Report: SF has dilemma of bigger streets or smaller fire engines

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Are fire trucks too large for San Francisco's narrow streets? A new report suggests they might be. And since we can't make the streets bigger, the fire department may need to start buying some smaller trucks.

The report takes a look at two things that seem in conflict with each other. They are things that are important to the San Francisco Fire Department and equally important to the city's street improvement projects.

The report from the supervisors' analyst concludes that when the fire department buys new engines, it lacks policies that consider street designs and pedestrian safety.

The city wants streets that are fire safe and street safe. The problem is fire safe means bigger streets; street safe means narrow streets.

"When you have streets that are too wide, you have faster traffic, more accidents and more severe accidents," San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener said.

The fire department likes big streets, since they handle conventional fire trucks better.

"We need a rig that's going to hold enough equipment for us to do our job properly," Assistant Deputy Fire Chief Ken Lombardi said.

The report suggests smaller fire trucks and custom designed features for smaller streets, but fire officials say smaller rigs may not work in San Francisco.

"They have to carry enough hose for us. They have to carry enough water for us. They have to carry enough tools for us," Lombardi said.

Many homes here are like row houses, attached together, unlike those in other cities. When homes are not attached, firefighters can simply surround a home and attack the fire from the outside without going in. But that is not the case here.

"A lot of other cities with different rigs might just come up and surround a building. If we did that here, we could end up losing a block. So we have to in and put the fire out," Lombardi said.

And there are the hills. Flat cities don't require trucks with big motors.

"The engines carry 500 gallons of water and then we have to go up a hill. It's a big motor," Lombardi said explained.

Wiener, who asked for the street analysis, wants the fire department to look at how equipment is placed in the trucks, which may enable them to use smaller rigs.

With the number of possible car accidents in mind, he says the bottom line is, "If we start widening streets and moving in that direction to accommodate fire trucks, how many more people are going to die on our streets?"