If we had a benefit vs. cost analysis performed to expand EFWS projects citywide, the results would be overwhelmingly in favor of spending money now to save the Bay Area’s crown jewel from being destroyed again by earthquake fires.
A plan for expanding the Emergency Firefighting Water Supply (EFWS) system to douse an inferno likely to follow a major earthquake is moving forward, with new pipelines proposed in addition to those already funded.
A proposal to install a seawater pump for fighting fires on the City’s west side after a big earthquake was rejected by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), although they do support building one on the southeast side.
Hydrant Expansion Plan Would Leave the Richmond District and Sea Cliff Without Adequate Water for Fighting Post-Earthquake Fires.
The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) is calling on city leaders to prioritize spending for more hose tender fire trucks. This particular type of fire truck costs $1 million each, and while orders have been placed for a few of them, according to a 2019 Civil Grand Jury (CGJ) report, that will not be nearly enough.
Plans to expand San Francisco’s high-pressure water system for fighting fires immediately after a major earthquake are beginning to take shape. The plans come following a Civil Grand Jury (CGJ) report in 2019 demanded that the City take action.
Good news for San Francisco! The Board of Supervisors has just unanimously approved on Nov. 19, a resolution declaring that a “State of Urgency” exists because there is no plan to protect the entire city from fires following a major earthquake.
At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board unanimously adopted Supervisor Gordon Mar’s legislation declaring a State of Urgency to rapidly expand the City’s Emergency Firefighting Water System (EFWS) to protect all neighborhoods in the event of a major earthquake and fire.
At Friday’s Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee meeting, Supervisor Gordon Mar’s resolution declaring a State of Urgency to rapidly expand the City’s EFWS to protect all neighborhoods in the event of a major earthquake and fire received unanimous support.
The agenda of the SFPUC is not to provide a system using an inexhaustible supply of seawater, which is the only certain means by which the SFFD will be able to control post-earthquake fires, but rather to use Earthquake Bond money to slowly replace their antiquated and fragile drinking water mains.
After a Civil Grand Jury reported that large parts of San Francisco could burn to the ground after an earthquake if something is not done soon, four city supervisors and a state assemblyman have called the situation urgent and demanded action.
By Thomas K. Pendergast A recent Civil Grand Jury (CGJ) report has raised questions about post-earthquake fire protection after the next major temblor and whether firefighters will have enough water pressure to […]
Given the geology of Northern California, the history of San Francisco and a knowledge of urban conflagrations, it will be clearly understood that, in the absence of adequate post-earthquake emergency water supplies, the 138,000 wood-frame buildings and the 390,000 residents that occupy the fifteen neighborhoods not protected by the AWSS will fall victim to catastrophic loss,
Research shows California is one of the top 10 states with the most fatal home fires per capita. But now, California residents have a chance to help change behavior that could help to save lives in the event of a home fire.
… the Civil Grand Jury found that large parts of the City, such as the Outer Richmond, Outer Sunset and Bayview/Hunters Point districts, among others, do not have a high-pressure AWSS, and would be particularly vulnerable to fire damage when the next major earthquake strikes.
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 