Public Safety Committee
April 23, 2024
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Damon Covington
City Administrator Fire Chief
SUBJECT: FY 2020 Urban Search and Rescue
(US&R) Funding Extension
DATE: March 26, 2024
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Amending Resolution Number 88316 C.M.S, Which Among Other Things Authorized The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Federal Grant Funds To Cover Fire Department Search And Rescue Staffing And Equipment Costs, By Extending The Period To Receive The Grant Through August 31, 2024
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, 2024, so CA-TF4 may use those funds for a Medical Team Specialist Training which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cumulative FY 2020 FEMA US&R grant award allocation award is not to exceed one million, three hundred fourteen thousand, five hundred and forty nine dollars ($1,314,549).
BACKGROUND/LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On October 6, 2020, City Council approved Resolution No. 88316 C.M.S., authorizing the City
Administrator to accept appropriate and expend the initial FEMA; US&R Grant funds.
The City of Oakland Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 FEMA US&R grant application was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the City of Oakland has been awarded a grant allocation of one million, two hundred sixty-six thousand, six hundred and thirty-one dollars ($1,266,631). The proposed and approved spending plan for this grant award was appropriated to fund staffing, maintain and procure equipment. Some of these funds have been administered toward the appropriation; while other funding of the appropriation is underway as we are still within the timeline of this grant performance period.
On May 17, 2022, City Council approved an amendment with Resolution No. 89176 C.M.S .,
authorizing the City Administrator to accept supplemental grant funds and expend those additional FEMA; US&R Grant funds.
Jestin Johnson (Apr 11, 2024 10:35 PDT)
Apr 11, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2020 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Funding Extension Date: March 26, 2024 Page 2
________________________________________________________________________
Public Safety Committee
April 23, 2024
The City of Oakland Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 FEMA US&R grant application amendment was approved to the City Council Resolution No. 88316 C.M.S. , due to an increased grant funding
allocation in the amount of forty seven thousand, nine hundred and eighteen dollars ($47,918) for a cumulative Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 grant award allocation in an amount not to exceed one million, three hundred fourteen thousand, five hundred and forty nine dollars ($1,314,549).
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
There are twenty-eight (28) Federal Emergency Management Agency (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, California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4). The Oakland Fire Department Task Force has agreements with fifteen (15) participating fire agencies from the Bay Area that provide Task Force personnel and support the training and responses of the Oakland Task Force. 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 Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) or State of California identified training center that 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 an 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, including to agencies that do not Participate in US&R CA-TF4, to ensure that they are prepared and well trained 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).
In October 2020, the City Council approved Resolution No. 88316 C.M.S . authorizing the City
Administrator to accept appropriate up to one million, two hundred sixty-six thousand, six hundred and thirty-one dollars ($1,266,631) FEMA; US&R Grant funds. These funds have been and will be used for the following purposes:
• Administration, Training, and Maintenance of Equipment
In May 2022, the City Council approved an amendment with Resolution No. 89176 C.M.S., authorizing the City Administrator to accept supplemental grant funds and expend those additional FEMA; US&R Grant funds. These funds have been and will be used for the following purposes:
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2020 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Funding Extension Date: March 26, 2024 Page 3
________________________________________________________________________
Public Safety Committee
April 23, 2024
• 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.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed resolution authorizes to amend the grant term to extend the period of the acceptance of grant funds to August 31, 2024.
FY 2020 FEMA grant funds have already been designated through 88316 C.M.S. and 89176 C.M.S. for a total amount of $1,314,549 and have been or will be deposited into the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Fund (2124), Fire: U.S.A.R Organization (20815), 2020 US&R FEMA Grant Project (1004649).
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.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2020 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Funding Extension Date: March 26, 2024 Page 4
________________________________________________________________________
Public Safety Committee
April 23, 2024
ACTION REQUESTED OF CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Amending Resolution Number 88316 C.M.S, Which Among Other Things Authorized The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Federal Grant Funds To Cover Fire Department Search And Rescue Staffing And Equipment Costs, By Extending The Period To Receive The Grant Through August 31, 2024
For questions regarding this report, please contact Acting Assistant Chief Tracey Chin, at (510) 238-4765.
Respectfully submitted,
______________________________
DAMON COVINGTON
Fire Chief
Oakland Fire Department
Prepared by:
Tracey Chin
Assistant Chief, Oakland Fire Department
Program Manager, FEMA US&R CATF-4