---
title: "Firefighters Help Plan Sutter's New Neurosciences Complex | Sutter Health"
description: "San Francisco firefighters are walking Sutter's Advanced Neurosciences Complex construction site to plan emergency response before it opens in 2028."
url: "https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/community-impact/firefighters-plan-ahead-at-new-sutter-campus"
---

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# Firefighters Join Planning for New Neurosciences Complex

San Francisco firefighters are walking Sutter's Advanced Neurosciences Complex construction site to plan emergency response before it opens in 2028.

June 19, 2026 by Ashley Boarman

![Firefighters Join Planning for New Neurosciences Complex](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/community-impact/SFFD-visit-59551096.jpg?h=598&iar=0&w=793 "Firefighters Join Planning for New Neurosciences Complex")

As construction crews shape Sutter Health’s future [Advanced Neurosciences Complex](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/sutter-health-breaks-ground-on-442-million-neuroscience-complex-in-san-francisco/) at CPMC’s Mission Bernal campus, the San Francisco Fire Department is also getting to know the building from the inside out.

Before the five-story, 129,000-square-foot facility opens in 2028, fire crews are walking the active construction site, mapping entry and exit points, testing access routes and considering how they would respond in an emergency.

![Group of firefighters stand dressed in offduty uniforms](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/community-impact/SFFD-group-at-MBC-87be26dd.jpg "Members of the San Francisco Fire Department tour the construction site of Sutter’s future Advanced Neurosciences Complex")

Sutter’s new center will bring neurology, neurosurgery and advanced imaging together in one location. It is designed to improve coordination between specialists and create a more seamless experience for patients and families. That integration can be critical for people facing time-sensitive neurological emergencies such as stroke, when every minute counts.

Behind the scenes, safety planning is happening just as early and intentionally as the clinical design.

“Engaging first responders early helps ensure this facility is not only advanced for patient care, but ready to support rapid emergency response from day one,” said Denis McCarren, neurosciences service line executive for Sutter’s Greater San Francisco and East Bay Division.

That coordination begins long before the building is finished. Firefighters are involved throughout construction, offering practical, on-the-ground insight, from reviewing design elements to participating in walkthroughs and inspections.

On site, crews are assessing how engines will approach the building, where they can stage and how critical systems such as water access will perform under pressure. The effort reflects a broader focus on planning not just for the building, but for the surrounding neighborhood it will serve. Walkthroughs will continue as the structure takes shape, helping teams adapt in real time.

![construction on a new neurosciences complex](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/community-impact/IMG_0630-scaled-c64a5058.jpeg "Construction progress | June 1, 2026")

For the construction team, that input is essential.

“Early coordination with first responders helps ensure the building will function as intended in an emergency,” said Juan Restrepo, project executive with BOLDT, the firm leading construction.

For the San Francisco Fire Department, the goal is to be ready well before opening day.

“Strong partnerships and early coordination are essential to building safer communities,” said Jonathan Baxter, SFFD’s public information officer. “By working alongside Sutter Health, project engineers and construction teams throughout the development process, the San Francisco Fire Department can help ensure that fire and life safety considerations are integrated from the very beginning. This proactive approach enhances emergency preparedness, improves responder access and operational awareness, and ultimately helps protect construction personnel, future patients, healthcare staff, and the surrounding community.”

For site updates, visit [here](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/mission-bernal-care-complex-updates/).

[![Two firefighters talking](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/community-impact/Two-firefighters-connect-at-construction-site-c3ef4df7.jpg)](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/firefighters-plan-ahead-at-new-sutter-campus/two-firefighters-connect-at-construction-site/)

## Neuroscience

Your brain and nervous system shape how you think, move and feel every day. If you're facing headaches, seizures or memory loss, our neuroscience specialists can offer expert diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support.

[Learn more about Neuroscience](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/neuroscience)

## Related articles

### [Site Updates: Sutter Advanced Neuroscience Complex at Mission Bernal](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/community-impact/mission-bernal-care-complex-updates)

### [The Lessons Medical Students Don’t Expect to Learn](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/community-impact/the-lessons-that-medical-students-dont-expect-to-learn)

### [Sutter’s CPMC Davies Campus Achieves Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification from The Joint Commission](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/sutters-cpmc-davies-campus-achieves-comprehensive-stroke-center-certification-from-the-joint)

### [Sutter Health Posts 2025 Audited Financial Statements](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/sutter-health-posts-2025-audited-financial-statements)

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