The city’s Department of Emergency Management is a critical part of every emergency response in the city, whether it’s 911 calls or natural disaster relief or terrorist attacks.
The executive director of DEM, Mary Ellen Carroll, was appointed by former Mayor London Breed and has held the role since 2018. Now, an anonymously authored petition is making the rounds in the department, gaining support for a vote of no confidence in Carroll’s leadership, according to sources within the department.
The petition, obtained by Gazetteer SF, does not pull punches in its criticism of Carroll, detailing broad managerial concerns, urgent needs for workers and operations, and accusations of cronyism.
The petition began circulating on Monday among department staff, according to sources.
“We, the undersigned, are calling for a vote of no confidence in DEM Executive Director, Mary Ellen Carroll, due to a pattern of leadership failures that have directly impacted the integrity, morale, and effectiveness of our department,” the letter begins.
A February 2026 Gazetteer SF investigation into burnout and public safety dangers in the 911 dispatch office revealed numerous concerns about Carroll’s priorities and leadership style among staffers that are reiterated and deepened in the petition.
The petition blames Carroll for lacking “essential knowledge and operational understanding” of public safety functions, which sources previously told Gazetteer SF is due to her lack of practical experience in dispatch and emergency response before coming onboard as executive director.
“During meetings, staff consistently find themselves having to explain basic concepts and fundamental aspects of our operations to Mary Ellen Carroll, often repeatedly,” the petition states.
Another major complaint in the letter is Carroll’s oversight of staff reductions stemming from Mayor Daniel Lurie’s budget cuts. The petition accuses Carroll of, among other things, cutting staff from the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative, which addresses catastrophic incidents in the city, leaving the organization without a plan for “program continuity.” These cuts, according to the petition, are happening simultaneously with DEM leadership allegedly promoting certain individuals who are favored by Carroll to higher-paying positions.
“This has created a climate where staff input is undervalued, and where decisions are made to appease political leadership or benefit those close to her, rather than address the actual needs of the department or the communities we serve," the petition continues.
The petition comes after years of conflict in the DEM regarding rampant overtime assignments, low morale, concerns about broken equipment, and the lack of vacation time. While Lurie is celebrating faster 911 response times and lower overtime requirements, one 911 dispatcher told Gazetteer SF on Wednesday that the internal culture of the DEM is made worse by a lack of accountability for top managers like Carroll and Deputy Director Robert Smuts.
“We’ll get written up for being one minute late, but Carroll’s constantly taking time off. We’ll ask for some time so dispatchers can deal with their mental health after serious crises like this recent police shooting, but they’ll ignore it while continuing to push stuff like a ‘wellness room,’” said the dispatcher, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their job.
The petition is being circulated to build a case for “a formal vote of no confidence,” with the claim that Carroll is making San Francisco “less safe.” It requests that Lurie appoint a new executive director for the department.
Update: In a statement to Gazetteer SF, DEM spokesperson Jackie Thornhill said that the anonymous letter "as far as we can tell in no way reflects the views of DEM employees at large."
"DEM leadership, including Director Carroll, are in constant communication with staff from all divisions and work 24/7/365 to lead the Department through San Francisco’s everyday and not so everyday emergencies. We staffed up dispatch and are responding to 911 calls faster than we have in years and DEM continues to coordinate all major emergency activations," Thornhill said.
