San Francisco firefighters showcase city's robust water supply system to tackle emergencies
As first responders work tirelessly to contain the Southern California fires, many are questioning whether cities like San Francisco are prepared for a large firestorm or earthquake. On Saturday morning, San Francisco firefighters provided some reassurance, showcasing the city's robust water supply system and its readiness to tackle such emergencies.
The demonstration, held at San Francisco Fire Department Pier 22 1/2 along the city's waterfront, was both a training exercise and a display of the fire department's ability to combat a large-scale disaster. Among the onlookers were visitors from Los Angeles, who had recently experienced the threat of evacuation due to the ongoing fire crisis in their home city.
"After two very stressful weeks, we decided to come here to stay with our friends for a little bit, just to get away from the fires and the smoke," said Elaine Zhang.
Zhang along with her husband Bill Yao and their four-year-old son Ethan, live just outside the Pacific Palisades Fire evacuation zone. After enduring two stressful weeks of wildfires and smoke, the family decided to travel to San Francisco for a respite. Yao reflected on one particularly tense night when they packed up, ready to evacuate, but were fortunately spared from the flames.
"Luckily, we didn't have to evacuate thanks to all the firefighters," said Yao. "We have friends and colleagues who lost their homes."
The Yao family was especially interested in the demonstration, as it showcased critical improvements San Francisco has made in its firefighting capabilities over the decades and recent lessons learned from the challenges that emerged during Los Angeles' fire battles. One of the major issues in LA was the problem of hydrants running dry or having low pressure, which delayed firefighting efforts.
"We have to continue to be as prepared as possible, whatever comes our way. With the challenges that we face and what Southern California faces, we can never be too prepared. So I'm just committed to making sure that we are as prepared as possible," said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.
Lurie and new Fire Chief Dean Crispen are determined to avoid such issues in their city. They explained that the city has built redundancies into its water supply system to ensure that hydrants will not fail during emergencies. In addition to the standard hydrants, which have white tops, firefighters also have access to high-pressure hydrants supplied by three major reservoirs, identifiable by their blue, red, or black tops. For extra backup, firefighters can even draft salt water from the Bay.
"Each of these hose tenders can carry 6,600 feet of 5-inch hose. And we can actually use relays to move this hose system very far into the center of the city. So it's very effective that way," said Crispen.
Additionally, San Francisco's fireboats are capable of assisting in firefighting efforts along the waterfront, adding another layer of protection should a disaster strike near the water.
"It's impressive that we can use bay water to help put out fires. It's something that is good for everybody to know," said Lurie.
Lurie emphasized the importance of being prepared, for both first responders and residents. He urged people to have an emergency family plan in place, along with enough food and water to sustain them for at least three days.
For the Yao family, the demonstration was a pleasant surprise, especially for their young son, Ethan, who has expressed a desire to become a firefighter in the future.
"Our son is very interested in it," Yao noted, "He even told us last week, saying he wanted to be a firefighter."