Appendix A . ● Department of Emergency Management’s 911 Call Center, which handles calls from 911, emergency number 415-553-8090, and non-emergency number 415-553-0123. ● City Administrator’s 311 Customer Service Center, handling calls from 311 and 415-701-2311, and requests from: ○ Web: 311 Online Services, https://www.sf.gov/topics/311-online-services ○ Social Media: ■ X/Twitter: @SF311, https://twitter.com/SF311 ■ Facebook: SF311, https://www.facebook.com/SF311 ■ Mobile App: SF311, https://www.sf.gov/sf311-mobile-app ● San Francisco Police Department’s Online Reporting System at https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/get-service/police-reports , or ○ In person with a police officer at the nearest station ○ Anonymous Tips for reporting sales or possession: https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/contact-and-directory/anonymous-tip-lines ○ Online, enter a tip at: https://www.citizenobserver.com/cov6/app/webTipForm.html?id=4909 ● San Francisco Fire Department: Report a Fire Safety Concern online at: https://sf-fire.org/report-fire-safety-concerns-complaints The types of illegal fireworks related issues reported to the city are: ● Injuries from fireworks requiring assistance ● Fireworks being used as weapons ● Fires started from fireworks ● Illegal fireworks being deployed at a given location ● Illegal fireworks being sold ● Possession of illegal fireworks ● Clean-up request of fireworks trash ● Noise complaint about illegal fireworks Noise complaints are the predominant reason for fireworks-related calls to the city. The overwhelming majority of calls with fireworks reported to the 911 call center have the call description set to “Noise Nuisance.” The “Suspicious Person” call description is a very distant second, followed by “Vandalism”, “Suspicious Vehicle” and “Explosion”. Many noise complaints from the 311 web and mobile app are also registered in the 311 Cases dataset. The 311 customer service center also gets calls for the Department of Public Works and the Recreation and Park Department to provide clean-up for the piles of fireworks trash left on the city streets and in the parks. Figure 4: Dispatched Fireworks Calls by Description from 2018-2023 One of the most disturbing aspects of illegal fireworks is an emerging trend in recent years of fireworks being used as weapons. Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service: 2018 to Present , accessible through the DataSF web interface. We learned from interviews that in June of 2022, during the parade celebrating the Warriors winning the NBA Championship, multiple police officers had their hearing badly affected by explosives being detonated near them. Only a few weeks later on the night of July 4th, fireworks were used as weapons against the police in the Mission. On July 8th of 2023, fireworks were used once again in a crowd and towards police in an event known as the Dolores Hill Bomb. Most recently in February of 2024, fireworks were used to set a driverless Waymo car on fire. 1 0 Figure 5: SFPD Fireworks Incidents by Description from 2018-2023 Over 15% of the recorded police fireworks-related incidents from 2018 through 2023 had a description of “ F ireworks, Throw At Person or Discharge In Crowd. ” 1 1 We learned from interviews that the police are seeing more fireworks activity in gatherings than has been observed in the past. As a result of this emerging weaponization of fireworks, police officers being dispatched to these events are now being issued eye protection and contemplate being issued ear protection in the future. SFPD Mission Station. 2022. “ S FPD Mission officers responded to a large crowd & fire at 24th/Harrison. ” twitter.com . Jones, Dustin. 2023. “ Police arrest 32 adults, cite 81 minors at 'hill bomb' San Francisco skate event. ” NPR . Jin, Hyunjoo, Mariana Sandoval, and Abhirup Roy. 2024. “ Crowd sets Waymo self-driving vehicle ablaze in San Francisco. ” Reuters . Corresponds to Table 7: Police Fireworks Incidents By Description from 2018-2023 in Appendix A ; see also Police Department Incident Reports: 2018 to Present, accessible through the DataSF web interface. From Boom to Burden: Ten Affected City Departments The following are the city departments that are impacted by illegal fireworks: ● Fire Department: ○ Extinguishes fires ○ Provides emergency aid and transport for injuries ○ Investigates causes of fires ○ Messages and educates the public ● Police Department: ○ Stops ongoing illegal activity such as ■ Sales of illegal fireworks ■ Possession of illegal fireworks ■ Deployment of illegal fireworks ○ Works with state and federal agencies on interdiction ○ Bomb Squad: Handles disposal ○ Arson Task Force: Investigates fires ○ Messages and educates the public ● Department of Emergency Services: ○ Handles incoming calls and dispatches help ○ Messages and educates the public ● City Administrator: Handles 311 calls and transfers issues to appropriate agency ● Department of Public Works: Handles clean-up ● Department of Public Health: Provides care for the injured and traumatized ● Recreation and Park Department: Protects city parks from illegal activity ● Department of Animal Care and Control: Cares for lost pets and injured wildlife ● Environment Department: Handles pollution issues ● District Attorney: Handles prosecutions San Francisco Fire Department Pre-Planning for Illegal Firework Activity We understand from interviews that each year before the July 4th holiday, the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) works to get property owners to clear their properties of all high grasses or weeds in order to reduce the possibility of the property catching fire from a stray firework. The SFFD deploys mini-pumper fire equipment on the night of July 4th to “hotspot” areas where they believe the potential is greatest for a fire getting started, such as where the grass was high or not cleared, or historically problematic locations. These measures help to prevent fires and to contain those that do occur before they involve significant personal injuries or property damage. Fire Department officials have indicated it is likely that not all of the fires which are quickly extinguished by the pre-deployed equipment are recorded in the metrics captured in the fire incidents dataset. Harms from the Boom: The Devastating Impact to the City Most people are familiar with the fact that fireworks can cause horrific physical injuries and start costly and deadly fires but fewer are aware of the suffering, fear and mental trauma that the explosions cause. Even fewer realize the impact fireworks have on the environment through pollution of the air, water and land. Mental Trauma Many San Francisco families are impacted by the mental trauma suffered by their pets and loved ones from the explosive noise of fireworks. The groups most affected by the explosions include pets, children, autistic residents, dementia patients, veterans and those with PTSD, and wildlife. On the New Year’s Eve and July 4th holidays and their accompanying weekends, these explosions can last well into the early morning hours. For this reason, many families choose to flee the city around these dates while other affected households attempt to drown out the explosive booms by hunkering down with their traumatized loved ones in an interior room and playing calming music or videos. An SFGate article reporting on nonstop fireworks from June 24, 2020 is still very relevant today: "I’m losing my mind," said SF resident J. Barry. "We’re in South Bernal and it’s been super challenging for us. We rescued a dog at the start of quarantine, and she’s obviously not responding well to all of this, nor are our 4- and 6-year-old children. The M80s or M1000s are nothing short of heart stopping. One went off last night at 2:30 a.m. and shook our house, windows, ceiling fans. Our family of four was all up for about two hours trying to calm down. So we are all a mess today." 1 2 Trauma for Pets “Dogs with noise phobias show symptoms including panting, pacing and hiding. They are often so frightened they try and escape and can sustain injuries in the process. Because of this, fearful dogs can be a danger to themselves.” 1 3 Almost half of responding owners reported that their dog showed at least one Photo by Matthew Foulds on Unsplash behavioral sign typical of fear when exposed to noises such as fireworks , thunder and gunshots, even though only a quarter had reported their dog as ‘fearful’ of noises. 1 4 Similarly, “the loud noises and flashes of fireworks can cause cats to panic, bolting around in search of a safe place. A thirty-minute fireworks show may seem short to us, but for a frightened cat, it can feel like a much longer stretch of disorientation.” 15 12 Graff, Amy. 2020. “ ' I'm losing my mind': Bay Area residents report nonstop fireworks. ” SFGATE . The University of Sydney. 2020. “ D ogs, thunderstorms and fireworks: the fear is real .” The University of Sydney . Blackwell, Emily J., John W. Bradshaw, and Rachel A. Casey. 2013. “ Fear responses to noises in domestic dogs: Prevalence, risk factors and co-occurrence with other fear related behaviour. ” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 145, no. 1-2 (April): 15-25. 10.1016/j.applanim.2012.12.004. Church, Larissa. 2021. “ C ats and Fireworks. ” Cat Town . Another paper cites that “ o ver 50% of owners report that their cat is either ‘very scared’ or ‘extremely scared’ during fireworks exposure. ” 16 “Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, ferrets and birds are also easily frightened and all need to be treated with special care when fireworks are being let off.” 17 Animal control officials across the country see a 30–60% increase in lost pets each year between July fourth and sixth; July fifth is traditionally one of the busiest days of the year for animal shelters. 1 8 Discussions with Photo by Marko Blazevic on Unsplash local animal organizations verified that each year around the July 4th holiday the San Francisco SPCA sees a 20% increase in requests for anti-anxiety medications for pets and SF Animal Care and Control sees an increase in lost pets. Trauma for Children Unexpected, explosive booms from fireworks can be especially frightening to children, especially toddlers and babies, who are sensitive to loud noises. The children with sound sensitivities have normal, not supernormal hearing. The loud noises will cause babies to cry and fuss while toddlers tend to cover their ears or bury their head in a parent’s lap. 1 9 In fact, being too close to exploding fireworks can cause immediate damage to their hearing. Photo by Meruyert Gonullu on Pexels 16 Furgala, Nicole M., Carly M. Moody, Hannah E. Flint, Shannon Gowland, and Lee Niel. 2022. “ Veterinary background noise elicits fear responses in cats while freely moving in a confined space and during an examination. ” Behavioural Processes 201 (September). Stallard, Claire, and Róisín Bolger. 2022. “ Fireworks and Pets. ” Blue Cross . McReynolds, Tony. 2018. “ F ireworks aren't fun for everyone. ” AAHA - American Animal Hospital Association . Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. 1990. “ S ound sensitivity in children. ” Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust . Balk, Sophie J. 2023. “ H ow Noise Affects Children. ” HealthyChildren.org . “Phonophobia, also known as sonophobia, ligyrophobia, and acousticophobia, is a specific phobia consisting of the persistent fear of loud noises. People with phonophobia do not have a hearing disorder but are afraid of loud noises, which are especially frightening when they occur unexpectedly. Phonophobia is a common trait in highly sensitive people and highly sensitive children, with one study showing that around 10% of school-aged children have phonophobia . ” 2 1 Trauma for Autistic Children and Adults A very common symptom of autism is extreme sensitivity to noise. Children with autism will often hear noises long before their non-autistic counterparts. Even everyday noises can cause insufferable pain, paranoia, screaming fits and feelings of anxiousness. Panic brought on by fireworks can cause autistic children to leave their homes and get lost and Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels even to suffer serious accidents. Parents of autistic children report that it is the unanticipated, illegal fireworks set off throughout the night which cause the most anxiety and are most problematic for them as it can take hours to get the child back to a “baseline” where they feel safe again. 2 3 The latest nationwide statistics from Autism Speaks reveal that 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults have some form of autism . 2 4 According to this rate of autism, research data gathered on Decreased Sound Tolerance (DST) in individuals with autism, and calculations done for this 21 Shapiro, Leslie. 2023. “ P honophobia: Understanding the Fear of Loud Noises. ” Choosing Therapy . Valentinuzzi, Max E. 2018. “ F ireworks, Autism, and Animals: What 'Fun' Noises Do to Sensitive Humans and Our Beloved Pets [Retrospectroscope]. ” IEEE Pulse 9, no. 5 (September): 37-39. 10.1109/MPUL.2018.2856961. Turner, Niki. 2020. “ C hildren, veterans and family pets can suffer because of fireworks. ” The Herald Times . Autism Speaks. 2024. “ Autism Statistics and Facts. ” Autism Speaks . report, there would be approximately 20,000 residents of San Francisco County with some form of autism and around 10,000 who will experience Decreased Sound Tolerance sometime in their life and therefore likely to be affected by fireworks . Trauma for Dementia Patients Fireworks can be upsetting and disorienting for someone with dementia. Even indoors, the noise from the explosions of outside fireworks can be very agitating for someone living with dementia and cause them to suffer anxiety and fear. Caretakers of family members with dementia report that their loved ones get very scared by the fireworks, Photo by Mario Wallner on Pexels believing that they are gunshots, and can become overstimulated, confused and agitated. 2 7 Trauma for Veterans and Those with PTSD The loud explosions from fireworks can be traumatic to many veterans and others suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While many people associate PTSD with veterans, it is very common in the civilian population as well. Illegal fireworks, which are loud, unexpected noises in the night are a common trigger, bringing up thoughts, Photo by RDNE Stock Project on Pexels feelings or memories of a traumatic event. Please refer to Appendix B: SF Autistic Residents Harmed for how this value was calculated. Jordan, Greg. 2023. “ E xperts: Fireworks, large crowds can be distressing for dementia patients. ” Bluefield Daily Telegraph . Aguilar, Amanda. 2022. “ How fireworks impact people with Alzheimer's, dementia. ” ABC30 . PTSD can disrupt sleep and increase stress levels dramatically in those suffering from it. Illegal fireworks can go on for many hours which can exacerbate the suffering of those with PTSD and initiate full-blown panic attacks. 2 9 The Bay Area is home to a large veteran population and for those suffering from PTSD, the unpredictability of fireworks can trigger it. This can make it hard for them to focus their attention, and can cause flashbacks to traumatic events. It can make them easily angered or reactive to perceived threats. Trauma for Wildlife Few San Francisco residents realize that the city’s wildlife, such as coyotes, racoons, birds, squirrels, frogs and fish, can suffer serious consequences from the deployment of fireworks. Birds can become so frightened that they fly off en masse into the night sky in such a panic that they fly into objects or out to sea so far that they cannot return safely. Photo By Eclipse Chasers on Pexels Researchers believe that millions of birds are impacted by fireworks but due to the activity happening at night, it is difficult to study and get accurate information about the impact on wildlife. San Francisco is home to a wide variety of wildlife including many species of bird. In fact, San Francisco’s official animal is a bird, the wild parrot. It also has an official bird as well, which is the California Quail. 3 3 28 Mallard, Chris, and Abbey Anderson. 2020. “ T he Overlooked Effects of Fireworks. ” Penn Medicine . Glaser, Chery. 2021. “ July 4 fireworks could trigger trauma and pain for people with mental health challenges. ” KCRW . High, Joseph. 2020. “ B ay Area residents experiencing mental distress in wake of illegal fireworks. ” Golden Gate Xpress . Coulter, Kendra. 2023. “ Summer fireworks can traumatize pets and cause wildlife to flee. ” The Conversation . San Francisco Administrative Code Section 1.5-5. San Francisco Administrative Code Section 1.5-3. Pollution from Fireworks Fireworks contaminate the air, water and soil with toxic chemicals and microplastics, with devastating effects upon exposed people and animals. This defiling of the air, water and soil has both short and long term impacts on the environment. Pollution of the Air Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash Fireworks can cause air visibility to decrease by as much as 92%, increase atmospheric heat content, and elevate surface air temperatures. The carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter emitted by fireworks contribute to climate change and harm air quality for animals and humans. 3 4 Modern fireworks emit lead, copper, and other toxins. The metals and chemicals which give fireworks their various colors, are also harmful to human cells and animal lungs. In one research study, harmful levels of lead were found in 2 of the 12 types of fireworks analyzed and 5 types were found to significantly increase oxidation in human tissue which if left unchecked can damage or even kill cells. In recent years, China, which has a strong cultural attachment to fireworks, has started to enforce limits and bans on fireworks in many of its largest cities (e.g. Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing) due to their deployments causing air pollution with concentrations of highly-toxic PM2.5 particulates. Pollution of the Water and Land While the after-smog from fireworks is very visible, the pollution to the water and land is sometimes less apparent. Perchlorate is a chemical used in fireworks to help shoot them into 34 Han, Jessica. 2023. “ The Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” Earth.Org . NYU Langone Health. 2020. “ C ommon Fireworks Release Lead, Copper & Other Toxic Metals into the Air. ” NYU Langone Health . Hao, Feng. 2016. “ S hanghai's firework ban ensures quieter start to New Year. ” China Dialogue . the night sky. In large amounts it has also been found to affect the functioning of the thyroid gland. When fireworks explode, this chemical settles in the soil and water and remains in the environment for very long periods of time. It is absorbed by plant life and can affect the development of fish in water bodies that it pollutes. 3 7 Interviews with persons knowledgeable about fireworks and perchlorate confirm that it is one of the problematic pollutants from fireworks that makes disposal of confiscated fireworks difficult and expensive. Firework debris also contaminates the soil and water with microplastics. Measurements of microplastics in the River of Thames in England indicated a 1000% increase after a New Year’s Eve fireworks show. Fireworks also contribute to acid rain. The particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitric oxide from the fireworks can linger in the air for long periods of time, be transported over different areas and when mixed with oxygen, water, and other chemicals, acid rain can develop. Acid rain is harmful to both aquatic and forested ecosystems. 3 9 As the chemicals in fireworks are harmful to the environment, this makes the disposal of confiscated fireworks and the cleanup of fireworks trash more difficult than one might imagine. Interviews with public employees knowledgeable about pollution engendered by fireworks indicate that there are only a few places in the country that will take and dispose of confiscated fireworks, and the process is costly. The Office of the State Fire Marshal of California collects all confiscated fireworks from across the state and is responsible for handling their safe disposal. Damage from Illegal Fireworks On April 15, 1986 an entire city block in the Bayview district of San Francisco was destroyed by a massive explosion and fire originating in the Bayview Industrial Park. When the smoke cleared, 8 people were dead, at least 20 were injured, operators of dozens of shops lost their businesses and around $10 million in damages was sustained. The original explosion shook the ground for several miles and was followed by two smaller blasts. The fire burned out of control for over 4 hours. The business at the heart of the explosion was supposedly a company that made forms for computer printouts, however, that was all a fabrication. In reality, the business was operating 37 Han, Jessica. 2023. “ The Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” Earth.Org . Han, “ T he Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” 39 Han, “ T he Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” an illegal, underground, fireworks factory producing M-80 and 'barrel bomb' fireworks. The fireworks were being made and sold for recreational use. 4 0 This isn’t an isolated event. On May 16, 1998 a house full of illegal fireworks 4 1 caused an explosion and fire that ripped through a Sunset District home, injuring at least 17 people including 6 children, leveling the three-story residence, blowing out windows for blocks and shattering windshields of passing cars. The blast at 8:05 p.m. triggered a four-alarm fire that destroyed the two houses on either side of the residence and knocked the home at 1450 19th Ave. off its foundation, leaving it crumpled at a 45-degree angle and looking as if it had been through a major earthquake. 4 3 In addition to the dangers posed by the manufacturing and storing of illegal fireworks, the SFFD must always be vigilant against fires started by fireworks. The city contains many wooded areas, fields, and vulnerable houses and buildings. 4 4 Interviews with public employees knowledgeable about fires caused by fireworks, along with analysis of fire statistics, indicate that many of the firework fires start in grass fields, however there are building fires that occur as well. For the years 2018-2023 there was a total of $555,900 in property loss and $35,200 in content loss 4 5 from firework fires as reported by the San Francisco Fire Department and captured in the DataSF Fire Incidents dataset. 4 6 40 UPI Archives. 1986. “ I llegal fireworks plant sparked fire. ” UPI (San Francisco), April 10, 1986. Derbeken, Jaxon V. 1998. “ Sifting Through Rubble / Illegal fireworks could have been cause of S.F. blast. ” SFGate . Delgado, Ray, Bruce Adams, John Koopman, and Anastasia Hendrix. 1998. “ B last levels Sunset home; 17 injured by debris, fire. ” SFGATE . Delgado et al., “ B last levels Sunset home ”, SFGATE . See Figure 19: Fireworks Fires By Property Use from 2018-2023 in Appendix A . See Content Loss (NFIRS) in the Glossary and Abbreviations . See Table 10: Additional Information Fires Started by Fireworks from 2018-2023 in Appendix A . Injuries from Fireworks The federal Consumer Product Safety Commision (CPSC) gathers the national statistics on fireworks injuries as seen in the previous graphic. The latest statistics are from 2022. While the majority of the injuries (73%) occur in the weeks before and after July 4th, tragically, an 18 year old, while celebrating the new year for 2024, was killed in a fireworks related accident on Treasure Island. 4 7 Each year, persons not only from San Francisco but visitors to the city experience serious injuries: According to a spokesperson, General Hospital saw six people with “fireworks-related injuries” between July 1 and July 4, with burns and “blast injuries” to hands and eyes. “One patient is in critical condition,” they wrote in an email, “and four are in serious condition with one patient discharged.” 4 8 The incidence of firework-related injuries has risen over the past decade. Injuries remain most common among adolescents and young adults. In addition, significant injuries requiring hospitalization occur most often during aerial and illegal firework use. Further targeted sale restrictions, distribution, and manufacturing regulations for high-risk fireworks are required to reduce the incidence of significant injury. Many people underestimate the dangers to their personal safety when setting off fireworks. In addition to the actual loss of life (11 US deaths, according to the 2022 CPSC statistics) and the fingers, toes and limbs permanently injured or needing amputation (48% from the 2022 CPSC statistics), sparklers, which seem innocent and safe for children, burn hot enough (about 2000 degrees fahrenheit) to melt some metals and can cause permanent scars and disfigurement. Other dangers from fireworks that many don’t think about include the potential permanent damage to one’s hearing 5 1 or eyesight. 5 2 47 KTVU.com. 2024. “ Teen identified in fatal Treasure Island fireworks accident. ” KTVU . Jones, Griffin, and Joe R. Barros. 2023. “ Fingers lost, M80s swept: Fourth on 24th 'better than last year.' ” Mission Local . Winiki, Nolan M., Ian Waldrop, Jesus V. Orosco Jr., Daniel Novak, and Nicholas W. Sheets. 2024. “ The epidemiology of firework-related injuries in the US, 2012–2022. ” Springer Nature / Injury Epidemiology . ChemicalSafetyFacts.org. 2023. “ F ireworks and Sparklers: The Chemistry of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Colors. ” Chemical Safety Facts . CDC. 2020. “ July is Fireworks Safety Month! Take care to protect your hearing. | Hearing Loss | NCEH | CDC. ” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Gudgel, Dan. 2023. “ Fireworks Eye Safety. ” American Academy of Ophthalmology . Beyond the Ban: The Obstacles to Eliminating Illegal Fireworks There are many impediments to reducing illegal firework activity. Some of them are: ● Seen as a Lower Priority Problem ● Limited Enforcement Resources ● Difficulty Dealing with Explosives ● Lack of Coordinated Messaging, Education and Community Engagement ● Official Metrics are not Being Gathered or Tracked Photo by Samantha Sophia on Unsplash Seen as a Lower Priority Problem A consistent theme that emerged from our interviews with knowledgeable employees in departments impacted by illegal fireworks is that there is definitely a problem in the city with illegal fireworks but it is low in priority on the list of the many problems that must be dealt with as part of their jobs. Another consistent comment was that since the issue does not generate large volumes of complaints throughout the year, and only becomes overwhelming around July 4th, taking further action about fireworks is not prioritized. Limited Resources During the evening of the 4th of July holiday when many illegal fireworks are being discharged all over the city, some police officers from each of the stations are assigned to downtown to handle the crowds watching the public fireworks display. Even having extra officers on duty during this time can still leave stations in the city with smaller staffs, especially on a busy night. Also, on the evening of July 4th when most of the illegal firework activity is occuring, much holiday celebration and drinking leads to additional accidents, fights and criminal activity which are handled as higher priority incidents than the illegal fireworks use itself. Difficulty Dealing with Explosives Another issue consistently mentioned is the time consuming process that is required of patrol officers when they are dealing with illegal fireworks. Much of the firework material being confiscated is of such a nature that it requires the patrol officers to stay with it until the bomb squad arrives and it can be properly disposed of. This takes the officers “off the street” for long periods of time and keeps them from stopping other illegal activity. Lack of Coordinated Messaging, Education and Community Engagement Still another issue raised repeatedly in interviews is that there is currently little to no coordination among the departments to work together on developing common educational programs, community engagements or targeted messaging campaigns on the topic of illegal fireworks. Only a Single Official Metric is Being Gathered and None are Being Tracked Through interviews we also learned that there are no official metrics being tracked by the city about illegal fireworks. The only official metric being gathered is the Heat Source field in the Fire Incident dataset. This dataset is published by the San Francisco Fire Department and follows the codes and guidelines set forth by the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The Heat Source field has an entry code 54 Fireworks which is used to indicate fires started by fireworks. Fireworks Fines: Avoiding Legal Trouble with Fireworks Overview of Federal, State and City Fireworks Laws Fireworks are regulated and licensed at the federal, state and local levels. The federal government classifies devices as either display fireworks (used by professionals in public shows) or consumer fireworks (sold to the public). The various states can then further limit or ban which federally approved type of consumer fireworks are legal within their jurisdiction. Finally, localities such as counties, towns and cities can further restrict or ban which consumer fireworks are permitted within their boundaries. Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels The state of California limits consumer fireworks to those that mostly stay on the ground or are handheld and are non-explosive. These fireworks are classified as ‘Safe and Sane’ and include categories such as sparklers, spinners, fountains, wheels, cones, handheld, smoke items, novelty items and assortments. The California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is responsible for the regulation, licensing and disposal of all firework related issues in the state of California. It determines which consumer fireworks are legal within the state and publishes a list of the approved products. The City and County of San Francisco bans all private fireworks within its jurisdiction. Public displays of fireworks are permitted but in accordance with state law must be performed by licensed, pyrotechnic companies and operators. In San Francisco, these shows require 53 Rodrigo, Olivia. 2023. “ State Approved Safe & Sane Fireworks. ” CA Office of the State Fire Marshal . pre-approval by the San Francisco Fire Marshal and San Francisco Chief of Police. 5 4 Such displays are typically launched from offshore barges and are deployed only by people highly skilled, experienced, and licensed in handling fireworks. Some people wrongly assume that a big part of the problem with so many fireworks being launched into the San Francisco sky or causing the window-rattling explosions is neighboring cities such as Pacifica, permitting the sale of the California approved “Safe and Sane” fireworks. However, one can see from the type of fireworks permitted for sale and use in some California cities that these sorts of fireworks are not the kind that launch into the air or could make such loud explosions. The San Francisco firework explosions booming around the city are more likely from fireworks that are illegal in California but which are for sale in the neighboring state of Nevada. See Appendix C for more detailed information on the federal, state and local agencies and the laws and regulations which deal with fireworks. New CA Fireworks Law—CA Assembly Bill 1403 California Assembly Bill 1403 was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on October 7, 2023. It is a law about fireworks that has already impacted and will potentially impact California counties over the next few years, updating and amending sections of the California Health and Safety Code about fireworks. The law has two main components. The first component is directed at the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and tasks it to identify improved metrics for tracking fireworks, gather data about fireworks, and then make a report to the Legislature about education, training and enforcement for local agencies including a cost analysis. The second component updates the fines for possessing and discharging illegal fireworks. Most of the fines are doubled from their previous ranges. S an Francisco Police Code. 2023. “ SEC. 1290. DISCHARGE OF FIREWORKS PROHIBITED. ” American Legal Publishing . Sriskandarajah, Ike. 2017. “ Fireworks spark up a black market economy. ” Marketplace. The updated fines and penalties will be discussed in the next section. Some highlights from the new law which may end up impacting San Francisco in the future follow (bolding was done for this report): ● On or before July 1, 2024 , the State Fire Marshal shall identify and evaluate methods to capture more detailed data relating to fires, damages, and injuries caused by both dangerous fireworks and safe and sane fireworks. ● On or before January 1, 2025, the State Fire Marshal shall collect and analyze data relating to fires, damages, seizures, arrests, administrative citations, and fireworks disposal issues caused by the sale and use of both dangerous illegal fireworks and safe and sane fireworks. ● On or before January 1, 2025 , the State Fire Marshal shall provide to the appropriate policy and budget committees of the respective houses of the Legislature a workload analysis of resources needed to further assist in the training of local fire and law enforcement personnel regarding all the following: ○ (A) The seizure, collection, transportation, and storage of seized fireworks. ○ (B) The enforcement of statewide programs concerning illegal and dangerous fireworks. ○ (C) Prosecution related to seized fireworks. ○ (D) Investigations of illegal and dangerous fireworks. ● Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature , the State Fire Marshal shall train local fire and law enforcement personnel on the requirements of this chapter. ○ The State Fire Marshal shall, in consultation with relevant state and local public agencies , the fireworks industry, and other relevant stakeholders, develop, publish, and provide necessary guidance and training to local agencies that seize, collect, transport, store, and treat seized fireworks. See Appendix D for the full text of the law. The Penalties and Fines Pursuant to CA AB 1403, the fines for illegal fireworks doubled as of January 1, 2024. Most firework violations in California are misdemeanors and the punishment upon conviction includes: ● A fine of between $1,000 to $2,000, and/or ● Imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash Possessing large amounts of dangerous fireworks can result in: ● Fines of up to $100,000 and/or ● Up to three years in a California state prison Additionally, parents of willful violators are held liable for any damage or injuries caused by their children using illegal fireworks. Dimming the Spark: Innovative Solutions to Illegal Fireworks San Francisco Operation Kaboom Operation Kaboom was an interdepartmental strike team brought together in 2019 to curb illegal firework usage in the Ingleside Police District. It consisted of members from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), the San Francisco Bomb Squad, the Department of Public Works (DPW), and the Department of Emergency Management (DEM). The operation involved two police cars, a police pickup truck, a fire engine and a DPW street sweeper. Residents in the Ingleside neighborhood were instructed to report firework activity with an exact location and the dispatchers were trained on how to prioritize and route these specific calls to the strike team. The following objectives were achieved: ● 500 pounds of illegal fireworks were seized ● Several spot fires were extinguished before becoming larger ● Public awareness of the issue of illegal fireworks was increased ● Community hotspots where illegal fireworks were commonly deployed were identified ● Appreciation for being responsive to calls and taking action was received from the public Greener Alternatives to Fireworks Some Canadian cities replaced fireworks with special effects pyrotechnic displays, which are quieter and have a lower altitude, in order to protect wildlife. Colorful and illuminated silent firework displays without the traditional loud bang are used in the town of Collecchio in Italy to help reduce stress on local wild animals, a great and more environmentally friendly alternative. 5 6 Other options include drone displays similar to the one presented at the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and laser spectacles which reduce the risk of wildfires and do not increase air pollution. Salt Lake City in Utah has been using lasers during the Fourth of July holiday to reduce environmental damage while still providing the same level of spectacle as fireworks. 5 7 56 Han, Jessica. 2023. “ The Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” Earth.Org. Han, “ T he Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” Creation of Fireworks Task Forces In Counties and Cities Across the Country Numerous counties and cities have created illegal fireworks task forces to address this difficult issue. These task forces vary in their approaches and missions but they all bring together members of different departments and organizations to address the problem. Here are some of the actions coming out of these task forces: ● Create interdepartmental teams to come up with solutions ● Increase public education and communication ● Involve the community ● Increase fines and penalties ● Increase staffing on problem nights like 4th of July ● Identify, capture and publish metrics on fireworks ● Institute buy and bust programs which buy illegal fireworks and arrest the sellers to discover their suppliers ● Cooperate and work with federal and state agencies on interdiction ● Implement social ordinances which allow fines to be sent out to property owners when visual evidence of fireworks being set off on their property is collected ● Implement changes to the laws to help public safety officials with more legal tools for curbing illegal fireworks usage ● Implement amnesty and buy back programs for illegal fireworks ● Use technology such as audio detection systems, cameras and drones to detect illegal fireworks deployments ● Create mascots for education around firework safety and dangers Some of the examples of California task forces that were discovered for this report with the year that they were first seen noted in parenthesis. This is not an exhaustive list. 5 8 ● East Palo Alto and Menlo Park in San Mateo County (2021) ● Temple City in LA County (2021) ● City of Moreno Valley in Riverside County (2021) 58 See Task Forces in California in Appendix E . ● Sacramento County (2018) ● San Bernardino County (2017) ● San Joaquin County (2017) ● Kern County (2015) Task Forces also exist across the United States, for example: 5 9 ● State of Hawaii (2023) ● Washington DC (2022) ● Boston, MA (2020) ● Providence, RI (2020) ● Pittsburgh, PA (2020) ● Bend, OR (2019) ● Clark County/Las Vegas, NV (2018) ● Happy Valley, OR (2012) ● Milwaukee, WI (2006) ● New York City, NY (1995) Recent California Counties Civil Grand Jury Reports on Illegal Fireworks ● 2023-2024 Kern County Civil Grand Jury Report entitled “The Kern County Fire Department - The Effects of Illegal Fireworks” 60 ● 2022-2023 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Report entitled “City of Seaside: The Real Cost of Fireworks” 61 59 See Task Forces Across the United States in Appendix E . 60 2023-2024 Kern County Grand Jury. 2024. “ T he Kern County Fire Department - The Effects of Illegal Fireworks. ” Kern County . 61 2022-2023 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury. 2023. “ City of Seaside: The Real Cost of Fireworks. ” County of Monterey . Analysis Detonating the Data: An Analysis of Illegal Fireworks Very Significant Numbers of San Franciscans are Traumatized by Fireworks While it is probably impossible to know with certainty whether the estimates made in this report about the number of San Francisco households and residents traumatized by illegal fireworks are precisely accurate, we have concluded that the estimates are reasonably accurate. One thing is very clear - there are a very large number of people, pets and wildlife in San Francisco being impacted on a regular basis by illegal firework activity throughout the city. To summarize the findings on those potentially impacted by illegal fireworks: ● Pets : Around 100,000 San Francisco households, about one in four, have a pet frightened by illegal fireworks. 62 ● Children : Over 3,500 San Francisco children under the age of 5 are likely frightened or bothered by illegal fireworks. 6 3 ● Autistic residents : An estimated 20,000 San Francisco residents have some form of autism and at some point in their lives around 10,000 will exhibit Decreased Sound Tolerance (DST) and therefore likely to be impacted by illegal fireworks. 6 4 ● Dementia patients : An estimated 12,500 San Francisco residents have some level of dementia and will potentially be agitated by fireworks. 6 5 62 See Appendix B: SF Households with Pets Harmed for how this value was calculated. See Appendix B: SF Children Under 5 Harmed for how this value was calculated. See Appendix B: SF Autistic Residents Harmed for how this value was calculated. See Appendix B: SF Residents with Dementia Harmed for how this value was calculated. ● Veterans and others suffering from PTSD : In any given year, an estimated 2,500 San Francisco combat veterans and 37,700 San Francisco adults suffering from PTSD are potentially triggered by the explosions from illegal fireworks. The Need for Better Coordination A Lack of Any Formal Coordination on Illegal Fireworks We have concluded from numerous interviews that currently there is little to no coordination between departments on how they deal with the issue. What small amount of inter-departmental cooperation that may exist is informal and inconsistent. Coordination is made difficult because no official metrics are being tracked by the multiple departments who receive complaints. An Experienced Leader—The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) The Department of Emergency Management has experience planning and coordinating safety, health, and service departments to handle problems and emergencies which require interdepartmental efforts and cooperation. DEM also is very experienced at working with outside state and federal agencies. The Division of Emergency Communications within DEM is responsible for dispatching all emergency and non-emergency calls for the Police and Fire Departments. As such, they already constantly deal with illegal fireworks issues and play a central role as both the public interface and the internal communications to the safety personnel. The additional activity to better track and manage illegal fireworks activity can be accomplished with minimal burden and cost for DEM. For these reasons, the Department of Emergency Management would be the ideal candidate for leading any coordinated effort to address the illegal fireworks issue. See Appendix B: SF Veterans and Residents Suffering from PTSD Harmed for how this value was calculated. Conflicting Messaging on Reporting One glaring example of the need for better coordination is the current conflicting messaging to the public on how they should be interacting with the city in regards to illegal firework activity. The messaging on using 911 is clear: it should only be used for emergencies such as when someone has been injured or there is imminent danger to life or property. The messaging on reporting someone shooting off fireworks in your neighborhood is less clear and often contradictory. ● The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and SFSafe (non-profit funded primarily by SFPD to do crime prevention) asks the public to call the non-emergency number, 415-553-0123. ● The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) asks the public to call 311. ● Some of the messaging asks that you only call if you can give an address or intersection and a description of the person setting off the fireworks while others don’t mention any requirements for calling at all. ● There is some messaging on how the public should make noise complaints but that is contradictory as well. There is also no mechanism for the public to register the volume of activity or the level of their displeasure. This would likely best be handled in a web or mobile app which 311 currently supports, however, 311 currently does not believe it has been tasked with handling any fireworks related calls other than calls for clean-up. ● Examples of messaging for the public to call 553-0123: ○ SFPD: https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/independence-day-safety-tips ○ SFSafe: https://twitter.com/SFSAFE/status/1676305087226867718 ● Examples of messaging for the public to call 311: ○ DEM: https://twitter.com/SF_emergency/status/1676313954090647552 ○ DEM: https://twitter.com/SF_emergency/status/1756790602262319587 ○ DEM: https://twitter.com/SF_emergency/status/1756790423694274988 ○ SFFD: https://sf-fire.org/safety-resources-and-information/fireworks-safety As the public is more familiar with the 311 number than the non-emergency number, 415-553-0123, and the 311 system has more methods for reporting complaints such as from the web and its mobile app, it seems better suited for receiving, documenting and reporting general noise complaints about illegal fireworks. A call about seeing the deployment of fireworks with a location and a description of the individuals engaging in the activity is the reporting of a crime, which should be made to the non-emergency number, 415-553-0123. But if the deployment was in a crowd or going off close to residences and creating an imminent danger, 911 should be contacted because this may be an emergency. The simplest messaging would have all non-emergency calls about illegal fireworks going to 311, and then having the calls about specific deployments forwarded to the non-emergency number. The details about reporting illegal fireworks activity has many subtleties. The officials working in the various departments dealing with this issue are the subject matter experts best positioned to define the policies which are the most optimal within the given dispatch and software systems in use. Nevertheless, a solution requires these experts to meet, coordinate and develop a solution that provides robust, consistent and clear messaging to the public on the preferred way to contact the city about non-emergency reporting of illegal firework activity. The Need for Better Metrics To better understand a problem and be able to determine if it is getting better or worse, one needs to identify impactful and representative data that can be collected, measured and have targeted goals set. Existing Fireworks Data and Potential Improvements Fireworks information from the datasets currently in use, 311 Cases Data, Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service: Closed Data, Police Incident Data and Fire Incident Data, are presented in Appendix A of this report. While the DataSF web portal makes some good information readily available, data on fireworks is informally described and not always easily distinguished from other activity. Potential improvements include: ● Update the current datasets to have specific fixed codes or unique categories for illegal fireworks instead of relying on free-form description or notes fields which make it harder to generate reports or distinguish fireworks-related calls or incidents from other types of calls or incidents. ● Ensure that fire, law enforcement, and health officials report and log all data about fireworks fires, citations, arrests, injuries and property damages. Some of the fires being started by fireworks are not being captured in the current metrics being gathered, and those metrics do not include information about injuries caused. ○ It was learned in interviews that it was likely that not all the fireworks fires being extinguished by the pre-deployed mini-pumpers on July 4th are being captured in the Fire Incidents DataSF dataset. For example, public statements from the SFFD about there being 108 firework fires on the night of July 4, 2020 67 did not match the six Fire Incidents logged in the DataSF dataset for that same time period. 68 ● Collect and annually publish the following metrics related to fireworks: ○ Number and types of injuries caused by fireworks ○ Number of calls for fires started by fireworks ○ Number of fires started by fireworks ○ Number of calls for firework specific noise complaints ○ Number of calls for police to stop active deployments of fireworks ○ Number of citations issued ○ Number of fines issued and dollar amount of fines collected ○ Number of arrests made ○ Number of prosecutions and convictions ○ Amount (in pounds) of illegal fireworks confiscated ○ Number of community meetings and educational talks held on the topic ○ Amount (in dollars) of property damage caused by illegal fireworks ○ Amount (in dollars) of content loss caused by illegal fireworks 67 Barnard, Cornell. 2020. “ ' We had M-80s shot over our heads,' SF firefighters respond to hundreds of fires caused by illegal July 4th fireworks. ” KGO ABC7 News . There were only 6 fires recorded in the Fire Incidents | DataSF dataset from 07-04-2020 3:00 pm to 07-05-2020 11:00am where the Heat Source code was 50 (Explosive, fireworks, other) or 54 (Fireworks). The Performance Program Team in the Controller’s Office San Francisco is fortunate to have a dedicated team of professionals who work on collecting and reporting performance results across departments and service areas. In November 2003, San Francisco voters passed Proposition C. It mandated the Controller's Office to monitor the level and effectiveness of services the city provided. This Program was created to achieve this objective. On its website the Performance Team describes itself in the following manner: The Performance Program Team in the Controller's Office works collaboratively with City departments to collect and report performance results. These performance data help evaluate the effectiveness of the full range of public services provided by the City and County of San Francisco. In short, we work with City departments to: ● Track performance data using a centralized database ● Make performance data accessible to the public ● Promote the use of data to inform decision-making ● Develop meaningful performance measures ● Support their performance management efforts 6 9 This team publishes an annual report which provides performance data for each of the city's departments. It also publishes scorecards which provide timely information on the efficiency and effectiveness of San Francisco Government across nine highlighted service areas that are of greatest interest to the public. Two of these service areas which are impacted by illegal fireworks are Public Safety and Public Health. This team is well positioned to work with the various departments impacted by illegal fireworks to create meaningful metrics to track and report on through scorecards and their annual report. The Need for Better Crime Prevention One common theme that is prevalent in local news reporting and in information we gathered in interviews for this report is that there is an issue on July 4th with large gatherings of people in certain neighborhoods such as the Mission, where fireworks are indiscriminately and 69 San Francisco Controller's Office. 2023. “ S an Francisco Performance Program | San Francisco. ” SF.gov . dangerously deployed from within the crowds and in the streets. Many of the individuals in these groups are under the influence of drugs or alcohol which tends to become worse as the night wears on. Fireworks are set off very close to individuals in the crowds and to local residences. Many times sideshows and fights accompany these gatherings. These events also leave behind lots of toxic debris in the neighborhood streets. This is not a situation that a few police officers can handle on their own. Unfortunately, the presence of officers can quickly turn a celebratory environment into a combative one. This past 4th of July in the Mission, it was reported that a large contingent of officers in riot gear gathered and waited until after midnight (July 5th) to break up a large gathering at 25th and Harrison Streets. While it is likely not the case, this appears to give the impression that the illegal activity is fine as long as it occurs on the 4th of July. It must be made clear to everyone in the Bay Area and beyond that San Francisco is not a place where one can come to discharge fireworks in its parks and streets without consequence on any day of the year. Many of the locations, like certain areas in the Mission, where these large gatherings occur can be anticipated as they are common “hotspots” every year. Some preventative measures that might be taken are: ● Widely publicizing that activities such as deploying fireworks in the streets of San Francisco won’t be tolerated and such activities could lead to large fines or arrest. ● Using street closures and other traffic measures to keep crowds out of the historically problematic areas. ● Pre-deploying officers to the areas to keep crowds out of the streets and stopping any firework activity before it gets started. ● Publicizing citation and arrest counts that are made each year in the press to reinforce the message that there are potential consequences. Police officers are trained to use their discretion to ensure the safest resolutions to situations. Sometimes this may mean allowing some illegal activity without citations or arrests in furtherance of the goal of peacefully ending the activity and dispersing a crowd. Law 70 Kukura, Joe. 2023. “ M ission District Fireworks Mayhem Leads To Late-Night Riot-Gear Police Skirmish. ” SFist . enforcement is a very challenging profession. Preventing situations which require enforcement should always be the goal. The Need for Behavioral Change Why Do So Many Engage In This Illegal Activity? There are many and varied reasons why someone engages in acquiring and discharging illegal fireworks. An understanding of the “why” is key to formulating effective strategies for obtaining better control over illegal fireworks and creating behavioral changes. Understanding the reasons for someone’s behavior also makes it easier to engage with them on the topic and also to create educational materials and campaigns to persuade them to change. Culture and Tradition Certain cultures and religions have traditions that involve fireworks. “Traditionally, Chinese people believed that fireworks could ward off evil spirits and because of this, they are a major custom around public holidays, weddings, funerals, and other traditional ceremonies.” 7 1 In Mexico, saints are honored with firework displays and in some indigenous communities the fireworks have become part of their religious ceremonies, believing that the fireworks can amplify their prayers. 7 2 The United States has a long history and tradition of celebrating its Independence Day, July 4th, with extravagant firework displays across the country. Many people have July 4th family traditions of setting off fireworks after a day of barbecuing on the grill. The activity is seen as fun and patriotic. There has also become a tradition of celebrating major events and sports teams victories with fireworks. San Francisco has enjoyed several of these championships and looks forward to many more. Tropical Hainan. 2022. “ T he history of fireworks and their traditional uses in China. ” Tropical Hainan . Agren, David. 2017. “ D espite accidents, Mexicans continue to honor saints with fireworks. ” Crux Now . Availability There has been an explosive growth of consumer fireworks available in the national marketplace. “Data from the American Pyrotechnics Association finds that the consumer fireworks industry has seen its annual revenue grow from $407 million in 2000 to $2.3 billion in 2022.” 73 Even though all fireworks are illegal in San Francisco except when specifically authorized for a public display by licensed operators, there are millions of legal consumer fireworks being produced with inevitably some of them making their way into the city. Fireworks that are illegal in California such as firecrackers and those that explode in the sky can also be obtained in the multi-million dollar black market. Many of these black market fireworks come from neighboring states such as Nevada where they are legal or from illegal criminal rings which smuggle them in from foreign nations such as China. 7 4 Ignorance Many people are likely unaware that all fireworks are illegal in San Francisco except those used in sanctioned public displays by licensed professionals. They may not know the potential for being arrested or how large the fines can be. They may also not be aware of the potential dangers of using the illegal fireworks or the many other harms to others and to the environment that have been mentioned previously in this report. The Need for Better Public Education Difficulty Educating the Public The world is more connected than ever. There are hundreds of ways that people now get their news and information. This creates a fragmented media market where it can be difficult and expensive to get attention for any messaging that one is trying to achieve. This impacts the ability of San Francisco officials trying to use the media to educate its citizens about the dangers and harms caused by illegal fireworks. Rosalsky, Greg, Darian Woods, Julia Ritchie, and Julia Ritchey. 2023. “ The Explosive Growth Of The Fireworks Market : Planet Money. ” NPR . Sernoffsky, Evan. 2021. “ H igh-profile Bay Area illegal fireworks busts expose multi-million dollar black market. ” KTVU . In a multicultural city such as San Francisco, having multi-lingual messaging is also very important for the widest possible reach. Unfortunately, in an analysis of X/Twitter posts by city departments, all but one of the fireworks messages discovered were in English. The one exception was a July 4, 2023 tweet in Spanish from the @SFFDPIO account about
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
1 By December 1, 2024, the Controller’s Office shall instruct its Performance Program Team to identify meaningful illegal fireworks data and require impacted departments in public health and public safety to collect it. “Meaningful data” would include such items as the number and types of injuries caused by fireworks, the number of calls for fires started by fireworks, the number of fires started by fireworks, the number of calls for firework specific noise complaints, the number of calls for police to stop active deployments of fireworks, the number of citations issued, the number of fines issued, the number of arrests made, the number of prosecutions and convictions, the number of community meetings held on the topic, the number of educational talks given on the topic, the amount (in pounds) of illegal fireworks confiscated, the amount (in dollars) in fines collected, and the amount (in dollars) of property damage caused by illegal fireworks, and the amount (in dollars) of content loss caused by illegal fireworks.
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
Lack of Coordination for Combating Illegal Fireworks . ......................................... 41
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
7, R2, R3.1, R3.2, R4.1, R4.2,
F2:
Conflicting Messaging for Reporting Illegal Fireworks . ......................................... 42
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The Working Group, or if the CIty fails to implement such Group then another separate collaboration between the DEM, 311, Fire, and Police departments, shall develop and aid in the implementation of public messaging that provides robust, consistent and clear instructions to the public on the preferred way to contact the city about reporting of illegal fireworks the issues and the information to be provided when making reports. Such public messaging shall be designed and published by March 31, 2025.
F3:
The City’s Public Education and Engagement is Inadequate ............................... 43
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
1 The Working Group, or if the CIty fails to implement such Group then another separate collaboration between at least the DEM, Fire, and Police departments, shall develop and facilitate the publication and distribution of educational materials on the dangers to self, harms to others and the environment, and the laws and penalties associated with illegal fireworks. Such information shall be designed and published by May 1, 2025.
F4:
The City Fails to Control Deployment of Illegal Fireworks . ................................... 43
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
3, R5.1, R5.2, R5.3 The Jury requests responses to the findings and recommendations shown in Table 2 within 60 calendar days. Table 2: Requested responses Respondent Findings Recommendations Department of Emergency F1, F2, F3, F4 R1.2, R1.3, R1.4, R1.5, R1.6, R1.7, Management R2, R3.1, R3.2, R4.1, R4.2, R4.3 Fire Department F1, F2, F3, F4 R1.2, R1.4, R2, R3.1, R3.2, R4.1,
F5:
The City Fails to Gather and Monitor Illegal Fireworks Metrics ............................ Required and Requested Responses ...................................................................................... Methodology . ......................................................................................................................... Glossary and Abbreviations . ................................................................................................... Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... Appendix A: San Francisco Firework Data . .............................................................................. Data from 311 Calls ..................................................................................................................... Data from Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service: Closed . ......................................... Data from Police Department Incident Reports: 2018 to Present ............................................ Data from Fire Incidents .............................................................................................................. Appendix B: Data Calculations . ............................................................................................... SF Households with Pets Harmed . ............................................................................................. SF Children Under 5 Harmed . ...................................................................................................... SF Autistic Residents Harmed ..................................................................................................... SF Residents with Dementia Harmed . ........................................................................................ SF Veterans and Residents Suffering from PTSD Harmed . ...................................................... Appendix C: Federal, State and Local Laws . ............................................................................ Appendix D: CA State Bill AB1403 . ......................................................................................... Appendix E: Fireworks Task Force References . ..................................................................... Task Forces in California ........................................................................................................... Task Forces Across the United States ...................................................................................... Appendix F: Distinguishing Fireworks from Gunshots . .......................................................... Background The San Francisco night sky is filled with thousands of illegal fireworks and booming explosions that rock the city on July 4th each year. This activity envelops the entire city and continues in some neighborhoods well into the early morning hours of July 5th. This is not just a July 4th issue but occurs in the neighborhoods to a lesser extent during the other holidays as well as spontaneously. Predicting the Boom: When and Where to Expect Illegal Fireworks Figure 1: Dispatched Fireworks Calls By Month from 2018-2023 The July 4th holiday and its surrounding weeks are times when neighborhoods throughout the city experience the window rattling effects of a higher than normal volume of explosions. The witnesses interviewed for this report who were knowledgeable about fireworks in San Francisco all agreed that illegal fireworks are mainly viewed as a July 4th problem but are in fact a 2 Gentile, Dan. 2023. “ S an Francisco erupts with illegal street fireworks for July Fourth. ” SFGATE . constant activity that must be dealt with throughout the year. All of the firework call entries represented in Figure 1 originate from the public via calls to the 911 call center. All neighborhoods across the city experience illegal fireworks, however, the Mission District has over double the number of fireworks-related police incidents when compared to other neighborhoods from 2018-2023. Figure 2: Police Fireworks Incidents By Neighborhood from 2018-2023 Other top neighborhoods for fireworks related police incidents include Chinatown, the Financial District/South Beach, South of Market, Sunset Parkside, and the Tenderloin. DataSF. 2021. “ Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service - DataSF | Dataset Explainers. ” GitBook . Police Department Incident Reports: 2018 to Present, accessible through the DataSF web interface. The Mission is one of five neighborhoods generating a significant number of calls to the 911 call center, second only to the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood. Figure 3: Dispatched Fireworks Calls by Neighborhood from 2018-2023 In terms of police districts, the Mission District had 25% of the police incidents related to fireworks from 2018-2023. The Central District handled 18%, the Taraval District handled 11% and the Tenderloin District handled 10% of the police incidents. Quieting the Boom: Reporting Illegal Fireworks to the City Illegal fireworks related issues can be reported to the city via: 5 Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service: 2018 to Present , accessible through the DataSF web interface. See Figure 13: Police Fireworks Incidents By Police District from 2018-2023 in Appendix A . ● Department of Emergency Management’s 911 Call Center, which handles calls from 911, emergency number 415-553-8090, and non-emergency number 415-553-0123. ● City Administrator’s 311 Customer Service Center, handling calls from 311 and 415-701-2311, and requests from: ○ Web: 311 Online Services, https://www.sf.gov/topics/311-online-services ○ Social Media: ■ X/Twitter: @SF311, https://twitter.com/SF311 ■ Facebook: SF311, https://www.facebook.com/SF311 ■ Mobile App: SF311, https://www.sf.gov/sf311-mobile-app ● San Francisco Police Department’s Online Reporting System at https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/get-service/police-reports , or ○ In person with a police officer at the nearest station ○ Anonymous Tips for reporting sales or possession: https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/contact-and-directory/anonymous-tip-lines ○ Online, enter a tip at: https://www.citizenobserver.com/cov6/app/webTipForm.html?id=4909 ● San Francisco Fire Department: Report a Fire Safety Concern online at: https://sf-fire.org/report-fire-safety-concerns-complaints The types of illegal fireworks related issues reported to the city are: ● Injuries from fireworks requiring assistance ● Fireworks being used as weapons ● Fires started from fireworks ● Illegal fireworks being deployed at a given location ● Illegal fireworks being sold ● Possession of illegal fireworks ● Clean-up request of fireworks trash ● Noise complaint about illegal fireworks Noise complaints are the predominant reason for fireworks-related calls to the city. The overwhelming majority of calls with fireworks reported to the 911 call center have the call description set to “Noise Nuisance.” The “Suspicious Person” call description is a very distant second, followed by “Vandalism”, “Suspicious Vehicle” and “Explosion”. Many noise complaints from the 311 web and mobile app are also registered in the 311 Cases dataset. The 311 customer service center also gets calls for the Department of Public Works and the Recreation and Park Department to provide clean-up for the piles of fireworks trash left on the city streets and in the parks. Figure 4: Dispatched Fireworks Calls by Description from 2018-2023 One of the most disturbing aspects of illegal fireworks is an emerging trend in recent years of fireworks being used as weapons. Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service: 2018 to Present , accessible through the DataSF web interface. We learned from interviews that in June of 2022, during the parade celebrating the Warriors winning the NBA Championship, multiple police officers had their hearing badly affected by explosives being detonated near them. Only a few weeks later on the night of July 4th, fireworks were used as weapons against the police in the Mission. On July 8th of 2023, fireworks were used once again in a crowd and towards police in an event known as the Dolores Hill Bomb. Most recently in February of 2024, fireworks were used to set a driverless Waymo car on fire. 1 0 Figure 5: SFPD Fireworks Incidents by Description from 2018-2023 Over 15% of the recorded police fireworks-related incidents from 2018 through 2023 had a description of “ F ireworks, Throw At Person or Discharge In Crowd. ” 1 1 We learned from interviews that the police are seeing more fireworks activity in gatherings than has been observed in the past. As a result of this emerging weaponization of fireworks, police officers being dispatched to these events are now being issued eye protection and contemplate being issued ear protection in the future. SFPD Mission Station. 2022. “ S FPD Mission officers responded to a large crowd & fire at 24th/Harrison. ” twitter.com . Jones, Dustin. 2023. “ Police arrest 32 adults, cite 81 minors at 'hill bomb' San Francisco skate event. ” NPR . Jin, Hyunjoo, Mariana Sandoval, and Abhirup Roy. 2024. “ Crowd sets Waymo self-driving vehicle ablaze in San Francisco. ” Reuters . Corresponds to Table 7: Police Fireworks Incidents By Description from 2018-2023 in Appendix A ; see also Police Department Incident Reports: 2018 to Present, accessible through the DataSF web interface. From Boom to Burden: Ten Affected City Departments The following are the city departments that are impacted by illegal fireworks: ● Fire Department: ○ Extinguishes fires ○ Provides emergency aid and transport for injuries ○ Investigates causes of fires ○ Messages and educates the public ● Police Department: ○ Stops ongoing illegal activity such as ■ Sales of illegal fireworks ■ Possession of illegal fireworks ■ Deployment of illegal fireworks ○ Works with state and federal agencies on interdiction ○ Bomb Squad: Handles disposal ○ Arson Task Force: Investigates fires ○ Messages and educates the public ● Department of Emergency Services: ○ Handles incoming calls and dispatches help ○ Messages and educates the public ● City Administrator: Handles 311 calls and transfers issues to appropriate agency ● Department of Public Works: Handles clean-up ● Department of Public Health: Provides care for the injured and traumatized ● Recreation and Park Department: Protects city parks from illegal activity ● Department of Animal Care and Control: Cares for lost pets and injured wildlife ● Environment Department: Handles pollution issues ● District Attorney: Handles prosecutions San Francisco Fire Department Pre-Planning for Illegal Firework Activity We understand from interviews that each year before the July 4th holiday, the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) works to get property owners to clear their properties of all high grasses or weeds in order to reduce the possibility of the property catching fire from a stray firework. The SFFD deploys mini-pumper fire equipment on the night of July 4th to “hotspot” areas where they believe the potential is greatest for a fire getting started, such as where the grass was high or not cleared, or historically problematic locations. These measures help to prevent fires and to contain those that do occur before they involve significant personal injuries or property damage. Fire Department officials have indicated it is likely that not all of the fires which are quickly extinguished by the pre-deployed equipment are recorded in the metrics captured in the fire incidents dataset. Harms from the Boom: The Devastating Impact to the City Most people are familiar with the fact that fireworks can cause horrific physical injuries and start costly and deadly fires but fewer are aware of the suffering, fear and mental trauma that the explosions cause. Even fewer realize the impact fireworks have on the environment through pollution of the air, water and land. Mental Trauma Many San Francisco families are impacted by the mental trauma suffered by their pets and loved ones from the explosive noise of fireworks. The groups most affected by the explosions include pets, children, autistic residents, dementia patients, veterans and those with PTSD, and wildlife. On the New Year’s Eve and July 4th holidays and their accompanying weekends, these explosions can last well into the early morning hours. For this reason, many families choose to flee the city around these dates while other affected households attempt to drown out the explosive booms by hunkering down with their traumatized loved ones in an interior room and playing calming music or videos. An SFGate article reporting on nonstop fireworks from June 24, 2020 is still very relevant today: "I’m losing my mind," said SF resident J. Barry. "We’re in South Bernal and it’s been super challenging for us. We rescued a dog at the start of quarantine, and she’s obviously not responding well to all of this, nor are our 4- and 6-year-old children. The M80s or M1000s are nothing short of heart stopping. One went off last night at 2:30 a.m. and shook our house, windows, ceiling fans. Our family of four was all up for about two hours trying to calm down. So we are all a mess today." 1 2 Trauma for Pets “Dogs with noise phobias show symptoms including panting, pacing and hiding. They are often so frightened they try and escape and can sustain injuries in the process. Because of this, fearful dogs can be a danger to themselves.” 1 3 Almost half of responding owners reported that their dog showed at least one Photo by Matthew Foulds on Unsplash behavioral sign typical of fear when exposed to noises such as fireworks , thunder and gunshots, even though only a quarter had reported their dog as ‘fearful’ of noises. 1 4 Similarly, “the loud noises and flashes of fireworks can cause cats to panic, bolting around in search of a safe place. A thirty-minute fireworks show may seem short to us, but for a frightened cat, it can feel like a much longer stretch of disorientation.” 15 12 Graff, Amy. 2020. “ ' I'm losing my mind': Bay Area residents report nonstop fireworks. ” SFGATE . The University of Sydney. 2020. “ D ogs, thunderstorms and fireworks: the fear is real .” The University of Sydney . Blackwell, Emily J., John W. Bradshaw, and Rachel A. Casey. 2013. “ Fear responses to noises in domestic dogs: Prevalence, risk factors and co-occurrence with other fear related behaviour. ” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 145, no. 1-2 (April): 15-25. 10.1016/j.applanim.2012.12.004. Church, Larissa. 2021. “ C ats and Fireworks. ” Cat Town . Another paper cites that “ o ver 50% of owners report that their cat is either ‘very scared’ or ‘extremely scared’ during fireworks exposure. ” 16 “Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, ferrets and birds are also easily frightened and all need to be treated with special care when fireworks are being let off.” 17 Animal control officials across the country see a 30–60% increase in lost pets each year between July fourth and sixth; July fifth is traditionally one of the busiest days of the year for animal shelters. 1 8 Discussions with Photo by Marko Blazevic on Unsplash local animal organizations verified that each year around the July 4th holiday the San Francisco SPCA sees a 20% increase in requests for anti-anxiety medications for pets and SF Animal Care and Control sees an increase in lost pets. Trauma for Children Unexpected, explosive booms from fireworks can be especially frightening to children, especially toddlers and babies, who are sensitive to loud noises. The children with sound sensitivities have normal, not supernormal hearing. The loud noises will cause babies to cry and fuss while toddlers tend to cover their ears or bury their head in a parent’s lap. 1 9 In fact, being too close to exploding fireworks can cause immediate damage to their hearing. Photo by Meruyert Gonullu on Pexels 16 Furgala, Nicole M., Carly M. Moody, Hannah E. Flint, Shannon Gowland, and Lee Niel. 2022. “ Veterinary background noise elicits fear responses in cats while freely moving in a confined space and during an examination. ” Behavioural Processes 201 (September). Stallard, Claire, and Róisín Bolger. 2022. “ Fireworks and Pets. ” Blue Cross . McReynolds, Tony. 2018. “ F ireworks aren't fun for everyone. ” AAHA - American Animal Hospital Association . Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. 1990. “ S ound sensitivity in children. ” Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust . Balk, Sophie J. 2023. “ H ow Noise Affects Children. ” HealthyChildren.org . “Phonophobia, also known as sonophobia, ligyrophobia, and acousticophobia, is a specific phobia consisting of the persistent fear of loud noises. People with phonophobia do not have a hearing disorder but are afraid of loud noises, which are especially frightening when they occur unexpectedly. Phonophobia is a common trait in highly sensitive people and highly sensitive children, with one study showing that around 10% of school-aged children have phonophobia . ” 2 1 Trauma for Autistic Children and Adults A very common symptom of autism is extreme sensitivity to noise. Children with autism will often hear noises long before their non-autistic counterparts. Even everyday noises can cause insufferable pain, paranoia, screaming fits and feelings of anxiousness. Panic brought on by fireworks can cause autistic children to leave their homes and get lost and Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels even to suffer serious accidents. Parents of autistic children report that it is the unanticipated, illegal fireworks set off throughout the night which cause the most anxiety and are most problematic for them as it can take hours to get the child back to a “baseline” where they feel safe again. 2 3 The latest nationwide statistics from Autism Speaks reveal that 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults have some form of autism . 2 4 According to this rate of autism, research data gathered on Decreased Sound Tolerance (DST) in individuals with autism, and calculations done for this 21 Shapiro, Leslie. 2023. “ P honophobia: Understanding the Fear of Loud Noises. ” Choosing Therapy . Valentinuzzi, Max E. 2018. “ F ireworks, Autism, and Animals: What 'Fun' Noises Do to Sensitive Humans and Our Beloved Pets [Retrospectroscope]. ” IEEE Pulse 9, no. 5 (September): 37-39. 10.1109/MPUL.2018.2856961. Turner, Niki. 2020. “ C hildren, veterans and family pets can suffer because of fireworks. ” The Herald Times . Autism Speaks. 2024. “ Autism Statistics and Facts. ” Autism Speaks . report, there would be approximately 20,000 residents of San Francisco County with some form of autism and around 10,000 who will experience Decreased Sound Tolerance sometime in their life and therefore likely to be affected by fireworks . Trauma for Dementia Patients Fireworks can be upsetting and disorienting for someone with dementia. Even indoors, the noise from the explosions of outside fireworks can be very agitating for someone living with dementia and cause them to suffer anxiety and fear. Caretakers of family members with dementia report that their loved ones get very scared by the fireworks, Photo by Mario Wallner on Pexels believing that they are gunshots, and can become overstimulated, confused and agitated. 2 7 Trauma for Veterans and Those with PTSD The loud explosions from fireworks can be traumatic to many veterans and others suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While many people associate PTSD with veterans, it is very common in the civilian population as well. Illegal fireworks, which are loud, unexpected noises in the night are a common trigger, bringing up thoughts, Photo by RDNE Stock Project on Pexels feelings or memories of a traumatic event. Please refer to Appendix B: SF Autistic Residents Harmed for how this value was calculated. Jordan, Greg. 2023. “ E xperts: Fireworks, large crowds can be distressing for dementia patients. ” Bluefield Daily Telegraph . Aguilar, Amanda. 2022. “ How fireworks impact people with Alzheimer's, dementia. ” ABC30 . PTSD can disrupt sleep and increase stress levels dramatically in those suffering from it. Illegal fireworks can go on for many hours which can exacerbate the suffering of those with PTSD and initiate full-blown panic attacks. 2 9 The Bay Area is home to a large veteran population and for those suffering from PTSD, the unpredictability of fireworks can trigger it. This can make it hard for them to focus their attention, and can cause flashbacks to traumatic events. It can make them easily angered or reactive to perceived threats. Trauma for Wildlife Few San Francisco residents realize that the city’s wildlife, such as coyotes, racoons, birds, squirrels, frogs and fish, can suffer serious consequences from the deployment of fireworks. Birds can become so frightened that they fly off en masse into the night sky in such a panic that they fly into objects or out to sea so far that they cannot return safely. Photo By Eclipse Chasers on Pexels Researchers believe that millions of birds are impacted by fireworks but due to the activity happening at night, it is difficult to study and get accurate information about the impact on wildlife. San Francisco is home to a wide variety of wildlife including many species of bird. In fact, San Francisco’s official animal is a bird, the wild parrot. It also has an official bird as well, which is the California Quail. 3 3 28 Mallard, Chris, and Abbey Anderson. 2020. “ T he Overlooked Effects of Fireworks. ” Penn Medicine . Glaser, Chery. 2021. “ July 4 fireworks could trigger trauma and pain for people with mental health challenges. ” KCRW . High, Joseph. 2020. “ B ay Area residents experiencing mental distress in wake of illegal fireworks. ” Golden Gate Xpress . Coulter, Kendra. 2023. “ Summer fireworks can traumatize pets and cause wildlife to flee. ” The Conversation . San Francisco Administrative Code Section 1.5-5. San Francisco Administrative Code Section 1.5-3. Pollution from Fireworks Fireworks contaminate the air, water and soil with toxic chemicals and microplastics, with devastating effects upon exposed people and animals. This defiling of the air, water and soil has both short and long term impacts on the environment. Pollution of the Air Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash Fireworks can cause air visibility to decrease by as much as 92%, increase atmospheric heat content, and elevate surface air temperatures. The carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter emitted by fireworks contribute to climate change and harm air quality for animals and humans. 3 4 Modern fireworks emit lead, copper, and other toxins. The metals and chemicals which give fireworks their various colors, are also harmful to human cells and animal lungs. In one research study, harmful levels of lead were found in 2 of the 12 types of fireworks analyzed and 5 types were found to significantly increase oxidation in human tissue which if left unchecked can damage or even kill cells. In recent years, China, which has a strong cultural attachment to fireworks, has started to enforce limits and bans on fireworks in many of its largest cities (e.g. Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing) due to their deployments causing air pollution with concentrations of highly-toxic PM2.5 particulates. Pollution of the Water and Land While the after-smog from fireworks is very visible, the pollution to the water and land is sometimes less apparent. Perchlorate is a chemical used in fireworks to help shoot them into 34 Han, Jessica. 2023. “ The Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” Earth.Org . NYU Langone Health. 2020. “ C ommon Fireworks Release Lead, Copper & Other Toxic Metals into the Air. ” NYU Langone Health . Hao, Feng. 2016. “ S hanghai's firework ban ensures quieter start to New Year. ” China Dialogue . the night sky. In large amounts it has also been found to affect the functioning of the thyroid gland. When fireworks explode, this chemical settles in the soil and water and remains in the environment for very long periods of time. It is absorbed by plant life and can affect the development of fish in water bodies that it pollutes. 3 7 Interviews with persons knowledgeable about fireworks and perchlorate confirm that it is one of the problematic pollutants from fireworks that makes disposal of confiscated fireworks difficult and expensive. Firework debris also contaminates the soil and water with microplastics. Measurements of microplastics in the River of Thames in England indicated a 1000% increase after a New Year’s Eve fireworks show. Fireworks also contribute to acid rain. The particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitric oxide from the fireworks can linger in the air for long periods of time, be transported over different areas and when mixed with oxygen, water, and other chemicals, acid rain can develop. Acid rain is harmful to both aquatic and forested ecosystems. 3 9 As the chemicals in fireworks are harmful to the environment, this makes the disposal of confiscated fireworks and the cleanup of fireworks trash more difficult than one might imagine. Interviews with public employees knowledgeable about pollution engendered by fireworks indicate that there are only a few places in the country that will take and dispose of confiscated fireworks, and the process is costly. The Office of the State Fire Marshal of California collects all confiscated fireworks from across the state and is responsible for handling their safe disposal. Damage from Illegal Fireworks On April 15, 1986 an entire city block in the Bayview district of San Francisco was destroyed by a massive explosion and fire originating in the Bayview Industrial Park. When the smoke cleared, 8 people were dead, at least 20 were injured, operators of dozens of shops lost their businesses and around $10 million in damages was sustained. The original explosion shook the ground for several miles and was followed by two smaller blasts. The fire burned out of control for over 4 hours. The business at the heart of the explosion was supposedly a company that made forms for computer printouts, however, that was all a fabrication. In reality, the business was operating 37 Han, Jessica. 2023. “ The Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” Earth.Org . Han, “ T he Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” 39 Han, “ T he Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” an illegal, underground, fireworks factory producing M-80 and 'barrel bomb' fireworks. The fireworks were being made and sold for recreational use. 4 0 This isn’t an isolated event. On May 16, 1998 a house full of illegal fireworks 4 1 caused an explosion and fire that ripped through a Sunset District home, injuring at least 17 people including 6 children, leveling the three-story residence, blowing out windows for blocks and shattering windshields of passing cars. The blast at 8:05 p.m. triggered a four-alarm fire that destroyed the two houses on either side of the residence and knocked the home at 1450 19th Ave. off its foundation, leaving it crumpled at a 45-degree angle and looking as if it had been through a major earthquake. 4 3 In addition to the dangers posed by the manufacturing and storing of illegal fireworks, the SFFD must always be vigilant against fires started by fireworks. The city contains many wooded areas, fields, and vulnerable houses and buildings. 4 4 Interviews with public employees knowledgeable about fires caused by fireworks, along with analysis of fire statistics, indicate that many of the firework fires start in grass fields, however there are building fires that occur as well. For the years 2018-2023 there was a total of $555,900 in property loss and $35,200 in content loss 4 5 from firework fires as reported by the San Francisco Fire Department and captured in the DataSF Fire Incidents dataset. 4 6 40 UPI Archives. 1986. “ I llegal fireworks plant sparked fire. ” UPI (San Francisco), April 10, 1986. Derbeken, Jaxon V. 1998. “ Sifting Through Rubble / Illegal fireworks could have been cause of S.F. blast. ” SFGate . Delgado, Ray, Bruce Adams, John Koopman, and Anastasia Hendrix. 1998. “ B last levels Sunset home; 17 injured by debris, fire. ” SFGATE . Delgado et al., “ B last levels Sunset home ”, SFGATE . See Figure 19: Fireworks Fires By Property Use from 2018-2023 in Appendix A . See Content Loss (NFIRS) in the Glossary and Abbreviations . See Table 10: Additional Information Fires Started by Fireworks from 2018-2023 in Appendix A . Injuries from Fireworks The federal Consumer Product Safety Commision (CPSC) gathers the national statistics on fireworks injuries as seen in the previous graphic. The latest statistics are from 2022. While the majority of the injuries (73%) occur in the weeks before and after July 4th, tragically, an 18 year old, while celebrating the new year for 2024, was killed in a fireworks related accident on Treasure Island. 4 7 Each year, persons not only from San Francisco but visitors to the city experience serious injuries: According to a spokesperson, General Hospital saw six people with “fireworks-related injuries” between July 1 and July 4, with burns and “blast injuries” to hands and eyes. “One patient is in critical condition,” they wrote in an email, “and four are in serious condition with one patient discharged.” 4 8 The incidence of firework-related injuries has risen over the past decade. Injuries remain most common among adolescents and young adults. In addition, significant injuries requiring hospitalization occur most often during aerial and illegal firework use. Further targeted sale restrictions, distribution, and manufacturing regulations for high-risk fireworks are required to reduce the incidence of significant injury. Many people underestimate the dangers to their personal safety when setting off fireworks. In addition to the actual loss of life (11 US deaths, according to the 2022 CPSC statistics) and the fingers, toes and limbs permanently injured or needing amputation (48% from the 2022 CPSC statistics), sparklers, which seem innocent and safe for children, burn hot enough (about 2000 degrees fahrenheit) to melt some metals and can cause permanent scars and disfigurement. Other dangers from fireworks that many don’t think about include the potential permanent damage to one’s hearing 5 1 or eyesight. 5 2 47 KTVU.com. 2024. “ Teen identified in fatal Treasure Island fireworks accident. ” KTVU . Jones, Griffin, and Joe R. Barros. 2023. “ Fingers lost, M80s swept: Fourth on 24th 'better than last year.' ” Mission Local . Winiki, Nolan M., Ian Waldrop, Jesus V. Orosco Jr., Daniel Novak, and Nicholas W. Sheets. 2024. “ The epidemiology of firework-related injuries in the US, 2012–2022. ” Springer Nature / Injury Epidemiology . ChemicalSafetyFacts.org. 2023. “ F ireworks and Sparklers: The Chemistry of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Colors. ” Chemical Safety Facts . CDC. 2020. “ July is Fireworks Safety Month! Take care to protect your hearing. | Hearing Loss | NCEH | CDC. ” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Gudgel, Dan. 2023. “ Fireworks Eye Safety. ” American Academy of Ophthalmology . Beyond the Ban: The Obstacles to Eliminating Illegal Fireworks There are many impediments to reducing illegal firework activity. Some of them are: ● Seen as a Lower Priority Problem ● Limited Enforcement Resources ● Difficulty Dealing with Explosives ● Lack of Coordinated Messaging, Education and Community Engagement ● Official Metrics are not Being Gathered or Tracked Photo by Samantha Sophia on Unsplash Seen as a Lower Priority Problem A consistent theme that emerged from our interviews with knowledgeable employees in departments impacted by illegal fireworks is that there is definitely a problem in the city with illegal fireworks but it is low in priority on the list of the many problems that must be dealt with as part of their jobs. Another consistent comment was that since the issue does not generate large volumes of complaints throughout the year, and only becomes overwhelming around July 4th, taking further action about fireworks is not prioritized. Limited Resources During the evening of the 4th of July holiday when many illegal fireworks are being discharged all over the city, some police officers from each of the stations are assigned to downtown to handle the crowds watching the public fireworks display. Even having extra officers on duty during this time can still leave stations in the city with smaller staffs, especially on a busy night. Also, on the evening of July 4th when most of the illegal firework activity is occuring, much holiday celebration and drinking leads to additional accidents, fights and criminal activity which are handled as higher priority incidents than the illegal fireworks use itself. Difficulty Dealing with Explosives Another issue consistently mentioned is the time consuming process that is required of patrol officers when they are dealing with illegal fireworks. Much of the firework material being confiscated is of such a nature that it requires the patrol officers to stay with it until the bomb squad arrives and it can be properly disposed of. This takes the officers “off the street” for long periods of time and keeps them from stopping other illegal activity. Lack of Coordinated Messaging, Education and Community Engagement Still another issue raised repeatedly in interviews is that there is currently little to no coordination among the departments to work together on developing common educational programs, community engagements or targeted messaging campaigns on the topic of illegal fireworks. Only a Single Official Metric is Being Gathered and None are Being Tracked Through interviews we also learned that there are no official metrics being tracked by the city about illegal fireworks. The only official metric being gathered is the Heat Source field in the Fire Incident dataset. This dataset is published by the San Francisco Fire Department and follows the codes and guidelines set forth by the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The Heat Source field has an entry code 54 Fireworks which is used to indicate fires started by fireworks. Fireworks Fines: Avoiding Legal Trouble with Fireworks Overview of Federal, State and City Fireworks Laws Fireworks are regulated and licensed at the federal, state and local levels. The federal government classifies devices as either display fireworks (used by professionals in public shows) or consumer fireworks (sold to the public). The various states can then further limit or ban which federally approved type of consumer fireworks are legal within their jurisdiction. Finally, localities such as counties, towns and cities can further restrict or ban which consumer fireworks are permitted within their boundaries. Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels The state of California limits consumer fireworks to those that mostly stay on the ground or are handheld and are non-explosive. These fireworks are classified as ‘Safe and Sane’ and include categories such as sparklers, spinners, fountains, wheels, cones, handheld, smoke items, novelty items and assortments. The California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is responsible for the regulation, licensing and disposal of all firework related issues in the state of California. It determines which consumer fireworks are legal within the state and publishes a list of the approved products. The City and County of San Francisco bans all private fireworks within its jurisdiction. Public displays of fireworks are permitted but in accordance with state law must be performed by licensed, pyrotechnic companies and operators. In San Francisco, these shows require 53 Rodrigo, Olivia. 2023. “ State Approved Safe & Sane Fireworks. ” CA Office of the State Fire Marshal . pre-approval by the San Francisco Fire Marshal and San Francisco Chief of Police. 5 4 Such displays are typically launched from offshore barges and are deployed only by people highly skilled, experienced, and licensed in handling fireworks. Some people wrongly assume that a big part of the problem with so many fireworks being launched into the San Francisco sky or causing the window-rattling explosions is neighboring cities such as Pacifica, permitting the sale of the California approved “Safe and Sane” fireworks. However, one can see from the type of fireworks permitted for sale and use in some California cities that these sorts of fireworks are not the kind that launch into the air or could make such loud explosions. The San Francisco firework explosions booming around the city are more likely from fireworks that are illegal in California but which are for sale in the neighboring state of Nevada. See Appendix C for more detailed information on the federal, state and local agencies and the laws and regulations which deal with fireworks. New CA Fireworks Law—CA Assembly Bill 1403 California Assembly Bill 1403 was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on October 7, 2023. It is a law about fireworks that has already impacted and will potentially impact California counties over the next few years, updating and amending sections of the California Health and Safety Code about fireworks. The law has two main components. The first component is directed at the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and tasks it to identify improved metrics for tracking fireworks, gather data about fireworks, and then make a report to the Legislature about education, training and enforcement for local agencies including a cost analysis. The second component updates the fines for possessing and discharging illegal fireworks. Most of the fines are doubled from their previous ranges. S an Francisco Police Code. 2023. “ SEC. 1290. DISCHARGE OF FIREWORKS PROHIBITED. ” American Legal Publishing . Sriskandarajah, Ike. 2017. “ Fireworks spark up a black market economy. ” Marketplace. The updated fines and penalties will be discussed in the next section. Some highlights from the new law which may end up impacting San Francisco in the future follow (bolding was done for this report): ● On or before July 1, 2024 , the State Fire Marshal shall identify and evaluate methods to capture more detailed data relating to fires, damages, and injuries caused by both dangerous fireworks and safe and sane fireworks. ● On or before January 1, 2025, the State Fire Marshal shall collect and analyze data relating to fires, damages, seizures, arrests, administrative citations, and fireworks disposal issues caused by the sale and use of both dangerous illegal fireworks and safe and sane fireworks. ● On or before January 1, 2025 , the State Fire Marshal shall provide to the appropriate policy and budget committees of the respective houses of the Legislature a workload analysis of resources needed to further assist in the training of local fire and law enforcement personnel regarding all the following: ○ (A) The seizure, collection, transportation, and storage of seized fireworks. ○ (B) The enforcement of statewide programs concerning illegal and dangerous fireworks. ○ (C) Prosecution related to seized fireworks. ○ (D) Investigations of illegal and dangerous fireworks. ● Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature , the State Fire Marshal shall train local fire and law enforcement personnel on the requirements of this chapter. ○ The State Fire Marshal shall, in consultation with relevant state and local public agencies , the fireworks industry, and other relevant stakeholders, develop, publish, and provide necessary guidance and training to local agencies that seize, collect, transport, store, and treat seized fireworks. See Appendix D for the full text of the law. The Penalties and Fines Pursuant to CA AB 1403, the fines for illegal fireworks doubled as of January 1, 2024. Most firework violations in California are misdemeanors and the punishment upon conviction includes: ● A fine of between $1,000 to $2,000, and/or ● Imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash Possessing large amounts of dangerous fireworks can result in: ● Fines of up to $100,000 and/or ● Up to three years in a California state prison Additionally, parents of willful violators are held liable for any damage or injuries caused by their children using illegal fireworks. Dimming the Spark: Innovative Solutions to Illegal Fireworks San Francisco Operation Kaboom Operation Kaboom was an interdepartmental strike team brought together in 2019 to curb illegal firework usage in the Ingleside Police District. It consisted of members from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), the San Francisco Bomb Squad, the Department of Public Works (DPW), and the Department of Emergency Management (DEM). The operation involved two police cars, a police pickup truck, a fire engine and a DPW street sweeper. Residents in the Ingleside neighborhood were instructed to report firework activity with an exact location and the dispatchers were trained on how to prioritize and route these specific calls to the strike team. The following objectives were achieved: ● 500 pounds of illegal fireworks were seized ● Several spot fires were extinguished before becoming larger ● Public awareness of the issue of illegal fireworks was increased ● Community hotspots where illegal fireworks were commonly deployed were identified ● Appreciation for being responsive to calls and taking action was received from the public Greener Alternatives to Fireworks Some Canadian cities replaced fireworks with special effects pyrotechnic displays, which are quieter and have a lower altitude, in order to protect wildlife. Colorful and illuminated silent firework displays without the traditional loud bang are used in the town of Collecchio in Italy to help reduce stress on local wild animals, a great and more environmentally friendly alternative. 5 6 Other options include drone displays similar to the one presented at the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and laser spectacles which reduce the risk of wildfires and do not increase air pollution. Salt Lake City in Utah has been using lasers during the Fourth of July holiday to reduce environmental damage while still providing the same level of spectacle as fireworks. 5 7 56 Han, Jessica. 2023. “ The Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” Earth.Org. Han, “ T he Environmental Impact of Fireworks. ” Creation of Fireworks Task Forces In Counties and Cities Across the Country Numerous counties and cities have created illegal fireworks task forces to address this difficult issue. These task forces vary in their approaches and missions but they all bring together members of different departments and organizations to address the problem. Here are some of the actions coming out of these task forces: ● Create interdepartmental teams to come up with solutions ● Increase public education and communication ● Involve the community ● Increase fines and penalties ● Increase staffing on problem nights like 4th of July ● Identify, capture and publish metrics on fireworks ● Institute buy and bust programs which buy illegal fireworks and arrest the sellers to discover their suppliers ● Cooperate and work with federal and state agencies on interdiction ● Implement social ordinances which allow fines to be sent out to property owners when visual evidence of fireworks being set off on their property is collected ● Implement changes to the laws to help public safety officials with more legal tools for curbing illegal fireworks usage ● Implement amnesty and buy back programs for illegal fireworks ● Use technology such as audio detection systems, cameras and drones to detect illegal fireworks deployments ● Create mascots for education around firework safety and dangers Some of the examples of California task forces that were discovered for this report with the year that they were first seen noted in parenthesis. This is not an exhaustive list. 5 8 ● East Palo Alto and Menlo Park in San Mateo County (2021) ● Temple City in LA County (2021) ● City of Moreno Valley in Riverside County (2021) 58 See Task Forces in California in Appendix E . ● Sacramento County (2018) ● San Bernardino County (2017) ● San Joaquin County (2017) ● Kern County (2015) Task Forces also exist across the United States, for example: 5 9 ● State of Hawaii (2023) ● Washington DC (2022) ● Boston, MA (2020) ● Providence, RI (2020) ● Pittsburgh, PA (2020) ● Bend, OR (2019) ● Clark County/Las Vegas, NV (2018) ● Happy Valley, OR (2012) ● Milwaukee, WI (2006) ● New York City, NY (1995) Recent California Counties Civil Grand Jury Reports on Illegal Fireworks ● 2023-2024 Kern County Civil Grand Jury Report entitled “The Kern County Fire Department - The Effects of Illegal Fireworks” 60 ● 2022-2023 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Report entitled “City of Seaside: The Real Cost of Fireworks” 61 59 See Task Forces Across the United States in Appendix E . 60 2023-2024 Kern County Grand Jury. 2024. “ T he Kern County Fire Department - The Effects of Illegal Fireworks. ” Kern County . 61 2022-2023 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury. 2023. “ City of Seaside: The Real Cost of Fireworks. ” County of Monterey . Analysis Detonating the Data: An Analysis of Illegal Fireworks Very Significant Numbers of San Franciscans are Traumatized by Fireworks While it is probably impossible to know with certainty whether the estimates made in this report about the number of San Francisco households and residents traumatized by illegal fireworks are precisely accurate, we have concluded that the estimates are reasonably accurate. One thing is very clear - there are a very large number of people, pets and wildlife in San Francisco being impacted on a regular basis by illegal firework activity throughout the city. To summarize the findings on those potentially impacted by illegal fireworks: ● Pets : Around 100,000 San Francisco households, about one in four, have a pet frightened by illegal fireworks. 62 ● Children : Over 3,500 San Francisco children under the age of 5 are likely frightened or bothered by illegal fireworks. 6 3 ● Autistic residents : An estimated 20,000 San Francisco residents have some form of autism and at some point in their lives around 10,000 will exhibit Decreased Sound Tolerance (DST) and therefore likely to be impacted by illegal fireworks. 6 4 ● Dementia patients : An estimated 12,500 San Francisco residents have some level of dementia and will potentially be agitated by fireworks. 6 5 62 See Appendix B: SF Households with Pets Harmed for how this value was calculated. See Appendix B: SF Children Under 5 Harmed for how this value was calculated. See Appendix B: SF Autistic Residents Harmed for how this value was calculated. See Appendix B: SF Residents with Dementia Harmed for how this value was calculated. ● Veterans and others suffering from PTSD : In any given year, an estimated 2,500 San Francisco combat veterans and 37,700 San Francisco adults suffering from PTSD are potentially triggered by the explosions from illegal fireworks. The Need for Better Coordination A Lack of Any Formal Coordination on Illegal Fireworks We have concluded from numerous interviews that currently there is little to no coordination between departments on how they deal with the issue. What small amount of inter-departmental cooperation that may exist is informal and inconsistent. Coordination is made difficult because no official metrics are being tracked by the multiple departments who receive complaints. An Experienced Leader—The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) The Department of Emergency Management has experience planning and coordinating safety, health, and service departments to handle problems and emergencies which require interdepartmental efforts and cooperation. DEM also is very experienced at working with outside state and federal agencies. The Division of Emergency Communications within DEM is responsible for dispatching all emergency and non-emergency calls for the Police and Fire Departments. As such, they already constantly deal with illegal fireworks issues and play a central role as both the public interface and the internal communications to the safety personnel. The additional activity to better track and manage illegal fireworks activity can be accomplished with minimal burden and cost for DEM. For these reasons, the Department of Emergency Management would be the ideal candidate for leading any coordinated effort to address the illegal fireworks issue. See Appendix B: SF Veterans and Residents Suffering from PTSD Harmed for how this value was calculated. Conflicting Messaging on Reporting One glaring example of the need for better coordination is the current conflicting messaging to the public on how they should be interacting with the city in regards to illegal firework activity. The messaging on using 911 is clear: it should only be used for emergencies such as when someone has been injured or there is imminent danger to life or property. The messaging on reporting someone shooting off fireworks in your neighborhood is less clear and often contradictory. ● The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and SFSafe (non-profit funded primarily by SFPD to do crime prevention) asks the public to call the non-emergency number, 415-553-0123. ● The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) asks the public to call 311. ● Some of the messaging asks that you only call if you can give an address or intersection and a description of the person setting off the fireworks while others don’t mention any requirements for calling at all. ● There is some messaging on how the public should make noise complaints but that is contradictory as well. There is also no mechanism for the public to register the volume of activity or the level of their displeasure. This would likely best be handled in a web or mobile app which 311 currently supports, however, 311 currently does not believe it has been tasked with handling any fireworks related calls other than calls for clean-up. ● Examples of messaging for the public to call 553-0123: ○ SFPD: https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/independence-day-safety-tips ○ SFSafe: https://twitter.com/SFSAFE/status/1676305087226867718 ● Examples of messaging for the public to call 311: ○ DEM: https://twitter.com/SF_emergency/status/1676313954090647552 ○ DEM: https://twitter.com/SF_emergency/status/1756790602262319587 ○ DEM: https://twitter.com/SF_emergency/status/1756790423694274988 ○ SFFD: https://sf-fire.org/safety-resources-and-information/fireworks-safety As the public is more familiar with the 311 number than the non-emergency number, 415-553-0123, and the 311 system has more methods for reporting complaints such as from the web and its mobile app, it seems better suited for receiving, documenting and reporting general noise complaints about illegal fireworks. A call about seeing the deployment of fireworks with a location and a description of the individuals engaging in the activity is the reporting of a crime, which should be made to the non-emergency number, 415-553-0123. But if the deployment was in a crowd or going off close to residences and creating an imminent danger, 911 should be contacted because this may be an emergency. The simplest messaging would have all non-emergency calls about illegal fireworks going to 311, and then having the calls about specific deployments forwarded to the non-emergency number. The details about reporting illegal fireworks activity has many subtleties. The officials working in the various departments dealing with this issue are the subject matter experts best positioned to define the policies which are the most optimal within the given dispatch and software systems in use. Nevertheless, a solution requires these experts to meet, coordinate and develop a solution that provides robust, consistent and clear messaging to the public on the preferred way to contact the city about non-emergency reporting of illegal firework activity. The Need for Better Metrics To better understand a problem and be able to determine if it is getting better or worse, one needs to identify impactful and representative data that can be collected, measured and have targeted goals set. Existing Fireworks Data and Potential Improvements Fireworks information from the datasets currently in use, 311 Cases Data, Law Enforcement Dispatched Calls for Service: Closed Data, Police Incident Data and Fire Incident Data, are presented in Appendix A of this report. While the DataSF web portal makes some good information readily available, data on fireworks is informally described and not always easily distinguished from other activity. Potential improvements include: ● Update the current datasets to have specific fixed codes or unique categories for illegal fireworks instead of relying on free-form description or notes fields which make it harder to generate reports or distinguish fireworks-related calls or incidents from other types of calls or incidents. ● Ensure that fire, law enforcement, and health officials report and log all data about fireworks fires, citations, arrests, injuries and property damages. Some of the fires being started by fireworks are not being captured in the current metrics being gathered, and those metrics do not include information about injuries caused. ○ It was learned in interviews that it was likely that not all the fireworks fires being extinguished by the pre-deployed mini-pumpers on July 4th are being captured in the Fire Incidents DataSF dataset. For example, public statements from the SFFD about there being 108 firework fires on the night of July 4, 2020 67 did not match the six Fire Incidents logged in the DataSF dataset for that same time period. 68 ● Collect and annually publish the following metrics related to fireworks: ○ Number and types of injuries caused by fireworks ○ Number of calls for fires started by fireworks ○ Number of fires started by fireworks ○ Number of calls for firework specific noise complaints ○ Number of calls for police to stop active deployments of fireworks ○ Number of citations issued ○ Number of fines issued and dollar amount of fines collected ○ Number of arrests made ○ Number of prosecutions and convictions ○ Amount (in pounds) of illegal fireworks confiscated ○ Number of community meetings and educational talks held on the topic ○ Amount (in dollars) of property damage caused by illegal fireworks ○ Amount (in dollars) of content loss caused by illegal fireworks 67 Barnard, Cornell. 2020. “ ' We had M-80s shot over our heads,' SF firefighters respond to hundreds of fires caused by illegal July 4th fireworks. ” KGO ABC7 News . There were only 6 fires recorded in the Fire Incidents | DataSF dataset from 07-04-2020 3:00 pm to 07-05-2020 11:00am where the Heat Source code was 50 (Explosive, fireworks, other) or 54 (Fireworks). The Performance Program Team in the Controller’s Office San Francisco is fortunate to have a dedicated team of professionals who work on collecting and reporting performance results across departments and service areas. In November 2003, San Francisco voters passed Proposition C. It mandated the Controller's Office to monitor the level and effectiveness of services the city provided. This Program was created to achieve this objective. On its website the Performance Team describes itself in the following manner: The Performance Program Team in the Controller's Office works collaboratively with City departments to collect and report performance results. These performance data help evaluate the effectiveness of the full range of public services provided by the City and County of San Francisco. In short, we work with City departments to: ● Track performance data using a centralized database ● Make performance data accessible to the public ● Promote the use of data to inform decision-making ● Develop meaningful performance measures ● Support their performance management efforts 6 9 This team publishes an annual report which provides performance data for each of the city's departments. It also publishes scorecards which provide timely information on the efficiency and effectiveness of San Francisco Government across nine highlighted service areas that are of greatest interest to the public. Two of these service areas which are impacted by illegal fireworks are Public Safety and Public Health. This team is well positioned to work with the various departments impacted by illegal fireworks to create meaningful metrics to track and report on through scorecards and their annual report. The Need for Better Crime Prevention One common theme that is prevalent in local news reporting and in information we gathered in interviews for this report is that there is an issue on July 4th with large gatherings of people in certain neighborhoods such as the Mission, where fireworks are indiscriminately and 69 San Francisco Controller's Office. 2023. “ S an Francisco Performance Program | San Francisco. ” SF.gov . dangerously deployed from within the crowds and in the streets. Many of the individuals in these groups are under the influence of drugs or alcohol which tends to become worse as the night wears on. Fireworks are set off very close to individuals in the crowds and to local residences. Many times sideshows and fights accompany these gatherings. These events also leave behind lots of toxic debris in the neighborhood streets. This is not a situation that a few police officers can handle on their own. Unfortunately, the presence of officers can quickly turn a celebratory environment into a combative one. This past 4th of July in the Mission, it was reported that a large contingent of officers in riot gear gathered and waited until after midnight (July 5th) to break up a large gathering at 25th and Harrison Streets. While it is likely not the case, this appears to give the impression that the illegal activity is fine as long as it occurs on the 4th of July. It must be made clear to everyone in the Bay Area and beyond that San Francisco is not a place where one can come to discharge fireworks in its parks and streets without consequence on any day of the year. Many of the locations, like certain areas in the Mission, where these large gatherings occur can be anticipated as they are common “hotspots” every year. Some preventative measures that might be taken are: ● Widely publicizing that activities such as deploying fireworks in the streets of San Francisco won’t be tolerated and such activities could lead to large fines or arrest. ● Using street closures and other traffic measures to keep crowds out of the historically problematic areas. ● Pre-deploying officers to the areas to keep crowds out of the streets and stopping any firework activity before it gets started. ● Publicizing citation and arrest counts that are made each year in the press to reinforce the message that there are potential consequences. Police officers are trained to use their discretion to ensure the safest resolutions to situations. Sometimes this may mean allowing some illegal activity without citations or arrests in furtherance of the goal of peacefully ending the activity and dispersing a crowd. Law 70 Kukura, Joe. 2023. “ M ission District Fireworks Mayhem Leads To Late-Night Riot-Gear Police Skirmish. ” SFist . enforcement is a very challenging profession. Preventing situations which require enforcement should always be the goal. The Need for Behavioral Change Why Do So Many Engage In This Illegal Activity? There are many and varied reasons why someone engages in acquiring and discharging illegal fireworks. An understanding of the “why” is key to formulating effective strategies for obtaining better control over illegal fireworks and creating behavioral changes. Understanding the reasons for someone’s behavior also makes it easier to engage with them on the topic and also to create educational materials and campaigns to persuade them to change. Culture and Tradition Certain cultures and religions have traditions that involve fireworks. “Traditionally, Chinese people believed that fireworks could ward off evil spirits and because of this, they are a major custom around public holidays, weddings, funerals, and other traditional ceremonies.” 7 1 In Mexico, saints are honored with firework displays and in some indigenous communities the fireworks have become part of their religious ceremonies, believing that the fireworks can amplify their prayers. 7 2 The United States has a long history and tradition of celebrating its Independence Day, July 4th, with extravagant firework displays across the country. Many people have July 4th family traditions of setting off fireworks after a day of barbecuing on the grill. The activity is seen as fun and patriotic. There has also become a tradition of celebrating major events and sports teams victories with fireworks. San Francisco has enjoyed several of these championships and looks forward to many more. Tropical Hainan. 2022. “ T he history of fireworks and their traditional uses in China. ” Tropical Hainan . Agren, David. 2017. “ D espite accidents, Mexicans continue to honor saints with fireworks. ” Crux Now . Availability There has been an explosive growth of consumer fireworks available in the national marketplace. “Data from the American Pyrotechnics Association finds that the consumer fireworks industry has seen its annual revenue grow from $407 million in 2000 to $2.3 billion in 2022.” 73 Even though all fireworks are illegal in San Francisco except when specifically authorized for a public display by licensed operators, there are millions of legal consumer fireworks being produced with inevitably some of them making their way into the city. Fireworks that are illegal in California such as firecrackers and those that explode in the sky can also be obtained in the multi-million dollar black market. Many of these black market fireworks come from neighboring states such as Nevada where they are legal or from illegal criminal rings which smuggle them in from foreign nations such as China. 7 4 Ignorance Many people are likely unaware that all fireworks are illegal in San Francisco except those used in sanctioned public displays by licensed professionals. They may not know the potential for being arrested or how large the fines can be. They may also not be aware of the potential dangers of using the illegal fireworks or the many other harms to others and to the environment that have been mentioned previously in this report. The Need for Better Public Education Difficulty Educating the Public The world is more connected than ever. There are hundreds of ways that people now get their news and information. This creates a fragmented media market where it can be difficult and expensive to get attention for any messaging that one is trying to achieve. This impacts the ability of San Francisco officials trying to use the media to educate its citizens about the dangers and harms caused by illegal fireworks. Rosalsky, Greg, Darian Woods, Julia Ritchie, and Julia Ritchey. 2023. “ The Explosive Growth Of The Fireworks Market : Planet Money. ” NPR . Sernoffsky, Evan. 2021. “ H igh-profile Bay Area illegal fireworks busts expose multi-million dollar black market. ” KTVU . In a multicultural city such as San Francisco, having multi-lingual messaging is also very important for the widest possible reach. Unfortunately, in an analysis of X/Twitter posts by city departments, all but one of the fireworks messages discovered were in English. The one exception was a July 4, 2023 tweet in Spanish from the @SFFDPIO account about
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
1 By December 1, 2024, the Controller’s Office shall instruct its Performance Program Team to identify meaningful illegal fireworks data and require impacted departments in public health and public safety to collect it. “Meaningful data” would include such items as the number and types of injuries caused by fireworks, the number of calls for fires started by fireworks, the number of fires started by fireworks, the number of calls for firework specific noise complaints, the number of calls for police to stop active deployments of fireworks, the number of citations issued, the number of fines issued, the number of arrests made, the number of prosecutions and convictions, the number of community meetings held on the topic, the number of educational talks given on the topic, the amount (in pounds) of illegal fireworks confiscated, the amount (in dollars) in fines collected, and the amount (in dollars) of property damage caused by illegal fireworks, and the amount (in dollars) of content loss caused by illegal fireworks.
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