In his first department-head appointment of his tenure as mayor, Daniel Lurie on Friday announced the appointment of second-generation firefighter and 34-year veteran of the city's fire department Dean Crispen as the new fire chief.

For the first time in two decades, San Francisco has a fire chief who is not a woman, as Daniel Lurie has named battalion chief Dean Crispen the new chief of the San Francisco Fire Department. Crispen, a San Francisco native and second-generation firefighter, is being praised by his colleagues as a great choice.

"Whether as a first responder, an advocate for underserved populations, or a leader fostering collaboration, he has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to meet challenges with both strength and empathy," Lurie said of Crispen in a press release. "And he will demonstrate that ability every day in service of the safety of San Franciscans."

SFFD Captain Sherman Tillman, a former two-term president of the San Francisco Black Firefighters Association who has been with the SFFD for 26 years, tells Mission Local that Crispen is a "fireman's fireman" and "He comes from the field. He is not a bureaucrat."

That comment may or may not be in reference to outgoing Interim Fire Chief Sandy Tong, who has served since September, and who did not have a firefighting background — she had 35 years experience working in emergency medical services.

Tong was appointed by Mayor London Breed to step in following the abrupt retirement last summer of Chief Jeanine Nicholson, for medical reasons.

Crispen was recognized by the SFFD three times for bravery in the service of city residents, following the rescue of elderly victims in fires in the Tenderloin. And the mayor's office notes that, in the wake of the September 11th attacks in 2001, Crispen was part of the SFFD’s response dispatched to New York City.

A mayor's press release notes that Crispen's father is a retired captain of the SFFD Arson Squad, and his mother immigrated to the US from Nicaragua when she was 12. Crispen's grandmother was the founder of the Latin American Senior Citizen Association in the Mission District.

In a statement, Crispen said, "My number one goal as Chief of the Department is to safeguard the health and safety of all members of the San Francisco Fire Department and all San Franciscans. We are implementing Mayor Lurie’s vision for a safer, cleaner San Francisco and will continue to collaborate with other departments to ensure citizens are receiving the best public safety services."

While we haven't heard of any other other high-profile retirements or departures among city department heads, Mayor Lurie has hinted that he is looking to switch things up where he can. As the Chronicle notes, on Inauguration Day Wednesday, Lurie told reporters to expect "a lot of change" at City Hall, saying he'd been having discussions with various department heads about their future plans.

So far, Police Chief Bill Scott has made no indication that he intends to retire. Lurie's opponent in the mayor's race, Mark Farrell, had made it a campaign promise to fire Scott on Day One, blaming him for crime and other issues impacting the city.

Photo via SFFD