SFPD enjoys sweet taste of victory after bet with SFFD
SFFD settles bet with SFPD
After winning the charity boxing matchup SFPD collected on their cioppino dinner from SFFD
SAN FRANCISCO - It was payday for the boxing bet between San Francisco's fire and police department.
Bet on boxing match
The stakes were a full dinner prepared by the fire department's brass. They spent all day in the kitchen, while the police got to sit back and enjoy the sweet taste of victory.
The kitchen inside Station House 4 in San Francisco bustled with activity, as firefighters worked to pay off what they owe.
A highly publicized boxing match between the fire department and police department last month ended with the police department on top. The chiefs of each department put it all on the line with a wager. If the fire department won, the police brass would be polishing brass, cleaning one of the department's trucks.
But, in the end, after a tightly contested night, it was the police who emerged on top.
"It's a really stiff competition, a lot of camaraderie between the fire and police department, but in the end, the police department won six fights to five fights; very evenly matched," said fire chief Dean Crispen.
Cioppino, anyone?
Now to pay off the bet, firefighters are hosting a gourmet dinner.
"So we're gonna start out with the Caesar salad with a creamy Caesar dressing, garlic croutons. We're gonna serve crab cioppino. It's gonna be our main dish recipe that I learned from a gentleman that worked with me at station three," said Chief Crispen.
Firefighters in Station House 4 said it was an honor to get to host the payoff dinner.
"It's all in good fun, you know," said firefighter Cristina Padilla. "Good camaraderie. We know camaraderie well. In this job, you know, so being able to have cooperative relationships with the police department is also important and so it's a bummer that we lost this year. Hopefully, we win next year."
San Francisco's Police Department leaders said they've been prepping for this meal since the bout. "So, to prepare for the great feed we're gonna have tonight, what I did was I've been snacking since the fight, so I've been snacking here and there building up a great appetite," said Deputy San Francisco Police Chief Mark Im.
Friendly rivalry
In the end, the police and fire departments stress that this is a friendly rivalry between two departments that work closely to keep the city safe, and they say the real winner are the San Franciscans that will benefit from the money raised and donated to the SFPOA community service fund, supporting community groups that improve safety and quality of life in the city.
"This is how they get the funding to be able to do that type of support for communities," said Deputy Chief Im.
San Francisco's Fire Chief Crispen also said the winners are the city's first responders, who get to share a meal and some laughs together, strengthening the bonds between the city's first responders.
"Outgoing Chief Yep always says public safety is a team sport and it really is," said Chief Crispen. "I think we all have a difficult job and the fact that we work together in the street and then do events like this really bring us closer and allow us to be better serving the public."
This was the second year the two departments have faced off; SFPD is two for two. But, San Francisco fire said they're going to train this coming year, and flip the script next year.
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