By Joe Vasquez
CBS Local
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A San Francisco firefighters are among the busiest in the country, but their emergency calls are most often not emergencies at all.
In fact, in San Francisco only about 1.5 percent of fire calls are for house or building fires. About 29 percent of the calls are for other types of fire emergencies. The other 70 percent are for medical calls.
On Seventh and Market earlier Thursday afternoon, San Francisco firefighters responded to treat a homeless person who was sick. Paramedics took him to the hospital. It’s a very common scene – the number of calls to assist homeless people have absolutely increased.
When the fire bell rings, Floyd Rollins with the San Francisco Firefighters Union said the men and women of the fire department respond professionally, not knowing who they are going to encounter. But when they get to the scene, they often recognize the caller.
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