DATE: March 21, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Appropriate $228,000 From the Mutual Aid Revenue Project of the Capital Projects General Fund (Fund 405 – Project 05002) to Purchase a Telehandler Heavy-Duty Forklift For Use at the Hayward Fire/Rescue Training Center And During/to Prepare For Emergency Disasters
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to appropriate $228,000 of surplus mutual aid reimbursement funds (Fund 405 - Project 05002) to purchase a Telehandler, heavy-duty forklift for use at the Hayward Fire/Resource Training Center, during an actual emergency disaster, and to prepare for emergency disasters.
SUMMARY
The $228,000 that HFD proposes is appropriated from the Mutual Aid Revenue Project of the Capital Projects General Fund (Fund 405—Project 05002) and was reimbursement received from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services per a Master Mutual Aid Agreement. The money will be spent on purchasing the Telehandler heavy-duty forklift, which HFD will use to, among other things, organize the extensive disaster cache/containers that the HFD maintains as well as emergency food, water, cots, etc. for the Emergency Operations Center.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Hayward Fire Department (HFD) entered into a Master Mutual Aid Agreement with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). As part of the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, the City receives reimbursements for direct and indirect costs associated with response efforts as outlined in the California Fire Assistance Agreement. Through the Mutual Aid Agreement, Cal OES strategically maintains 160 in-service fire engines in various departments to guarantee fulfilled mutual aid response and pre-positioning practices.
Cal OES and other local agencies reimburse HFD for mutual aid deployments, including apparatus usage, support, equipment, and an additional 16 percent for administrative costs. The majority of mutual aid reimbursements replenish the General Fund balance for overtime costs and a portion is allocated to Fleet Management for ongoing apparatus maintenance. Staff is requesting to appropriate a portion of the remaining surplus reimbursement funds—intended for equipment replacement— in the Capital Projects General Fund (Fund 405—Project 05002). These funds will be used for a one-time purchase to procure a Telehandler, a heavy-duty forklift that is useful, efficient, and practically indispensable for moving, lifting, unloading and stacking heavy cargo among other things. This will be used and located at the Hayward Fire/Rescue Training Center. This particular machine will also be utilized for organizing the extensive disaster cache/containers that HFD maintains. In addition, emergency food, water, cots, etc. for the Emergency Operations Center will be organized in large totes that will be handled using this new piece of equipment. This is a resource that will now be available for other purposes. This equipment would have been invaluable during the City’s most recent Covid-19 food distribution efforts.
Mutual aid reimbursements have contributed $240,000 to Fire Equipment CIP 07487. Staff estimates that approximately $717,000 of the mutual aid revenue received has been added to the balance of Capital Projects General Fund (Fund 405). Staff recommends that Council authorize an appropriation of $228,000 in the Capital Projects General Fund (Fund 405) to enable the Department to make this operational purchase.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Quality of Life. However, this item is not specifically related to a project identified in the Strategic Roadmap.
FISCAL IMPACT
Since 2015, the Department has collected $8.5 million in mutual aid revenue and contributed $1.4 million to Capital Projects General Fund (Fund 405). As discussed above, this purchase is needed to allow for ease of operations at the Fire Station Training Center and for handling and planning for emergency disasters. This action requires the appropriation of $228,000 from the Mutual Aid Project Revenue Project of the Capital Projects General Fund (Fund 405—Project 05002).
NEXT STEPS
If Council adopts the attached resolution, staff will complete the request to appropriate $228,000 from the Mutual Aid Revenue Project 05002 (Fund 405) and make the purchase.
Prepared by: Tara Reyes, Fire Services Supervisor
Recommended by: Garrett Contreras, Fire Chief
Approved by:
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Kelly McAdoo, City Manager