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Home My WebLink About6/8/2005 - STAFF REPORTS (11) ti 2 u a City Council Staff Report DATE: June 8, 2005 NEW BUSINESS SUBJECT: 2005 Firefighter Staffing Federal Grant (SAFER) FROM: David H. Ready, City Manager BY: Blake Goetz, Fire Chief SUMMARY The City Council will consider adopting a resolution authorizing the Fire Chief to submit a grant for partial funding of three firefighters under the "2005 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant" of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This grant requires that the governing body to be informed of the applicant's intent to submit a SAFER grant application, and that the local governing body acknowledges the commitment under the grant, and that appropriate financial support will be secured for the applicant's cost-sharing obligations should the City be awarded the grant. RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution No. "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE FIRE CHIEF TO SUBMIT A GRANT REQUEST FOR PARTIAL FUNDING OF THREE FIREFIGHTERS UNDER THE '2005 STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER) GRANT' OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ACKNOWLEDGES THE COMMITMENT UNDER THE GRANT THAT APPROPRIATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT WILL BE SECURED FOR THE APPLICANT'S COST SHARING OBLIGATIONS SHOULD THE CITY ACCEPT THE GRANT" STAFF ANALYSIS: In June 2005, the Federal Department of Homeland Security will open a federal grant to partially fund firefighter positions to increase on duty staffing. Staff recommends that the City Council direct staff to work with Randall Funding to apply for this grant as a means to increase firefighter staffing levels in Palm Springs. If successful in obtaining Item No. S .A. City Council Staff Report June 8, 2005 -- Page 2 Firefighter Safety Grant the grant, the grant will pay $100,000 per firefighter during the first four years. The Fire Chief recommends applying for three new firefighter positions under the SAFER Grant. The grant application period closes on June 28, 2005. SAFER Grant Terms The purpose of the SAFER grant is to award grants directly to volunteer, combination and career fire departments to help the departments increase their cadre of firefighters. The SAFER Grant is a five-year grant to assist fire departments in paying a portion of the salaries of newly hired firefighters. These newly hired positions must be in addition to authorized and funded active firefighter positions. Grantees must do everything in their power to maintain the number of authorized and funded positions as declared the time of application plus the awarded new firefighter positions throughout the period of performance (five years). Grantees that fail to maintain this level of staffing risk losing all or a portion of their grant. These grants require the awardees to match an increasing proportion of the salary over a four-year period; in the fifth year of the grant, the awardees must absorb the entire cost of any positions awarded as a result of the grant. The long-term nature of the eligible activities under these grants makes it essential that an applicant's local governing body be involved in the application process. As such, each applicant will certify that their governing body has been informed of the applicant's intention to submit a SAFER grant application and that the local governing body acknowledges the commitment under the grant and that appropriate financial support will be secured for the applicant's cost-sharing obligations. Once a SAFER funded position is filled, the funded position must remain filled until the end of the period of performance. During the five year performance period, SAFER grantees must also maintain their staffing at a level equal or greater than their staffing level at the time of application. Grantees that do not fulfill their grant award obligations will be required to return the defaulted portion of the federal funds disbursed for the funded position under the grant award. The national standards that SAFER grants will help fire departments to meet are the standards prescribed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): • NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Department (Section 5.2.4.2 - Initial Full Alarm Assignment Capability). Staff Recommendation The City Manager and the Fire Chief recommend that three firefighters be requested through the SAFER Grant. The firefighters would be assigned to the downtown truck City Council Staff Report June 8, 2005 -- Page 3 Firefighter Safety Grant company increasing the staffing on that unit from two firefighters to three firefighters. This recommendation is consistent with the highest priority staffing recommendation that was made in the Standards of Response Cover and Deployment Analysis by Citygate Associates, LLC in March 2005. The recommendation to place additional firefighters at the downtown fire station should also place this grant in a favorable position for funding. FISCAL IMPACT: The SAFER grant will pay the City up to $100,000 for each approved firefighter position over the course of the 5 year grant period. The payment schedule is as follows: Year One: 90 percent of the actual cost or $36,000 per firefighter Year Two: 80 percent of the actual cost or $32,000 per firefighter Year Three: 50 percent of the actual cost or $20,000 per firefighter Year Four: 30 percent of the actual cost or$12,000 per firefighter Year Five: No Federal share—all costs borne by grantee Total grant for each approved Palm Springs Firefighter based on the current salary schedule will be $100,000. The City will pay Randall Funding a fee of $3,000 to work with the Fire Chief and submit this grant request by the deadline on June 28, 2005. Cost to City if Awarded the Grant ' If awarded this grant for three firefighters, the cost-share is as follows: Estimated City Cost Grant Contribution First Year $141,887 $108,000 Second Year $161,299 $96,000 Third Year $210,000 $60,000 Fourth Year $247,578 $36,000 Fifth Year $297,629 $0 If the City is awarded the grant, Randal Funding will receive a 3% commission ($9,000). Conclusion The grant is open for 28 days and there will be tremendous competition for this grant by the nation's fire departments. Applying for this grant is no guarantee the city will receive the grant. If the grant is approved, the City Council will have the opportunity to accept City Council Staff Report June 8, 2005 -- Page 4 Firefighter Safety Grant or decline the grant at that time; however, if the City declines the grant, we are obligated to reimburse Randall Funding the 3% commission ($9,000). It is estimated that the grant awards will be made sometime in the fall of 2005, Once awarded the grant, the City has six months to hire the firefighters. Blake G. Goetz, Fire Chief f David H. Ready, City Managg. 4 Attachments: Proposed Resolution RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE FIRE CHIEF TO SUBMIT A GRANT REQUEST FOR PARTIAL FUNDING OF THREE FIREFIGHTERS UNDER THE `2005 STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER) GRANT' OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ACKNOWLEDGES THE COMMITMENT UNDER THE GRANT THAT APPROPRIATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT WILL BE SECURED FOR THE APPLICANT'S COST SHARING OBLIGATIONS SHOULD THE CITY ACCEPT THE GRANT WHEREAS, The 2005 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security opened for applications on May 31, 2005 and will close on June 29, 2005, WHEREAS, the City Council has been made aware of this grant opportunity and has directed the Fire Chief to apply for this grant with the assistance of Randall Funding, WHEREAS, the City Council acknowledges the committiment under the grant that appropriate financial support will be secured for the City's cost-sharing obligations should the city be awarded the grant, and decide to accept the grant. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The City Council authorize the Fire Chief to submit a grant for partial funding of three firefighters under the "2005 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant" of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with the assistance of Randal Funding. ADOPTED THIS 8th day of June, 2005. David H. Ready, City Manager ATTEST: James Thompson, City Clerk CERTIFICATION STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss. CITY OF PALM SPRINGS ) I, JAMES THOMPSON, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution No. is a full, true and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: James Thompson, City Clerk City of Palm Springs, California