Mayor Lurie Signs New Firefighter Contract to Keep First Responders in San Francisco

Mayor Daniel Lurie formalized a new labor agreement with the city's firefighter union at Fire Station 5 on May 8, flanked by fire brass, supervisors, and union leadership — framing the deal as both a compensation upgrade and a public safety imperative for a city that increasingly can't afford its own first responders. The signing comes as San Francisco navigates significant budget constraints, making the contract a signal of where the Lurie administration intends to hold the line.

• City signs new memorandum of understanding with IAFF Local 798, improving compensation, recruitment, and retention for all San Francisco firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs

• Affordability crisis takes center stage as speakers warn firefighters are being priced out of the city they protect, creating disaster-preparedness gaps

• Station 5's expanded crisis role highlighted — supervisor describes firefighters responding daily to overdoses at a nearby open-air drug market

• Mayor ties contract to broader housing push, connecting firefighter retention to the family zoning plan and family opportunity agenda

Why it matters: San Francisco's firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs are increasingly unable to afford to live in the city — a workforce challenge that becomes a public safety emergency when earthquakes, wildfires, or other disasters demand rapid local response.