San Francisco Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson announced her retirement Friday due to health reasons.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the City and County of San Francisco for over 30 years. Today, I am announcing that I will retire at the end of August due to unforeseen medical issues,” she said on Facebook. “I am proud of the San Francisco Fire Department and the people that work day and night to protect our City and citizens. It has been a great privilege and honor to serve as your Fire Chief for the past five years.”
Nicholson has served as chief since 2019 when she was promoted from deputy chief of administration by Mayor London Breed. She is the city’s first openly LGBTQ fire chief.
Details on her heath issues have not been made available. However, Nicholson is a breast cancer survivor. She also suffered second-degree burns during a fire in 2009.
In a statement, Breed called Nicholson “an incredible leader” who kept residents safe through the COVID-19 pandemic and helped launch “groundbreaking and life-saving initiatives,” like the city’s Street Response Teams.
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