Approved as to Form and Legality
2023 JAN -6 ftH 9* 29
FILEDOFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
OAKLAND
City Attorney's Office
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. C.M.S.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO
ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY TO ALLOW THE OAKLAND FIRE
DEPARTMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN A TWENTY-FOUR MONTH
PILOT PROGRAM TO UTILIZE AIR QUALITY SENSOR-BASED REAL
TIME WILDFIRE MONITORING SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY
(“WILDFIRE SENSORS”) IN OAKLAND’S HIGH FIRE HAZARD
SEVERITY ZONE
WHEREAS, the ongoing threat of another catastrophic wildfire like the event that occurred in Oakland in 1991 is significant and the impact of such an event would be felt in all comers of the city; and
WHEREAS, in terms of acreage burned, the last several years in California have been some of the worst in history, with fires burning over 4 million acres, claiming thousands of homes, and tragically taking dozens of human lives; and WHEREAS, since the devastating Oakland-Berkeley hills fire in 1991, and primarily due to strategic planning, aggressive operational engagement, and a comprehensive vegetation management program, Oakland has been spared from these types of catastrophic events; and WHEREAS, meanwhile, the Oakland Fire Department continues to seek out effective strategies to prevent the start and spreading of wildfires within out jurisdiction, including the use of sensors that could detect and warn fire departments and communities of deadly blazes, like those that are currently being placed in the Lake Tahoe region as well as San Bernardino County; and
WHEREAS, a proposed pilot program between the Oakland Fire Department and the Department of Homeland Security would allow the City to utilize technology that might detect signs of wildfires that could devastate a city like Oakland and is in line with the city wide priority or providing wholistic community safety; and
WHEREAS, an environmental analytics company Breeze Technologies has been selected as an industry partner for a new wildfire sensor workstream by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) as part of the Smart Cities Internet of Things Innovation (SCITI) Labs; and
WHEREAS, an aim of the program is for the Department of Homeland Security to identify a development roadmap that works together with a commercialization path that advances not only the science and engineering aspects of this technology, but also the availability of these capabilities to the broader homeland security enterprise - from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to state and local emergency management to civilians; and WHEREAS, capabilities evaluated in this pilot phase will focus on real-time and continuous identification of heat sources and smoke to detect ignition location, track fire perimeter, track fire characteristics, and allow for geographically targeted notifications and warnings; and
WHEREAS, the Oakland Fire Department sees a short and long-term benefit from entering into this agreement and there is hope this will assist in how it allocate resources and introduces another key innovation into the fire service that could subsequently be applied in neighboring jurisdictions which face similar fire risks; and WHEREAS, as a key part of the pilot program, the Oakland Fire Department has the responsibility to select approximately 25 strategic locations on publicly owned land where the sensors could be installed; and
WHEREAS, Oakland Fire Department staff has determined the proposed sensors do not qualify as “Surveillance Technology” as defined in Oakland Municipal Code Chapter 9.64; and WHEREAS, the duration of the pilot program will not exceed twenty-four months commencing once all sensors are installed and operational; and WHEREAS, as a condition of this agreement, there is no cost to the City, personnel or otherwise, and the implementation of this pilot program could spare the City considerable financial loss should it assist in the prevention of a major wildfire; and WHEREAS, the adoption of this resolution has the potential to prevent major wildfires which can disrupt transportation, communications, power and gas services, and water supply, and lead to a deterioration of the air quality, and loss of property, crops, resources, animals, and people; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council finds and determines that it is in the best interests of the City to enter into this pilot agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, and be it FURTHER RESOLVED: That poor communities have higher deaths due to disasters, higher property damages, and, in their wake, disasters often increase poverty and, thus, there is a significant benefit related to preventing such catastrophic events using this type of partnership and technology: and be it
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FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Administrator is authorized to enter into an agreement with the Department of Homeland security to allow the Oakland fire Department to participate in a twenty-four month pilot program to utilize air quality sensor-based real-time wildfire monitoring system technology in Oakland’s High Fire Hazard Severity Zone; and be it FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Administrator is hereby authorized to execute any modifications to said agreement except for those related to an increase in cost or use of the sensor that could potentially compromise the privacy of residents or be determined to be amount to Surveillance Technology as provided in Oakland Municipal Code Chapter 9.64: and be it FURTHER RESOLVED: That the proposed agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, and any amendments or modifications thereto shall be reviewed by the City Attorney and a copy filed with the City Clerk’s Office.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
M W 2023
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, JENKINS, KALB, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, REID, AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
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NOES
ABSENT-
ABSTENTION
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ATTEST:
City Clerk and Clerk-of the Council of
the City of Oakland, California
3233755vl
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