City Council
October 18, 2022
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Edward D. Reiskin FROM: Reginald Freeman,
City Administrator Fire Chief, Oakland Fire
Department
SUBJECT: Fiscal Year 2019 Urban Search and
Rescue (US&R) Funding Extension
DATE: September 30, 2022
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Amend Resolution No. 87936 C.M.S., Which Among Other Things Authorized The City Administrator To Accept, Appropriate And Administer 2019 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Grant Funds In The Amount Of One Million Two Hundred Thirty-Fiver Thousand One Hundred And Four Dollars ($1,235,104), By Extending The Period For Receipt Of Grant Funds To August 31, 2023
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Consistent with the intent of the FEMA; Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) grant program, which provides funding for the operation, maintenance, and preparedness of California Task Force Four (CA-TF4), amending the proposed resolution will enable the City to extend the period to accept receipt of funds to August 31, 2023. CA-TF4 intends to use those funds for a Medical Team Specialist Training, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cumulative Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 FEMA US&R grant award allocation award is not to exceed one million, two hundred thirty-five thousand, one hundred and four dollars ($1,235,104).
BACKGROUND/LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On January 10, 2019, City Council approved Resolution No. 87936 C.M.S., authorizing the City Administrator to accept appropriate and expend the initial FEMA US&R Grant funds.
The City of Oakland FY 2019 FEMA US&R grant application was approved by FEMA and the City of Oakland has been awarded a grant allocation of one million, two hundred thirty five thousand, one hundred and four dollars ($1,235,104). The approved spending plan for this grant award was appropriated to fund staffing, maintain, and procure equipment.
Oct 5, 2022
Edward Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2019 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Funding Extension Date: September 30, 2022 Page 2
________________________________________________________________________
City Council
October 18, 2022
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
There are twenty-eight (28) FEMA US&R Task Forces in the United States, with eight (8) in California. The City of Oakland is the sponsoring agency for a FEMA US&R Task Force, the CA-TF4. Task Force 4, which Oakland Fire is the sponsoring agency for, has agreements with fifteen (15) participating fire agencies from the Bay Area, which provide personnel and support the training and responses of the it. Federal funds are provided to sponsoring agencies to support a US&R response system that provides for the coordination, development, and maintenance of the effort to locate, extricate, and provide immediate medical treatment to victims trapped in collapsed structures, and to conduct other lifesaving operations.
In addition to the federal funding, The state of California supports the eight (8) California US&R Task Forces with funding through the California Fire and Rescue Training Authority (CFRTA), California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI), a State of California identified training center, which facilitates mobilization exercises and conducts other pertinent trainings in preparation for response to disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, flooding, and terrorist attacks.
Since the Loma Prieta Earthquake in October of 1989, the City of Oakland Fire Department has taken an active role in preparing for a US&R response. In 1991, FEMA sponsored 25 National US&R Task Forces and Oakland CA-TF4 has been a part of the National Response System since the inception.
As the sponsoring agency, US&R CA-TF4 provides training to outside agencies to ensure that they are prepared to respond to emergencies alongside and in support of US&R CA-TF4. Costs from these trainings are not currently being charged by the City, and as a result, training costs for outside agencies are being subsidized by the General Purpose Fund (1010).
On October 31, 2019, the City Council approved Resolution No. 87936 C.M.S. authorizing the City Administrator to accept appropriate up to one million, two hundred thirty-five thousand, one hundred and four dollars ($1,235,104) FEMA; US&R Grant funds (Attachment A). These funds have been and will be used for the following purposes:
• Administration, Training, and Maintenance of Equipment
This grant has and will continue to have a positive impact for the City of Oakland and advances the Citywide Priority of ensuring holistic community safety. The members of the task force are members of OFD and other participating fire agencies, and they receive training for response to man-made and natural disasters. The training provides knowledge, skills, and abilities to a network of local first responders, so they can perform search and rescue operations, victim extrication, wide area search and patient treatment to reduce loss of life as the result of emergency incidents in the City and region.
Edward Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2019 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Funding Extension Date: September 30, 2022 Page 3
________________________________________________________________________
City Council
October 18, 2022
FISCAL IMPACT
Extension of the acceptance of Grant Funds: During the grant period of September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2022, with an extension to August 31, 2023. FEMA will reimburse the City for the instruction of a Medical Team Specialist Training course related to the program amendment.
Approval of this resolution will authorize the acceptance and extension of the FY 19 FEMA grant funds (Attachment B).
FY 2019 FEMA grant funds will be deposited into the FEMA Fund (2124), Special Operations Division (20815), the Miscellaneous Grants Revenue account (46129), 2019 US&R FEMA Grant Project (1004647), Special Operations Program (PS18), Task (2124.PS18) and Award (23539).
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No outreach was deemed necessary for the proposed policy action beyond the standard City Council agenda noticing procedures.
COORDINATION
The Office of the City Attorney and the Budget Bureau were consulted in the preparation of this report and resolution.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: Acceptance of this grant amendment will allow for the purchase and maintenance of equipment, which will contribute to the local economy.
Environmental: There are no environmental impacts associated with this action because the facility will be used for the storage and maintenance of technical rescue equipment.
Race & Equity: There is a large race and equity benefit to the City. The City is in an active earthquake fault zone. All the citizens of Oakland will benefit from the unique training that is available to members of the FEMA US&R Task Force as these members respond to emergencies within the City on a daily basis. In the event of a local disaster, the US&R Task Force equipment cache is available to local responders.
Edward Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2019 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Funding Extension Date: September 30, 2022 Page 4
________________________________________________________________________
City Council
October 18, 2022
ACTION REQUESTED OF CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Amend Resolution No. 87936 C.M.S., Which Among Other Things Authorized The City Administrator To Accept, Appropriate And Administer 2019 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Grant Funds In The Amount Of One Million Two Hundred Thirty-Fiver Thousand One Hundred And Four Dollars ($1,235,104), By Extending The Period For Receipt Of Grant Funds To August 31, 2023
For questions regarding this report, please contact Battalion Chief Tracey Chin, at (510) 615- 5872.
Respectfully submitted,
______________________________
REGINALD FREEMAN
Fire Chief
Oakland Fire Department
Reviewed by:
Gene Tom
Chief Financial Officer &
Fire Division Manager
Grant Manager, FEMA US&R; CATF-4
Prepared by:
Tracey Chin
Battalion Chief, Oakland Fire Department
Program Manager, FEMA US&R CATF-4
Attachments (1):
A. Adopted Resolution No. 87936 C.M.S
B. US&R Program Directive 2022-010 – Blanket Extension of FY 2019 Readiness Cooperative Agreements