City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: JANUARY 7, 2025 FROM: FIRE DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF 2024 CAL OES MOBILIZATION AND TRAINING FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $519,000 FROM THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES (CAL OES) FOR CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE 6 MOBILIZATION EXERCISE AND ASSOCIATED RESCUE TRAINING ISSUE:
Approve the acceptance of the 2024 Cal OES Mobilization and Training funding in the amount of $519,000, from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), for multijurisdictional training and mobilization exercise and associated rescue training for FEMA California Urban Search and Rescue Team 6.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Accept a grant awarded from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) in the amount of $519,000; With at least five affirmative votes, and upon receipt of the grant award, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record an increase in revenue in the amount of grant award and appropriate an equal amount of expenditures in the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, 2024 Cal OES Mobilization Program revenue and expenditure accounts; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to sign Cal OES Mobilization Exercise and Training agreement, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has initiated a contractual agreement with the City of Riverside Fire Department to oversee the reimbursement process for Mobilization Exercise and Training and associated travel costs, overtime and backfill for California Task Force 6. Under the terms of the Cal OES Mobilization Exercise and Training agreement, the City of Riverside Fire Department is tasked with ensuring the readiness of its personnel and its participating task force agencies to respond effectively to larger or more complex urban search and rescue events within the State of California. This contractual arrangement underscores Cal OES's commitment to bolstering emergency preparedness initiatives statewide and enhancing the capabilities of local emergency response teams.
DISCUSSION:
The Cal OES Mobilization Exercise and Training agreement represents a vital collaboration between the City of Riverside Fire Department, as the sponsoring agency for California Task Force 6, and Cal OES aimed at enhancing the readiness of emergency response teams in urban search and rescue scenarios. By facilitating reimbursements for training, travel expenses, overtime and backfill the agreement ensures personnel receive essential instruction while adhering to industry standards. With an initial award amount not exceeding $519,000, the agreement prioritizes the prudent allocation of funds, covering only essential costs incurred in delivering mobilization exercise for CA- TF6. The Mobilization Exercise is set to take place between June 10, 2025, through June 11, 2025.
The training period will be between October 1, 2024, or upon approval, to September 30, 2026. The contract allows for comprehensive training initiatives and periodic reviews to adapt to evolving needs and best practices. This collaborative and adaptive approach strengthens efforts to safeguard communities against urban search and rescue emergencies.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item aligns with Strategic Priority No. 2: Community Well-Being and Goal No. 2.6 – Strengthen community preparedness for emergencies to ensure effective response and recovery.
This item aligns with the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust: The Cal OES Mobilization Exercise and Training Contract enhances community trust by ensuring that emergency response teams are well-prepared and equipped to handle various urban search and rescue emergencies effectively, thereby fostering confidence in the community's safety and well-being.
Equity: This agreement promotes equity by providing essential training and resources to emergency response teams, ensuring that communities across the region receive equitable access to high-quality emergency preparedness services and urban search and rescue capabilities.
Fiscal Responsibility: By emphasizing prudent utilization of funds and reimbursement for essential costs, the contract demonstrates fiscal responsibility, ensuring that taxpayer resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to support critical emergency preparedness initiatives.
Innovation: The Cal OES Mobilization Exercise and Training Contract encourages innovation by facilitating ongoing training and education for emergency response teams, enabling them to stay abreast of the latest techniques and technologies in urban search and rescue operations, thereby enhancing overall effectiveness and adaptability in emergency response efforts.
Sustainability & Resiliency: Through comprehensive training initiatives and adherence to industry standards, the contract promotes sustainability and resiliency by strengthening the capabilities of emergency response teams to effectively mitigate urban search and rescue emergencies, thereby enhancing community resilience and readiness in the face of potential disasters.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is an increase of revenue and expenditures of $519,000. No matching funds are required for the Cal OES grant. Upon Council approval, an increase in revenue, in the amount of the award, will be recorded and an equal amount appropriated in the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, 2024 Cal OES Mobilization Program revenue account 9352700-334100 and expenditure account 9352700-440110.
Prepared by: Michael Staley, Division Chief
Approved by: Steve McKinster, Fire Chief
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager
Approved as to form: Jack Liu, Interim City Attorney
FY 2024 Swiftwater Training ● Page 3