December 4, 2025

San Francisco Board of Supervisors
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl.
San Francisco, CA 94102

Dear Members of the Board of Supervisors:

On behalf of the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, representing thousands of skilled union workers dedicated to public safety and the integrity of our built environment, I am writing to express deep concern regarding recent attempts by a small group of condominium associations to weaken or delay the City’s high-rise fire sprinkler retrofit requirements.

Several years ago, the City adopted a forward-looking policy that established a 12-year implementation timeline for older residential high-rise buildings to install automatic sprinkler systems. This policy was grounded in extensive research by the Board’s own Budget and Legislative Analyst, supported by decades of fire-safety data, and reinforced by the experience of San Francisco’s firefighters, who understand the dangers of high-rise fires better than anyone. Automatic sprinkler systems remain the single most effective and reliable life-safety measure available, and their installation directly protects residents, neighboring properties, and first responders.

The current effort to roll back or dilute these requirements is premised on misconceptions about cost, feasibility, and displacement. These concerns, while understandable, do not align with industry realities, the City’s past analysis, or the track record of countless jurisdictions that have successfully implemented similar retrofits. Modern retrofit technology allows work to proceed in occupied buildings with minimal disruption. Union-signatory fire protection contractors routinely utilize advanced materials, streamlined installation methods, and staged sequencing that enable residents to remain in their homes throughout the process. The notion that sprinkler retrofits inherently lead to widespread displacement simply does not reflect how this work is performed today.

Similarly, claims of excessive or prohibitive retrofit costs are not borne out by independent evaluations. San Francisco’s own fire-safety studies identified cost ranges that are reasonable and predictable, particularly when amortized over the lengthy implementation window. For building owners, these costs must also be understood in comparison to the risks: Fires in un-sprinklered high-rises spread rapidly, place enormous strain on firefighting resources, and can result in devastating loss of life and property. The modest investment required for retrofits pays for itself many times over in reduced risk, improved safety, and long-term building resilience.

It is important to reaffirm that the sprinkler retrofit requirement was designed deliberately and responsibly. The 12-year on-ramp gave owners more than enough time to plan financially and logistically, while ensuring that San Francisco’s aging high-rise housing stock gradually moves toward modern life-safety standards. Weakening this requirement now would undermine the City’s commitment to public safety, jeopardize the welfare of residents and firefighters, and compromise a policy that has been recognized as both balanced and necessary.

For these reasons, we urge the Board of Supervisors to firmly reject any proposed amendments that would weaken, delay, or carve out broad exemptions to the existing sprinkler retrofit mandate. As you consider these issues, we respectfully ask that you rely on the expertise of fire-safety professionals, the findings of your own legislative analyses, and the lived experience of workers who perform this critical work every day. The Building and Construction Trades Council stands ready to assist the Board by providing technical experts, certified contractors, and firsthand workforce insight to support informed and responsible policymaking.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to safeguarding the people of San Francisco. We appreciate your leadership and your dedication to ensuring that all residents — regardless of the age of their building — benefit from the highest standards of fire protection.

Respectfully,

Rudy Gonzalez

Secretary–Treasurer
SF Building & Construction Trades Council