Agenda Item Wording:
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Authorize the acceptance of the 2020 State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) award and appropriate funding from the General Fund in the amount of $87,860 to put five Visalia Fire personnel through field-based training for Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist class series.
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Deadline for Action: 5/2/2022
Submitting Department: Fire Department
Contact Name and Phone Number: Crissy Balderama, x4513; Dan Griswold, x4220; Tom Van Grouw, x4544
Department Recommendation:
It is recommended that the City Council authorize staff to accept the 2020 State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) award and appropriate funding from the General Fund in the amount of $87,860. The grant funds will be used to put five Visalia Fire personnel through field-based training for Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist class series.
Background Discussion:
As a result of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the State of California, and the Department of Homeland Security developed programs to assist government agencies with emergency preparedness activities and/or equipment. Since 2001, Tulare County Office of Emergency Services has been the intermediate recipient of these funds, disbursing them to cities and other agencies based upon agency and area needs. One of these programs is the State Homeland Security Grant Program. The grant is submitted and managed by the Tulare County Office of Emergency Services. If the grant is awarded to the County, the County disburses funding among local agencies based upon needs in the operational area.
For 2020, Tulare County received a total of $566,489 from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Of this amount, the Visalia Fire Department will receive $87,860. The funding will be used to put five Visalia Fire personnel through field-based training for Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist class series. The Hazardous Material Technician series is four weeks long and to obtain Hazardous Materials Specialist is an additional two weeks. All personnel receive Hazardous Materials Technician series and personnel are trained to Hazardous Materials Specialist as training is available.
Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist training are essential to Visalia Fire Department for responses to hazardous material-type incidents within the City of Visalia and as the lead agency of the Tulare-Kings County Regional Hazardous Materials Team comprised of select Tulare and Kings County agencies. All participating agencies of the Regional Hazardous Materials Team Agreement contribute funding to the Visalia Fire Department in return for hazardous material incident responses when necessary and requested.
Fiscal Impact:
Staff is requesting to appropriate $87,860 from the General Fund to put five Visalia Fire personnel through field-based training for Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist class series. Training course expenses will be reimbursed by State Office of Homeland Security and Tulare County Office of Emergency Services (OES). The City will be required to cover backfill costs for personnel participating in the training. Fire Administration prioritized hosting training in Visalia as a means of reducing backfill costs. Hosting the training locally reduces backfill costs because backfill personnel are relived from duty once personnel in training return to the station after the training. Conversely, if personnel are sent to training out of the area, backfill personnel are needed to work the entire shift. Fire Administration estimates approximately $950.00 per student per week in backfill costs. This is an estimate based on past training data. Actual costs cannot be estimated due to not having the training scheduled to know the shifts affected and not knowing the shifts of the personnel participating in the training. Backfill costs will be managed within overtime costs already included in the General Fund Fire budget.
Prior Council Action: None.
Other: N/A
Alternatives: Council can choose to decline the State Homeland Security Grant Program Award and fund Hazmat training through the General Fund Operating budget.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize staff to accept the 2020 State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) award and appropriate funding from the General Fund in the amount of $87,860 to put Visalia Fire personnel through field-based training for Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist class series.
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Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Attachments: 1. FY20 SHSGP VFD Notification of Sub Recipient Award and Binder. 2. FY20 SHSGP VFD Assurances with Non-County Entities