1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: February 27, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Danny Alvarez, Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Approval of the Verdugo Fire Comm unications Dispatch Service Agreement Between the Cities of Burbank, Gl endale, and Pasadena and the City of West Covina for Dispatching of Emergency Fire and Medical Response
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Verdugo Fire Communications Dispatch Service Agreement between the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena and t he City of West Covina for dispatching of emergency fire and medical response.
BACKGROUND
The Verdugo Fire Communications Center (VFCC) provides Fire and EMS dispatch services. The Burbank, Glendale, and Pa sadena Fire Depar tments are “member” agencies that contribute to funding the annual operation of VFCC, as well as making annual contributions to the capital equipment replacement fund. VFCC’s annual operation is also supported through contracting dispat ching services with 10 other agencies for a set fee. The 10 agencies include: Alhambra, Arcadia, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Hollywood Burbank Airport. Providing dispatching services on a contract basis not only supplies revenue for VFCC’s operations, but also enables be tter coordination and response to large emergencies involving mutual aid for Area “C” agencies like the City of Burbank.
Due to staffing shortages in its dispatch center, West Covina reached out to VFCC regarding the possibility of contracting for di spatching services for its fire department, which receives an estimated call load of approximately 10,000 calls per year. VFCC determined that it has the capacity to assu me the additional call volume with no anticipated impact to the provision of service to its member or other contract agencies.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
2 Additionally, VFCC is fully compatible with West Covina Fire Department’s existing radios, mobile data computer (MDC) platform, cellular data network, and station alerting system.
The City of West Covina is also a me mber of the Interagency Communications Interoperability (ICI) radio system, which is utilized by VFCC.
DISCUSSION
The general provisions of t he Service Agreement are sim ilar to existing agreements currently held by the other 10 contract agencies in delineating the responsibilities of VFCC and the contracting city. The Service Agreement stipulates that West Covina will remain a Fire Mutual Aid Area B agency but may be called upon to provide mutual aid services or automatic aid services to cities in the Verdugo System and other jurisdictions designated by the State of California. As per the Service Agreement, West Covina is responsible for all costs relating to the purchase, installation, and maintenance of equipment and infrastructure required to be co mpatible with the VFCC. To aid the quick and smooth transition of dispatching servic es, the VFCC worked closely with the West Covina Fire Department to migrate all necessary hardware and software for compatibility with the new system. As a result , VFCC incurred transition costs (primarily consisting of staffing hours) totaling approximately $50,000. Repayment of transition costs is included in the terms of the agreement.
If approved by all three member agencies, the VFCC Service Agreement with the City of West Covina would be effective from F ebruary 16, 2024 to February 15, 2026, with a renewal option for one additional year. If West Covina does not exercise the renewal option and provide notice of intent to renew at least 180 days prior to the expiration of the Service Agreement, it shall pay the transition costs within thirty days of August 15, 2025.
Additionally, if West Covina opts for early termination of the contract, it shall pay a fee of either $150,000 or $300, 000 depending on the date of te rmination and in addition to transition costs.
The West Covina City Council approved the Service Agreement and all applicable motions on February 14, 2024. The Service Agreement has been added to the Pasadena City Council Meeting Agenda for approval on February 26 th and will go before the Glendale City Council on February 27th.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indire ct physical change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Based upon the formula within the Service Agreement, West Covina will pay $84.14 for each dispatched incident in its city and fo r certain mutual aid incidents outside the 3 Verdugo System until June 30, 2024. Thereafter, the per incident charge may be increased each fiscal year by an amount not to exceed 5%, rounded to the nearest dollar, based on anticipated increases in VFCC’s operating costs. With an estimated call volume of 10,000 per year, the City of West Covina is projected to pay approximately $841,400 in the first year of the contract.
Proposed charges are reviewed by the Verdugo Finance Committee, which includes the Finance Directors of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena, followed by the Verdugo Executive Committee, comprised of the Fire Chiefs from these three cities. The City Managers of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena m eet annually in March to review and approve the VFCC’s proposed budget for the upcoming fisca l year. All fees are paid to and administered by the City of Glendale as the coordinat ing agency of VFCC. No additional funding is required by the City of Burbank and as such, there will be no impact on the Burbank Fire Department’s operating budget.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends City Council approve the Verdugo Fire Communications Dispatch Service Agreement between the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena and the City of West Covina, reinforcing the importance of regional partnerships, optimum use of resources, and revenue enhancement opportunities.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1- Verdugo Fire Communication s Dispatch Service Agreement between the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena and the City of West Covina