Mayor London Breed appoints S.F. fire department veteran as interim chief, first Asian-American in role

San Francisco’s new interim chief of the Fire Department is the first Asian-American and first paramedic to run the agency.

Mayor London Breed shared Tuesday that Sandy Tong will take over after former chief Jeanine Nicholson stepped down in July.

Tong was assistant deputy chief of emergency medical services and has over thirty-five years of experience working in EMS, according to the SFFD website. She is the city’s first Asian American fire chief.

“I have known Sandy for many, many years and she has consistently stepped up to the plate,” Breed said. “Her intimate knowledge and understanding of the department as a whole will make her a great leader during this interim period as we move forward with the appropriate process in order to select a new chief.”


https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/mayor-breed-fire-chief-sandy-tong-19739729.php