SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee released a statement on Tuesday, February 11 in response to the Board of Supervisors unanimous approval of a $400 million Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond on the June Ballot. If approved by SF voters, it will continue to make upgrades and fix older fire and police facilities, which also include the City’s emergency response firefighting water system.

“This next phase of the Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response program will ensure that our City can quickly and effectively respond to a major earthquake or disaster.

We must ensure that our aging emergency firefighting water system and our neighborhood fire and police stations can withstand the next major earthquake so that our police officers, firefighters and paramedics can help those in need of emergency assistance immediately following a disaster.

I thank Board President David Chiu and the entire Board of Supervisors for their commitment to these seismic upgrades and to strengthening our City’s critical emergency response infrastructure. This second ESER bond program will not only save lives and save money in the long run, but it will also improve our City’s resiliency efforts and create jobs; all without raising property tax rates.”

By LaDale Anderson