201 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Suite #300
Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-4000
Fax: (714) 765-4008
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
FIRE & RESCUE DEPARTMENT
DATE: JUNE 17, 2025
FROM: FIRE & RESCUE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: FIRE INVESTIGATION SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE
CITY OF PLACENTIA
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 11
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion, approve an agreement with the City of Placentia, to provide fire investigator services to the City of Placentia upon request, for a period of five (5) years, beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2030.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Placentia currently lacks a dedicated fire investigation unit. Fire investigators are responsible for conducting origin and cause determinations, arson investigations, 911 system abuse investigations and to investigate fraud related to fire protection services. To address this service gap, the City of Placentia seeks to enter into an agreement with the City of Anaheim for fire investigation services.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue (AF&R) maintains a professional Fire Investigation Unit that serves the City of Anaheim and supports neighboring agencies on an as-needed, reciprocal basis. However, formal service agreements are necessary for jurisdictions, such as Placentia, that do not have the capacity to reciprocate fire investigation support.
Establishing this agreement ensures that Placentia can access experienced fire investigative personnel while allowing AF&R to recover the full cost of the service delivery, to include an additional 12% administrative fee.
Under the proposed agreement, Anaheim’s fire investigator(s) will respond to requests from Placentia when similar services are not needed in Anaheim and fire investigator(s) are available. When fire investigation services are required, Anaheim will bill Placentia on a portal-to-portal basis using the most current fully burdened rates pursuant to the current City of Anaheim Memorandum of Understanding with the Anaheim Firefighters Association. This means Anaheim will be fully reimbursed for all time spent, beginning with the time of dispatch to the time the fire investigator(s) return to Anaheim, and become available for another emergency response.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue currently has similar fire investigation service agreements in place with neighboring cities, such as the City of Brea and the City of Fullerton, Fire Investigation Services Agreement Between the City of Anaheim and the City of Placentia June 17, 2025
reflecting a continued commitment to interagency collaboration and cost-effective public safety solutions.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
The cost of fire investigation services will be reimbursed to the City of Anaheim according to the fully burdened rates outlined in the agreement and will be reviewed periodically.
Respectfully submitted,
Patrick J. Russell
Fire Chief
Attachment:
1. Agreement