City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: NOVEMBER 4, 2025 FROM: FIRE DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF 2025 NATIONAL URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE RESPONSE SYSTEM READINESS FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,517,811 FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY - FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY – SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION ISSUE:
Approve the acceptance of the 2025 Urban Search and Rescue Response System Readiness funding in the amount of $1,517,811 from the Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and authorize the City Manager or designee to sign related funding documents.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Accept a grant awarded from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the 2025 National Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Response System Readiness Cooperative Agreement in the amount of $1,517,811; 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 revenues in the amount of $1,517,811, or the actual award amount, and appropriate an equal amount of expenditures in the Grants & Restricted Programs Fund, USAR 2025 revenue and expenditure accounts; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to sign related Urban Search and Rescue Response System funding documents from the Department of Homeland Security – FEMA, USAR 2025, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is a “multi-hazard” discipline trained to respond to a variety of natural, technological, and man-made emergencies or disasters. The City of Riverside Fire Department’s USAR team is the sponsoring agency for California Task Force 6 (CA-TF6) which is one of 28 National, and one of eight California USAR Task Force teams. These teams respond as either a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or California Mutual Aid resource during emergencies requiring highly skilled search and rescue personnel. Teams have previously been deployed to the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina, Super Storm Sandy, Hurricane Harvey, Irma, Maria, Florence, Michael, Lane, Hurricane Fiona, Hawaii Wildfire, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, and most recently Kerr County Texas Floods.
DISCUSSION:
FEMA provides support and funding for the maintenance and readiness through the National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Readiness Cooperative Agreement. For Fiscal Year 2025, the award acceptance will be $1,517,811 with a period of performance from 9/1/2025 through 8/31/2028. These funds are being awarded under existing contracts between the City and FEMA.
Grant funds will be utilized for training, administration, equipment acquisition and maintenance of existing equipment. In addition, a portion of the grant can be used to fund 1.0 FTE Fire Captain, 1.0 FTE Battalion Chief, 1.0 FTE Inventory Control Specialist and 1.0 FTE Management Analyst. Due to overlapping cooperative agreement periods, the National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Readiness Cooperative Agreements can fund the salaries and benefits of the positions for the entire Fiscal Year of 2025/2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is an increase in revenues and expenditures of $1,517,811. No matching funds are required for the USAR grant. Upon Council approval an increase in revenue and an appropriation of expenditures in the amount of the grant award will be recorded to Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, USAR 2025 revenue account 9185700-331100 and expenditure account 9185700-440110.
Prepared by: Michael Staley, Division Chief
Approved by: Steve McKinster, Fire Chief
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Assistant Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer Approved by: Edward Enriquez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Rebecca McKee-Rembold, City Attorney FY 2024 Urban Search & Rescue ● Page 3