San Francisco fire commissioners are facing backlash after deciding to remove peer counselors from 911 calls, prompting concerns that emergency responses for mental health and substance use crises will be less effective.

On Wednesday, August 12, the San Francisco Fire Commission faced significant community backlash at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, over its decision to remove peer counselors from emergency 911 call responses. Advocates and community members voiced strong opposition, arguing that the move will undermine the effectiveness of support for individuals experiencing mental health and substance use crises.

Fire Chief Dean Crispin, however, contends the change is necessary, stating that firefighters now have 164 hours of community paramedic training sufficient to handle these calls without peer navigators, according to NBC Bay Area. This decision comes despite previous efforts to formalize and expand peer support within the department. In July 2018, Resolution 2018-02 recommended renaming the then-"Stress Unit" to "Peer Support Services." By August 2022, the unit was referred to as the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) and operated with two dedicated members.

The future of the department's crisis response efforts remains unclear, especially with an $11.9 million line item in the FY25-26 budget for a "FIR Crisis Response Team." It is not yet confirmed if this funding relates to the peer counselor program now facing cuts.