CRISIS SITUATIONS.
SF Administrative Code § 91.9
in effectSEC. 91.9. CRISIS SITUATIONS.
(a) All Departments involved in health-related emergencies, including but not limited to pandemics, refugee relief, disaster-related activities, and all other crisis situations shall work with OCEIA to include Language Access Services protocols in the Department’s Annual Compliance Report. During these events, all Departments involved shall prioritize Language Access Services and to the extent feasible ensure bilingual staff are present and available to assist LEP Persons with critical needs. If these situations require the posting of warning signs, the Department shall translate those signs in the required languages.
(b) By January 1, 2025, all Departments providing emergency response services, including but not limited to the Police Department, Fire Department, and Department of Emergency Management in the event of crisis situations and disaster-related activities, involving an immediate threat of serious harm, mass casualties, conditions of natural disaster, or conditions posing extreme peril to the safety of persons and property shall: (1) provide language access services related to the emergency in English and in all languages spoken jointly by 5% or more of the population that speaks English less than “very well”; (2) ensure that the quality of information translated and provided to individuals that speak English less than “very well” is as comprehensive, actionable, and timely as the information provided to LEP persons; and (3) endeavor to utilize community members with the cultural competencies and language skills necessary to effectively communicate with those that speak English less than “very well” using, whenever feasible, native speakers of the relevant languages who also speak English fluently. OCEIA shall reassess the data every five years to ensure that the language or languages in which the Departments provide information are consistent with the requirements of subsection (b)(1).
(c) Subject to the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Charter, OCEIA shall develop strategies for Departments to use in deploying rapid response Language Access Services to advise First Responders serving the public in crisis situations as listed in Section 91.9. OCEIA shall collaborate with Departments to ensure a community-focused approach is incorporated in the operation of rapid response Language Access Services.
(Added as Sec. 91.8 by Ord. 202-09, File No. 090461, App. 8/28/2009; redesignated and amended by Ord. 27-15, File No. 141149, App. 3/12/2015, Eff. 4/11/2015; amended by Ord. 116-24, File No. 230868, App. 6/21/2024, Eff. 7/22/2024)
(Former Sec. 91.9 redesignated as 91.10 and amended by Ord. 27-15, File No. 141149, App. 3/12/2015, Eff. 4/11/2015)
Source: City and County of San Francisco, Charter and Municipal Codes (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_admin/0-0-0-50814Fetched: 11/1/2026