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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/05/2007, C3 - 2007 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT APPLICATIONS k J council ".�°D� 6-5-07 j acEnaa Report CITY O F SAN L U IS OBISPO FROM: John Callahan, Fire Chief Prepared By: Viv R. Dilts, Administrative Analyst SUBJECT: 2007 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT APPLICATIONS CAO RECOMMENDATION Authorize staff to submit two grant applications totaling $390,000 to the Federal Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program for funding of equipment, training, and a vehicle to achieve Medium Operational Capability for Urban Search and Rescue. DISCUSSION Background State and federal grants are occasionally offered to assist local governments with the financial impacts associated with daily operations and/or mandated programs. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is one of these programs. The purpose of this program is to award one-year grants directly to fire departments to enhance their abilities with respect to fire and fire- related hazards. This program seeks to support departments that lack the tools and resources necessary to adequately perform their firefighting and/or emergency response duties. In fiscal year 2007, Congress appropriated$547 million. Grant Request We are requesting funding for equipment, training, and a vehicle to achieve Medium Operational Capability for Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) as defined by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and in Incident Command System (ICS)-US&R-120-1. There are four levels of Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) operational capability as identified by FEMA and in ICS-US&R-120-1. They are Basic, Light, Medium, and Heavy. San Luis Obispo City Fire Department currently functions at the Light Operational Level and has already made a substantial investment in equipment and training to achieve the light operational capability. The Medium Operational Capability, the industry standard for communities of our size, trains personnel to recognize hazards, conduct safe and effective search and rescue operations, and use equipment and techniques required to operate effectively at structural collapse incidents involving the collapse or failure of reinforced and unreinforced masonry(URM), concrete tilt-up, and heavy timber construction. Equipment—$104,903 C� � I 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Page 2 The San Luis Obispo City Fire Department currently has the equipment needed to respond at the Light Operational Level. To obtain Medium Operational Level Capability, we will need to purchase half of the remaining inventory required. This equipment includes power saws, a. portable/mobile generator, powered/mechanical extrication tools/equipment, technical rescue equipment, portable lights, a thermal imaging device, monitoring and sampling devices, and an assortment of hand tools. Training—$267500 To achieve Medium Operational Level Capability of US & R response as specified by ICS- US&R-120-1, SLOFD Firefighters will need to successfully complete the California Office of the State Fire Marshal certified Rescue Systems-II class. This 40-hour class requires a specialized training facility with elaborate props used to simulate collapsed buildings and structures. The closest such facility is in Southern California approximately four hours south of San Luis Obispo County. 1. Tuition - Forty Firefighters need to take the class for their safety as well as the safety of the citizens they serve. Due to logistical limitations we can only send 20 individuals in any one year. These individuals will be dispersed amongst the shifts. Total tuition cost is $9,000 (20 students X $450). 2. Transportation, Food and Housing (double occupancy) costs are $17,500 (20 students X $875).. Vehicle—$258,600 The City of San Luis Obispo has already made a substantial investment in equipment and training to achieve light operational capability. The Fire Department's equipment inventory is kept in two vehicles and a non-mobile sea-container. The two vehicles the Fire Department currently uses to transport this equipment inventory include: 1. A small flat-bed skid-mount (hook lift) unit which shares its transporting truck with a skid- mount wild land fire patrollbrush truck pump unit 2. An old out-of-service tiller aerial ladder truck which needs significant repair and which ultimately will be retired from service in the near future. Neither vehicle serves the needed role as a heavy rescue unit. Neither is capable of providing adequate storage space for the medium operational capability US&R equipment inventory we are hoping to achieve. The sea-container is neither mobile nor portable, and does not provide for rapid deployment. A significant delay in response occurs because equipment is not in a single response ready vehicle. Equipment must be gathered from three locations. The brush truck pump unit must be off-loaded from the truck that carries it and the flat-bed skid-mount, which contains part of our light rescue equipment, is loaded in its place. The unit is then ready to respond. This twenty to thirty minute delay is unacceptable. FISCAL IMPACT 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Page 3 If the City were to receive grant funding from the Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program, we would have to match the Federal grant funds equal to 10% $39,000 of the total project cost. The matching funds will be covered by mutual aid revenues. There would be no additional cost to the General Fund. ALTERNATIVES The Council could decide not to pursue the grant monies. This is not recommended as fire service grant opportunities are limited and the grant funds would only serve to enhance the effectiveness of the Fire Department. In addition, this is a safety concern for the Firefighters and the citizens we serve. G:/Council Agenda Reports/CAR-2007 FEMA Grant Program