San Luis Obispo City Council
August 18, 2026

City Council
AGENDA

Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 5:30 p.m.

Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
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Telephone: Call 1 669 254 5252 and enter the Meeting’s ID # 165 721 9674 to join by telephone audio only.

Public Comment during the meeting:

In person public comment:

Fill out a speaker card and give it to the City Clerk.

Online public comment:

Use the Zoom “raise your hand” button or telephone call in press *9 on your telephone (*6 to unmute/mute) when the comment period on your item of interest begins. You will be notified when you’ve been unmuted and it’s your turn to speak.:

Public Comment prior to the meeting (must be received 3 hours before the start of the meeting.

Correspondence received before the meeting will not be read aloud during the meeting):

Email - Submit to [email protected]. In the subject line, please include the date of the meeting and the item number (if applicable).

Mail - Address letters to the City Clerk's Office at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, 93401.

Voicemail - Call (805) 781-7164 and leave a voicemail. Please state and spell your name, the agenda item number, and leave your comment.
*All correspondence will be publicly archived and distributed to councilmembers; however, submissions received after the deadline may not be processed until the following day.

Pages

1. CLOSED SESSION (4:30 pm START)
Please click the link below to join the Closed Session for Public Comment https://slocity.zoomgov.com/j/1653185651
Or call +1 669 254 5252 Webinar ID: 165 318 5651

1.a CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Erica A. Stewart will call the Closed Session of the San Luis Obispo City Council to order.

1.b PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS ONLY
Public Comment will only be accepted for items listed on the Closed Session agenda.

1.c CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL—EXISTING LITIGATION
Pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of California Government Code Section 54956.9.

Name of case: Paso Robles Tank, Inc. v. City of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo Superior Court Case No. 26CVP-0297

1.d CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS
Pursuant to Government Code § 54957.6
Agency Negotiators:

Nickole Domini, Christine Dietrick, Whitney McDonald
Represented Employee
Organizations:

San Luis Obispo City Employees’ Association (SLOCEA)
San Luis Obispo Police Officers’ Association (POA)
San Luis Obispo Police Staff Officers’ Association (SLOPSOA) International Association of Firefighters, Local 3523
Unrepresented Employees:

Unrepresented Management Employees
Unrepresented Confidential Employees

1.e ADJOURNMENT
The Council will hold a Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Council in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.

2. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Erica A. Stewart will call the Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo City Council to order.

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Vice Mayor Emily Francis will lead the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance.

4. PRESENTATIONS

4.a CITY MANAGER REPORT
Receive a brief report from City Manager Whitney McDonald.

5. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
The Council welcomes your input. State law does not allow the Council to discuss or take action on issues not on the agenda, except that members of the Council or staff may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed by persons exercising their public testimony rights (Gov. Code sec. 54954.2). Staff may be asked to follow up on such items.

6. CONSENT AGENDA
Not to exceed 15 minutes. Matters appearing on the Consent Calendar are expected to be non-controversial and will be acted upon at one time. A member of the public may request the Council to pull an item for discussion. Pulled items shall be heard at the close of the Consent Agenda unless a majority of the Council chooses another time. The public may comment on any and all items on the Consent Agenda within the three-minute time limit.

Recommendation:

To approve Consent Calendar Items 6a to 6g.

6.a WAIVE READING IN FULL OF ALL RESOLUTIONS AND

ORDINANCES
Recommendation:

Waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances as appropriate.

6.b MINUTES REVIEW - AUGUST 4, 2026 COUNCIL MINUTES 13
Recommendation:

Approve the minutes of the City Council meeting held on August 4, 2026.

6.c ACCEPTANCE OF STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY GRANT

FUNDS FOR THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO OPEN SPACE

WILDFIRE RESILIENCE PROJECT
21 Recommendation:

Adopt a draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Approving Acceptance of Grant Funds from the State Coastal
Conservancy for the ‘City of San Luis Obispo Open Space Wildfire Resilience Project’”; and

1. Authorize the Mayor to sign the Resolution supporting the partnership between the City of San Luis Obispo and the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) and delegating authority to the City Manager to accept the grant funds and sign the grant agreement and any other necessary instruments to carry out the terms of the grant; and

2. Appropriate up to $770,000 in grant funds and authorize the Finance Director to amend the budget accordingly.

3. 6.d AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

WITH FRIENDS OF LA LOMA ADOBE
31 Recommendation:

Authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 to Memorandum of Understanding with the Friends of La Loma Adobe in a final form satisfactory to the City Attorney.

6.e AUTHORIZE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AND

ACCEPT GRANT FUNDS IF AWARDED
47 Recommendation:

Authorize retroactively the Fire Department to apply for and accept the award, if awarded, from Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant in the amount of
$3,600,006.67 for firefighter staffing costs; and

1. Authorize retroactively the Fire Department to apply for and accept the award, if awarded, from FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant in the amount of $33,155 for the purchase of investigations equipment; and

2. Authorize retroactively the Fire Department to apply for and accept the award, if awarded, from CALFIRE in the amount of $720,590 for expansion of the wildfire resilience education project; and

3. Authorize the City Manager, or their designee, to execute the grant documents and approve the budget changes necessary to appropriate the grant amount upon acceptance of the grant award, if awarded.

4. 6.f FY 2026-27 ALCOHOL BEVERAGE CONTROL - OFFICE OF TRAFFIC

SAFETY GRANT APPLICATION
151
Recommendation:

Authorize staff to submit a grant application to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, sponsored by the Office of Traffic Safety, in an amount not to exceed $25,000.

1. Adopt a draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, authorizing a grant application for funding provided through the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control-Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to increase education and enforcement programs focusing on underage drinking and authorizing the City Manager or Designee to execute all related grant documents”.

2. If the grant is awarded, authorize the City Manager, or the Chief of Police, to execute grant related documents and authorize the Finance Director to make the necessary budget adjustments upon the award of the grant.

3. 6.g RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT NOMINATION OF FIVE CENSUS

TRACTS TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR DESIGNATION IN
THE FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONE 2.0 PROGRAM
157
Recommendation:

Adopt a draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Supporting the Nomination of Eligible Census Tracts Within the City for Designation Under the Federal Opportunity Zone 2.0 Program.”

7. PUBLIC HEARING AND BUSINESS ITEMS

7.a APPROVAL OF PARTICIPATION IN THE NACIMIENTO WATER
PROJECT 2026 REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS
167
Recommendation:

Adopt a draft Resolution titled “Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, in Connection with the Refunding of the 2015 Nacimiento Water Project Revenue
Refunding Bonds, Approving Certain Disclosures Regarding the City and Authorizing Certain Actions in Connection with Such Refunding”, and;

1. Approve certain disclosures regarding the City of San Luis Obispo, describing certain demographic, financial, statistical and other information of the City of San Luis Obispo to be included in Appendix A to the Preliminary Official Statement and the Official Statement that will be used by the Underwriter in the marketing and sale of the SLO County Financing
Authority (County of San Luis Obispo, California) Nacimiento Water Project Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2026 Series A (the “2026 Revenue Refunding Bonds”); and

2. Authorize the refunding of the SLO County Financing Authority Nacimiento Water Project Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2015
Series A; and

3. Approve the execution and delivery of a Continuing Disclosure Agreement; and

4. Authorize the taking of all necessary actions in connection with such issuance of 2026 Revenue Refunding Bonds.

5. 7.b INTRODUCE AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE MOBILE HOME
PARK RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE, SLOMC CHAPTER 5.44
319
Recommendation:

Introduce a draft Ordinance Amendment entitled, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Amending Chapter 5.44, Mobile Home Park Rent Stabilization Ordinance, to apply restrictions on space rent increase upon transfer (5.44.060(C)) to certain existing long-term leases and to require park owners/operators to provide notice to tenants. (5.44.143)”

8. LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Not to exceed 15 minutes. Council Members report on subcommittee assignments, listed below, and other City activities. At this time, any Council Member or the City Manager may ask a question for clarification, make an announcement, or report briefly on their activities. In addition, subject to Council Policies and Procedures, they may provide a reference to staff or other resources for factual information, request staff to report back to the Council at a subsequent meeting concerning any matter or take action to direct staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda. (Gov. Code Sec. 54954.2) Mayor
Stewart
Vice Mayor
Francis
Council Member
Boswell
Council Member
Marx
Council Member
Shoresman
SLO Council of
Governments
Airport Land Use Community
Action
Partnership
Air Pollution
Control District
CP Campus
Planning
Committee
Regional
Economic Action
Coalition
Nacimiento Water
Project
SLO Climate
Coalition
County Water
Resources
Advisory
Committee
Downtown
Association
Board
CA Men’s
Colony Advisory
Committee
Zone 9 Advisory
Committee
Local Agency
Formation
Commission
Homeless
Services
Oversight
Committee
Performing Arts
Center
Commission
Integrated Waste
Management
Authority
SLO Regional
Transit Authority
Visit SLO
County Advisory
Committee
Central Coast
Clean Energy

9. ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular Meeting of the City Council will be held on September 1, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.

LISTENING ASSISTIVE DEVICES for the hearing impaired - see the Clerk.

The City of San Luis Obispo wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible to the public. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting should direct such request to the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7114 at least 48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805) 781-7410.

City Council meetings are televised live on Charter Channel 20 and the City's YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/CityofSanLuisObispo. Agenda related writings or documents provided to the City Council are available for public inspection in the City Clerk’s Office located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California during normal business hours, and on the City’s website https://www.slocity.org/government/mayor-and-city-council/agendas-andminutes. Persons with questions concerning any agenda item may call the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7114.

1 Council Minutes
August 4, 2026, 5:30 p.m.

Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
Council Members

Present:

Council Member Mike Boswell, Council Member Jan Marx,
Council Member Michelle Shoresman, Vice Mayor Emily
Francis, Mayor Erica A. Stewart
City Staff Present: City Manager Whitney McDonald, Christine Dietrick, City Attorney, Teresa Purrington, City Clerk
_____________________________________________________________________ Vice Mayor Francis requested to attend the meeting virtually due to being out of the area due to an illness in her family. She indicated that there was no one in the room with her over the age of 18 years old.

1. CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo City Council was called to order on August 4, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, by Mayor Stewart.

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Stewart led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance.

3. PRESENTATIONS

3.a CITY MANAGER REPORT
City Manager Whitney McDonald provided a report on upcoming projects.

4. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:

Shawn Harris
Louise Justice
Sharon Roberts
--End of Public Comment--

5. CONSENT AGENDA

2 Public Comment:

None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By Council Member Shoresman
Second By Council Member Boswell
To approve Consent Calendar Items 5a to 5h.

Ayes (5): Council Member Boswell, Council Member Marx, Council Member Shoresman, Vice Mayor Francis, and Mayor Stewart
CARRIED (5 to 0)

5.a WAIVE READING IN FULL OF ALL RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES Waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances as appropriate.

5.b MINUTES REVIEW - JULY 13, 2026 SPECIAL MEETING AND JULY 21, 2026 REGULAR MEETING COUNCIL MINUTES
Approve the minutes of the City Council meeting held on July 13, 2026 and July 21, 2026.

5.c COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CENTERS GRANT APPLICATION
Adopt Resolution No. 11669 (2026 Series) entitled, "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, approving the application for grant funds under the California Strategic Growth Council Community Resilience Centers Program" to authorize staff to apply for a Planning Grant in an amount not to exceed $500,000.

5.d AUTHORIZE DISBURSEMENT OF PROHOUSING INCENTIVE

PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
FUND
Adopt Resolution BNo. 11670 (2026 Series) entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, authorizing the disbursement of Prohousing Incentive Program Grant Funds from the Affordable Housing Fund” including the changes recommended in the Staff Agenda Correspondence.

5.e APPROVE A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027 AND 2027-2028 FOR CALRECYCLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER

RECYCLING GRANT PROGRAM

3 Adopt Resolution No. 11671 (2026 Series) entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, authorizing submittal of an Individual Grant Application for the CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Grant Program (FY 2026-27 and 2027-28).”

5.f AUTHORIZE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE A PURCHASE

ORDER FOR A TRACTOR-DRAWN AERIAL APPARATUS

1. Issue a purchase order (PO) in the amount of $2,637,438.34 to South Coast Fire Equipment for a sole source purchase of a Type 1 Tractor Drawn Aerial Apparatus (TDA): and

2. Authorize the City Manager to execute the purchase documents; and,

3. Appropriate $1,000,000 from the Capital Projects Reserve Fund to support the replacement of Fire Truck 1; and,

4. Adopt Resolution No. 11672 (2026 Series) entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Authorizing Appropriation of $1,000,000 from the Capital Reserve to support the Replacement of Fire Truck 1

5.h AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD SILT REMOVAL PROJECT 2026,
SPECIFICATION 2000198

1. Approve the project plans and special provisions for the Silt Removal 2026 project, Specification 2000198-04;and,

2. Award a construction contract to Andrew Brown General Engineering Inc. in the amount of $218,897 for the Silt Removal 2026 project, Specification 2000198-04; and,

3. Authorize the City Engineer to issue Contract Change Orders up to the available project budget (Account 2000198), and up to any amended budget subsequently approved by the City Manager per City Purchasing Policy approval thresholds; and

4. Find this action consistent with the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/R), dated October 9, 2003, as certified by City Council through Resolution No. 9494

4 5.g ADVISORY BODY APPOINTMENT FOR AN UNSCHEDULED VACANCY

ON THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
This item was been pulled at the request of the Council Liaisons and rescheduled to a date uncertain.

6. PUBLIC HEARING AND BUSINESS ITEMS

6.a INTRODUCE AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND TITLE 13, CHAPTER 13.12

OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH A NEW UNDERGROUND

UTILITY DISTRICT COMPRISING THE LIMITS OF THE PRADO

INTERCHANGE PROJECT AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON THE PRADO

ROAD INTERCHANGE PROJECT AND PRADO CREEK

4. Select an Aesthetic Theme for the Interchange Project:
a. “Figure 4 – Base Theme”; or
b. “Figure 5 – Mission Theme”; or
c. “Figure 6 – Modern Mission Theme”; and

5. Provide direction on gateway branding by either:
a. Including City branding lettering ("San Luis Obispo") to establish a regional gateway landmark; or
b. Advancing a more heavily landscaped area instead of City branding.

The Council provided the following consensus direction to be forwarded to the Architectural Review Commission for their review:
 Base theme is preferred with San Luis Obispo all on one line incorporate some of the elements of Modern Mission theme overpass bridge design (seven sisters on the fence or bridge and tower element without Prado on it) onto base theme overpass bridge.

Motion By Council Member Marx
Second By Council Member Shoresman

1. To introduce Ordinance No. 1758 (2026 Series) entitled, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, amending Section 13.12.040 of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code to Establish a New Underground Utility District 17.” Ayes (5): Council Member Boswell, Council Member Marx, Council Member Shoresman, Vice Mayor Francis, and Mayor Stewart

5 CARRIED (5 to 0)
Motion By Council Member Shoresman
Second By Council Member Boswell

6. To direct staff to evaluate a future Class I shared-use path along Elks Lane during the next update to the City's Active Transportation Plan and, where feasible, acquire the necessary right-of-way in conjunction with the Prado Road Interchange Project to preserve the opportunity for future implementation; and

7. To receive and file the Preliminary Value Analysis Study for the Prado Creek Bridge and approve Value Analysis implementing design alternatives 1.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 and not implementing design alternatives 2.0 and 7.0; and

8. Authorize the Finance Director to make the following budget revisions:
a. Decrease the project’s appropriation of Federal Earmark grant funds from $4.130 million to $2.065 million to resolve an accounting duplication; and
b. Decrease the projects appropriation of Federal Highway Bridge funds from $6.0 million to $0 to more appropriately align the funds with the anticipated reception timeframe; and

9. Adopt Resolution No 11673 (2026 Series) entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Authorizing Budget Adjustments for the Prado Creek Bridge Replacement Project.” Ayes (5): Council Member Boswell, Council Member Marx, Council Member Shoresman, Vice Mayor Francis, and Mayor Stewart CARRIED (5 to 0)
Motion By Council Member Marx
Second By Council Member Shoresman

2. To receive and file the Final Value Analysis, Draft Bridge Type Selection and Wall Type Selection Reports which provides the technical basis for the Supplemental Project Report and final design development ; and

3. Authorize the Assistant City Manager to approve and execute the final Caltrans Supplemental Project Report (SPR) upon completion of the remaining technical appendices, provided no substantive changes are

6 made to the project scope, purpose, or core recommendations with a Memo to return to Council providing a list of all changes.

Ayes (5): Council Member Boswell, Council Member Marx, Council Member Shoresman, Vice Mayor Francis, and Mayor Stewart CARRIED (5 to 0)
Motion By Council Member Shoresman
Second By Vice Mayor Francis

10. To adopt Resolution No. 11674 (2026 Series) entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Authorizing Submittal of Grant Applications for the Prado Road Interchange Project and Prado Creek Bridge Replacement Project, and requiring Council Appropriation upon Grant Award.”
Ayes (5): Council Member Boswell, Council Member Marx, Council Member Shoresman, Vice Mayor Francis, and Mayor Stewart CARRIED (5 to 0)

7. LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Stewart
 Attended the Diablo Listening Session
 Attended the July 22 City/University Quarterly Meeting Vice Mayor Francis - None
Council Member Boswell
 Attended the July 22 City/University Quarterly Meeting  Attended the August 4 Downtown Parking and Access Meeting Council Member Marx
 Attended the Open Space Community Picnic on Terrace Hill Council Member Shoresman
 Attended the Open Space Community Picnic on Terrace Hill  Attended the Diablo Canyon Listening Session

8. ADJOURNMENT

7 The meeting was adjourned at 9:11 p.m. The next Regular City Council Meeting is scheduled for August 28, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.
_________________________
APPROVED BY COUNCIL: XX/XX/202X

Item 6c
Department: Administration
Cost Center: 1005
For Agenda of: 8/18/2026
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager
Prepared By: Robert Hill, Sustainability & Natural Resources Official SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY GRANT FUNDS

FOR THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO OPEN SPACE WILDFIRE

RESILIENCE PROJECT

RECOMMENDATION

1. Adopt a draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Approving Acceptance of Grant Funds from the State Coastal Conservancy for the ‘City of San Luis Obispo Open Space Wildfire Resilience Project’”; and

2. Authorize the Mayor to sign the Resolution supporting the partnership between the City of San Luis Obispo and the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) and delegating authority to the City Manager to accept the grant funds and sign the grant agreement and any other necessary instruments to carry out the terms of the grant; and

3. Appropriate up to $770,000 in grant funds and authorize the Finance Director to amend the budget accordingly.

POLICY CONTEXT
The following policy objectives support the recommended action:

1. Conservation and Open Space Element

8.5.4. Fire prevention activities. Except in an emergency, fire prevention activities such as fuel clearance or thinning, grading, prescribed burns or other activities shall be conducted pursuant to an approved Conservation Plan, and under the supervision of the Natural Resources Manager and Fire Marshal. Habitat preservation shall be given equal priority with fire prevention.

2. Climate Adaptation and Safety Element
Policy FI-5.1: Reduce Wildfire Risk. The City shall reduce the risk of wildfires in city open spaces and in the wildland urban interface through timely implementation of the City’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the Vegetation Management Plan (VMP).

Program FI-5.13: Implement the Vegetation Management Plan. Continue to implement the City’s Vegetation Management Plan, conducting fuel reduction projects at

Item 6c
the 12 large open space lands included in the plan, using vegetation management techniques appropriate for each open space including manual vegetation removal; tree removal; mechanical treatment, prescribed burning, livestock grazing, and chemical treatment. Update the Vegetation Management Plan, as needed, to incorporate regulations regarding new best practices, and new funding opportunities for vegetation management projects. Work with private property owners and San Luis Obispo County to review and conduct vegetation management to ensure dead trees and vegetation are reduced to prevent fire from spreading to adjacent lands.

3. 2025-27 Financial Plan, Major City Goal for Open Space, Climate Action, and Resilience
Work Program 2c. Treat at least 25 acres of vegetative fuels in high-risk areas of City creeks and Open Space.

DISCUSSION
Background
The City of San Luis Obispo has been successful in acquiring and protecting over 4,000 acres of open space that is owned and managed by the City. Working with partners and securing grant funding to leverage General Fund dollars, the City is now the steward of a significant amount of land for habitat and sensitive species conservation and protection.

With the property acquired over the years comes the need for protective management as some of the open space properties form the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), defined as where natural open space meets the built environment.

For each of the open space properties acquired by the City, a Conservation Plan is prepared with different required elements, as identified in the Conservation Guidelines for Open Space Lands of the City of San Luis Obispo. Wildfire preparedness is a required element of the conservation plans that have been developed for each open space; however, these plans are high level and do not provide more detailed site-specific tactics for management of vegetation present in each open space.

Following the City’s successful grant award that is providing resources for preparation of the Vegetation Management Plan for City-owned open space properties, staff subsequently also applied for implementation funding under the State Coastal Conservancy’s Wildfire Resiliency Program. Although the Vegetation Management Plan is not yet complete (anticipated in winter 2026-27) staff prepared a grant proposal around known priority actions that can be accomplished in the near-term. Authority to submit this grant application was provided by City Council as part of its approval of the Climate Action Plan Work Program for 2023-27. The State Coastal Conservancy approved the subject grant award on June 18, 2026.

With climate change, increased wind events and prolonged drought requires more attention to the vegetation in City open space and creeks to ensure a diligent and safe approach to fuels management and defensible space requirements. With the adoption of

Item 6c
the Climate Adaptation and Safety Element (2023) and in support of the Conservation and Open Space Element (2006) policy sections listed above, the funding awarded from the State Coastal Conservancy provides for physical implementation of wildfire resiliency projects. Site-specific actions, monitoring, and tracking of vegetation management efforts will occur at Bowden Ranch Open Space, Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve, and Irish Hills Natural Reserve. These sites were prioritized based on Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps recently put forth from Cal Fire and adopted by the City. All three City open space properties contain areas of Very High Fire Hazard Severity proximate to neighborhoods and other assets at risk and are geographically situated to address potential fire events driven by both on-shore and off-shore wind events.

Implementation work is generally completed using California Conservation Corps crews, City Open Space Technicians, and staff in Ranger Service for smaller vegetation management projects based on capacity and availability. The grant funding from the State Coastal Conservancy, through its Wildfire Resilience Program, will allow staff to work with other contractors and vendors to increase the speed and scale of what staff can accomplish alone. Existing resources will continue to be used to implement projects identified in the updated Vegetation Management Plan and staff will continue to work with partners and other organizations to request additional grant funding and to build capacity as needed.

Previous Council Action
Prior City Council actions pertaining to wildfire management and preparedness include the Conservation Guidelines for Open Space Lands of the City of San Luis Obispo (2002), the Conservation and Open Space Element (2006), the Open Space Maintenance Plan 2015), which included the City of San Luis Obispo Vegetation Management Plan: The Wildland-Urban Interface as a technical appendix, and the Climate Adaptation and Safety Element (2023). Other pertinent actions have included adoption of various propertyspecific open space conservation plans, and periodic updates to the Community Wildlife Protection Plan and Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

On May 6, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 11560 (2025 Series) authorizing the acceptance of grant funds from the State Coastal Conservancy for the City of San Luis Obispo’s Vegetation Management Plan.

Public Engagement
As part of the grant scope of work for the previously funded Vegetation Management Plan process, informational sessions and community workshops and currently being conducted in accordance with the Public Engagement and Noticing (PEN) Manual in the neighborhoods where City Open Space forms the WUI border to what activities are to be performed on the City open space property to reduce the risk of wildfire. The most recent Community Workshop took place on July 22, 2026.

Item 6c

CONCURRENCE
The Fire Department and Parks and Recreation Department concur with the recommendations in this report.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City recently completed registration with the State of California pursuant to the Governor’s executive order and its California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Suspension process for projects that reduce the risk of wildfire (Secretarial Suspension Authorization, Project ID: 3c76408c-c831-40e7-85e6-8283a118f7b9, “City of San Luis Obispo Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Wildfire Prevention Project”). This approval specifically covers invasive species treatment actions in the locations identified under the proposed scope of work. Project activities will need to comply with the Statewide Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) following submittal of a Notice of Commencement specifying the date and location where activities will actually take place.

FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: FY 2026-27
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:

Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund $110,000 $ $ $
State $770,000
Federal
Fees
Other:

Total $880,000 $ $ $
The City’s grant award from the State Coastal Conservancy was approved by its Board of Directors on June 18, 2026. The City also has ongoing funding budgeted in the total amount of $110,000 that can be used attendant to Wildfire Resilience projects as follows:
$20,000 for goats and sheep contractor, $20,000 for hazardous trees, $20,000 for invasive species treatments, and $50,000 for open space fencing. Because the grant funding will be paid on a reimbursable basis, a new project account may be needed to accommodate timely payments to vendors before grant funds are received. Staff from the Office of Sustainability & Natural Resources, Ranger Service, and the Fire Department will support project implementation as part of the City’s Vegetation Management Team.

Item 6c

ALTERNATIVES

1. Council could request additional information or request changes to the draft Resolution required by SCC. It is unlikely however, that SCC is willing to entertain substantive changes to its standard, template form of Resolution.

2. Council could decide not to approve adopting the draft Resolution and entering into a grant agreement with SCC. This would require alternative planning to identify another funding approach for vegetation management in City Open Space and creek areas. It should also be noted that this is an opportunity for site-specific vegetation treatment projects that are “shovel ready” on City owned and managed lands.

ATTACHMENTS
A - Draft Resolution accepting Grant Funds from the State Coastal Conservancy B - State Coastal Conservancy Typical Grant Agreement Terms

Resolution No. (2026 Series) Page 2
RESOLUTION NO. (2026 SERIES)

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS

OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT
FUNDS FROM THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY FOR THE "CITY

OF SAN LUIS OBISPO OPEN SPACE WILDFIRE RESILIENCY
PROJECT"
WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of California has established the State Coastal Conservancy ("Conservancy") under Division 21 of the California Public Resources Code, and has authorized the Conservancy to award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations to implement the provisions of Division 21; and WHEREAS, the Conservancy awards grants for projects that it determines are consistent with Division 21 of the Public Resources Code and with the Conservancy's Strategic Plan and that best achieve the Conservancy's statutory objectives, in light of limited funding; and
WHEREAS, at its June 18, 2026 meeting, the Conservancy adopted a resolution authorizing a grant to The City of San Luis Obispo ("grantee") for The City of San Luis Obispo Vegetation Management Project ("the project"). The resolution was adopted by the Conservancy pursuant to and is included in the Conservancy June 18, 2026 staff recommendation, a copy of which is on file with the grantee and with the Conservancy, as also noted in the Council Agenda Report; and
WHEREAS, the Conservancy requires that the governing body of the grantee certify through a resolution that it approves the award of Conservancy grant funding and designates a representative to negotiate and execute a Grant Agreement with the Conservancy.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, in its capacity as grantee, hereby:

1. Approves the award of grant funding in the amount of $770,000 from the Conservancy for the project, as further described in the Grant Agreement.

2. Acknowledges that it has or will have sufficient funds to complete the project, including $770,000 awarded by the Conservancy and, if any property is acquired as part of the project to operate and maintain the property, and, if any facilities are constructed as a part of the project, to operate and maintain the facilities for a reasonable period, not less than the useful life of the facilities.

3. Agrees to be bound by all terms and conditions of the grant agreement and any other agreement or instrument as may be required by the Conservancy and as may be necessary to fulfill the terms of the grant agreement and to complete the project.

Resolution No. (2026 Series) Page 2

4. Authorizes the City Manager to negotiate and execute on behalf of the grantee all agreements and instruments necessary to complete the project, and the Sustainability and Natural Resources Official and City Biologist to act as a representative of the grantee, to carry out and comply with the Conservancy's grant requirements and scope of work, including, without limitation, the terms of the grant agreement:

Whitney McDonald, City Manager
Robert Hill, Sustainability & Natural Resources Official Freddy Otte, City Biologist
Upon motion of Council Member , seconded by Council Member , and on the following roll call vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

The foregoing resolution was adopted this day of 2026.

ATTEST: Erica A. Stewart, Mayor
Teresa Purrington City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________
J. Christine Dietrick
City Attorney
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, on
Teresa Purrington City Clerk

( (I)� State of California
"11,i; Coastal Conservancy
Typical Grant Agreement Terms
Once the Conservancy has approved a grant at a public meeting, Conservancy staff will prepare a grant agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the grant. The grantee must sign the grant agreement and comply with all of its conditions in order to receive funds. The grant agreement describes requirements in greater detail and will be the controlling document. Close review of and compliance with the grant agreement is essential and is the grantee's responsibility. • The Conservancy usually limits overhead to 20%.
• Expenses incurred before the grant agreement with the Conservancy is executed cannot be billed to the grant.
• All Conservancy grantees should expect to be audited by the State of California. It is the grantee's responsibility to maintain all necessary records to substantiate and document all payments made pursuant to a Conservancy grant. If a grantee cannot provide adequate records when they are audited, they may be required to repay grant funds. • The Conservancy reimburses grantees for expenses after they are incurred. This means the grantee will have to cover the costs of the project between the time the expenses are incurred and they get paid by the Conservancy.
• Grantees are typically responsible for operation, maintenance and monitoring of completed projects for 20 years.
• For grants to nonprofit organizations to construct improvements, the Conservancy will require a recorded agreement between the nonprofit, the Conservancy, and landowner if the property is not owned by the nonprofit, to protect the public interest in the project. • Federal tribes will be asked to sign a limited waiver of sovereign immunity when entering into a grant agreement with the Conservancy.
• Grantees are typically required to maintain general liability, automobile, and other forms of insurance during the term of the grant agreement.
• Grantees may be required to pay prevailing wages for their project in compliance with the Labor Code. General information on prevailing wage requirements can be provided upon request. • For wetland and watershed restoration and protection projects, applicants will be required to conduct a baseline report utilizing the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) within the year prior to project construction, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing by the Conservancy and the grantee (http://www.cramwetlands.org/). Applicants will also be required to provide a plan for Completion of Post-Construction CRAM Assessment, including a budget and time line for the collection of at least one CRAM assessment following construction of the project and prior to the completion date of the grant agreement in order to document the change in wetland condition at the project site. Costs associated with CRAM assessment should be included in the proposed project budget.

Item 6d
Department: Administration
Cost Center: 1005
For Agenda of: 8/18/2026
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager
Prepared By: Robert Hill, Sustainability & Natural Resources Official SUBJECT: AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH

FRIENDS OF LA LOMA ADOBE

RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 to Memorandum of Understanding with the Friends of La Loma Adobe in a final form satisfactory to the City Attorney (Attachment A).

POLICY CONTEXT
In 1998, the City Council approved a Community Partnership and Foundation Policy that provided guidelines by which the City would support the activities of non-profit, public benefit organizations in the community (Resolution No. 8862 (1998 Series)). The City of San Luis Obispo currently has numerous community partnerships with organizations advancing the arts, culture, history, and the environment.

DISCUSSION
Background
La Loma Adobe is a two-story structure located at 1590 Lizzie Street. The exact date of original construction is unknown. It is particularly rare as a two-story adobe residence in the City and one of only a few such adobes remaining in the State. Consequently, it has significant architectural and historical value.

The property was deeded to the City in 1995 by the Bowden family and the City purchased additional land to the east of the house which preserved the site and grounds associated with the adobe. The structure has been vacant for over fifty years. The first structural stabilization efforts were completed in 2011, and basic maintenance and security continues today, but these approaches are insufficient to preserve the adobe in the long term.

Through a partnership with the Friends of La Loma Adobe (FLLA) that was approved in 2017, significant efforts have been undertaken to re-establish the historic landscape and grounds, undertake community awareness and events, gain a keener understanding of

Item 6d
the adobe and its historicism through a Historic Resources Evaluation (Applied Earthworks, 2021), and identification of rehabilitation measures for the adobe consistent with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (National Park Service, 36 CFR 68, 1995) through a Historic Structures Report (Architectural Resources Group, 2023).

Previous Council Action
In 2013, the City Council adopted the Reservoir Canyon Natural Reserve Conservation Plan, which included La Loma Adobe within the boundary of the Reserve due to the relationship between the structure, a naturally occurring perennial spring water source, and the surrounding landscape.

In 2017, the City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and FLLA (the “2017 MOU”) that established a formal relationship and set forth a framework for partnering to further evaluate the historic significance of the adobe, identify an appropriate preservation strategy, and engage with the neighborhood and community (Attachment B).

The 2023-25 Financial Plan’s Major City Goal for Economic Resiliency, Cultural Vitality & Fiscal Sustainability specifically identified funding and support for the La Loma Adobe; see Strategic Approach # 1.4f.: “Continue to support preservation of the City’s adobes, including work on the La Loma Adobe through a phased approach intended to ensure that the structure is ready for active stabilization efforts by 2025.” On February 6, 2024, the City Council approved a Grant Agreement with the Friends of La Loma Adobe that provides for the disbursement of up to $100,000 and details a scope of work that entails plans and engineering for structural stabilization, as well as plans for historic feature treatment, visitor access, phasing of project priorities, and cost estimating.

On July 15, 2025, the City Council approved Amendment No. 1 to the Grant Agreement, which extended the current term of that agreement until June 30, 2027, while noting that FLLA had completed the scope of work tasks in part through pro bono contributions, thereby preserving grant funds for future stabilization efforts.

The 2025-27 Financial Plan’s Major City Goal for Open Space, Climate Action, and Resilience directs continued effort in furtherance of the overall project; see work plan item 4e.: “In partnership with Friends of La Loma Adobe, complete boundary adjustment, initiate structural stabilization of the adobe, and complete trailhead connection as part of the Reservoir Canyon Natural Reserve.”
Current Status
The Friends of La Loma Adobe continue to make forward progress with physical implementation work proposed to occur in the next year. Stabilization of the east wall has already been installed. The City and FLLA, working together, are also making positive advancement towards resolving the lot line / boundary matter, and staff anticipate approaching Council for direction on next steps by the end of the calendar year.

Item 6d
Amendment No. 1 to Memorandum of Understanding
Following regular project update conversations with FLLA, staff have determined that an amendment to the 2017 MOU is warranted and appropriate at this time in order for physical stabilization efforts to move forward to the next phase of work. As noted in the draft Amendment No. 1 to Memorandum of Understanding (“Amendment No. 1”), the 2017 MOU specifically anticipated that the “schedule for restoration, maintenance, and repair shall be divided into stages. The first shall consist of grounds restoration and a preliminary evaluation of rehabilitation of the Adobe. Additional stages may include exterior and interior restoration, but would be subject to subsequent agreements.” [emphasis added]
Further, the 2017 MOU enumerated work program tasks and milestones under the subsection “Stage I Grounds Restoration and Preliminary Evaluation.” Each of these tasks have been satisfactorily addressed or completed, including: ongoing reporting, fundraising, and community awareness; the incorporation of the Adobe and Property into the Reservoir Canyon Natural Reserve; the procurement of a Historic Resource Evaluation (Applied Earthworks, 2021) and Historic Structures Report (Architectural Resources Group, 2023); preparation of construction plans, specifications, and engineering for structural stabilization of the Adobe; and, completion and approval of a building permit from the City for structural stabilization.

The draft Amendment No. 1, if approved, would allow FLLA to move forward with next phases of site work, structural stabilization, and rehabilitation in accordance with the approved building permit and construction plans, consistent with the Historic Structures Report (Architectural Resources Group, 2023). FLLA intends to utilize a general contractor and other construction specialists with experience working on adobe structures, as well as construction management service. The draft Amendment No. 1 requires insurance, prevailing wage compliance, and other protective measures. It does not, however, allow FLLA to move forward with subsequent phases that would activate the Adobe and grounds as an Interpretive Center or other public uses. That step is recommended to require an additional amendment to the 2017 MOU or separate lease agreement, as well as any other applicable permitting or review that may be required.

Public Engagement
The recommendations contained in this report are the result of the extensive community engagement process completed as part of the 2025 -27 Financial Plan, including the Community Forum, Goal Setting Workshop, and Financial Plan review City Council hearings, wherein ongoing work at La Loma Adobe is identified as a Major City Goal task.

Public comment on the item can be provided to the City Council through written correspondence prior to the meeting or through public testimony at the meeting.

CONCURRENCE
The Community Development Department has provided their concurrence as related to consistency with the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance.

Item 6d

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The draft Amendment No. 1 to Memorandum of Understanding does not constitute a Project, in and of itself, under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Section 15378. However, the compliance with the Historic Resources Evaluation and Historic Structures Report, described above, ensure that the physical stabilization and rehabilitation project is consistent with the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, the guidelines set forth by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The stabilization and rehabilitation project is therefore exempt from environmental review under the Class 31 exemption for historical resource restoration/rehabilitation (CEQA Guidelines §15331.) Should draft Amendment No. 1 be approved, a Notice of Exemption will be filed thereafter.

FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2026-27
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:

Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund $100,000 - $55,000 N/A
State
Federal
Fees
Other:

Total $100,000 - $55,000 N/A
Funding in the amount of $100,000 was identified in the 2023-25 Financial Plan to support key steps leading towards the rehabilitation of the La Loma Adobe. The City Council subsequently approved a Grant Agreement with FLLA and a purchase order was issued in the amount of $85,000. The remaining $15,000 was identified in the Grant Agreement for the City to hire a land surveyor to assist with the lot line / boundary matter, which has since occurred. FLLA reports that $55,000 is currently remaining and available for use during the 2026-27 timeframe for the next phase of work, if the recommended action of this Council Agenda Report is approved. The remaining City grant funds would be combined with approximately $32,000 from FLLA, for a total $87,000. The total funding is sufficient to implement Phase One and Phase Two activities, as shown at Exhibit A to Amendment No. 1. Please note that no “Current Funding Request” is shown in the budget table, above, because the total of the grant funds to FLLA were previously disbursed in one lump sum.

Item 6d

ALTERNATIVES
Council may request changes to the draft Amendment No. 1 to Memorandum of Understanding or decide not to approve the Amendment. A decision not to approve would be inconsistent with prior Council direction in the 2023-25 and 2025-27 Financial Plans. Should Council choose this option, staff would work with FLLA to identify alternative uses for the remaining grant funds.

ATTACHMENTS
A - Draft Amendment No. 1 to Memorandum of Understanding B - 2017 Memorandum of Understanding

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND FRIENDS OF LA LOMA ADOBE REGARDING THE LA LOMA ADOBE AND PROPERTY AT 1590 LIZZIE STREET THIS AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF

SAN LUIS OBISPO AND FRIENDS OF LA LOMA ADOBE REGARDING THE LA LOMA ADOBE AND PROPERTY AT 1590 LIZZIE STREET (“Amendment No. 1”) is made and entered in the City of San Luis Obispo on ______________________________by and between the CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, a municipal corporation, herein after referred to as City, and Friends of La Loma Adobe, a non-profit corporation, hereinafter referred to as FLLA.

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, on May 16, 2017, the City and FLLA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) regarding the La Loma Adobe (the “Adobe”) and surrounding grounds (the “Property”) that recognizes the mutual benefit of a partnership between the City and FLLA, provides for access and use of the Adobe and Property by FLLA, outlines the preliminary steps necessary to eventually restoring or rehabilitating the Adobe, including further assessment of the historical significance of the Adobe in accordance with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties; and
WHEREAS, the MOU anticipates that the “schedule for restoration, maintenance, and repair shall be divided into stages. The first shall consist of grounds restoration and a preliminary evaluation of rehabilitation of the Adobe.

Additional stages may include exterior and interior restoration, but would be subject to subsequent agreements.” The MOU specifically enumerates work program tasks and milestones under the sub-section “Stage I Grounds Restoration and Preliminary Evaluation” and, at this time, each of these tasks have been addressed or completed, including:
ongoing reporting, fundraising, and community awareness; the incorporation of the Adobe and Property into the Reservoir Canyon Natural Reserve; the procurement of a Historic Resource Evaluation (Applied Earthworks, 2021) and Historic Structures Report (Architectural Resources Group, 2023); preparation of construction plans, specifications, and engineering for structural stabilization of the Adobe; and, completion and approval of a building permit from the City for structural stabilization; and
WHEREAS, on March 3, 2024, the City entered into a Grant Agreement with FLLA for planning, engineering, and structural stabilization of the historic La Loma Adobe, among other tasks outlined in a Scope of Work, and on July 17, 2025, the City and FLLA entered into Amendment No. 1 to Grant Agreement (collectively the “Grant Agreement”) to extent the term to June 30, 2027 while acknowledging FLLA responsibly completing the tasks described in the Scope of Work, including pro bono efforts, thereby preserving available funding for subsequent implementation of physical structural stabilization tasks; and

WHEREAS, with the initial “Stage I Ground Restoration and Preliminary Evaluation” and Grant Agreement Scope of Works tasks now completed or otherwise resolved, both City and FLLA now desire to enter into a subsequent agreement, as anticipated by the MOU, to set forth the next phase of work to include structural stabilization and exterior and interior restoration efforts that can begin to be completed directly by FLLA with existing funding onhand; and WHEREAS, the Parties acknowledge and agree that the MOU required, as a condition precedent to use of the Adobe as an Interpretive Center, that the lot configuration of the property be modified to expressly allow for the use of the Adobe encroaching onto the adjacent property as an Interpretive Center. The Parties further acknowledge and agree that, at the time of this Amendment No. 1, this condition has not been satisfied.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, obligations and covenants hereinafter contained, the parties agree that the MOU is hereby amended as follows:

1. Paragraph 4, Use of the Property, shall include a new sub-section, “Stage II Structural Stabilization and Exterior and Interior Restoration”:
a. FLLA, in accordance with the approved building permit and construction plans, and consistent with the Historic Structures Report (Architectural Resources Group, 2023), may commence with implementation of structural stabilization and exterior and interior restoration tasks.
b. FLLA may utilize a general contractor or other construction specialists with experience working on adobe structures, as well as construction management services, using FLLA’s procurement and / or bidding procedures. FLLA shall be responsible for ensuring prevailing wage compliance. FLLA shall require that the selected contractor(s), specialist(s), or other provider(s) comply with all City insurance requirements applicable to the services provided. c. City shall maintain its full discretion as the property owner, as well as its land use, zoning, and building code authorities.
d. FLLA shall continue to submit annual progress reports to the City Council. e. FLLA and City staff shall maintain regular communication, including at least quarterly meetings.

2. The Stage II Scope of Work is shown as Exhibit A. It is anticipated that Stage II will be followed by subsequent stages subject to future agreements and available funding, including final uses and operations for the Adobe and Property.

3. Nothing in this Amendment shall be construed as authorizing FLLA to use the property as an Interpretive Center as described in the MOU, or similar uses, unless and until the conditions precedent thereto have been satisfied.

4. Nothing in this Amendment shall be construed as providing, obligating, or promising any additional grant funds, future grant funding, or other financial assistance from the City.

5. All other terms and conditions of the MOU remain in full force and effect.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed the day and year first written above.

CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
By: ____________________________________
Mayor
By:_____________________________________
City Attorney
By:_____________________________________
City Clerk

FRIENDS OF LA LOMA ADOBE
By: _____________________________________
President

EXHIBIT A

Item 6e
Department: Fire
Cost Center: 8501
For Agenda of: 8/18/2026
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Randy Harris, Fire Chief
Prepared By: Nicole Vert, Business Analyst
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT

GRANT FUNDS IF AWARDED

RECOMMENDATION

1. Authorize retroactively the Fire Department to apply for and accept the award, if awarded, from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant in the amount of $3,600,006.67 for firefighter staffing costs (Attachment A); and

2. Authorize retroactively the Fire Department to apply for and accept the award, if awarded, from FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant in the amount of $33,155 (Attachment B) for the purchase of investigations equipment; and

3. Authorize retroactively the Fire Department to apply for and accept the award, if awarded, from CALFIRE in the amount of $720,590 for expansion of the wildfire resilience education project (Attachment C); and

4. Authorize the City Manager, or their designee, to execute the grant documents and approve the budget changes necessary to appropriate the grant amount upon acceptance of the grant award, if awarded.

POLICY CONTEXT
The City of San Luis Obispo’s Financial Management Manual, Section 740 - Grant Management Policy states that Council will approve all grant applications in excess of $5,000 and delegate receipt and contract execution to the City Manager.

DISCUSSION
State, federal, and non-profit grants are occasionally offered to assist local governments with the financial impacts associated with daily operations and/or mandated programs.

The Fire Department actively seeks out these opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of the Department while increasing fiscal sustainability for the City. Three recent grant opportunities were identified, which are in line with these goals and address current and future needs for the City.

Item 6e
FEMA Grants
Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) is a grant program within FEMA that focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The AFG program is the overarching FEMA grant program that includes three distinct grant opportunities: the Assistance to Firefighter’s grants (AFG), Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S), and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. All three fall within FEMA’s broader fire-service grant structure, they serve different purposes. AFG focuses on equipment, apparatus, PPE and training; SAFER funds firefighter staffing and recruitment/retention; and FP&S funds fire prevention, community risk reduction, and firefighter safety initiatives. The FY 2025 grant applications opened on May 19, 2026, and closed June 22, 2026. Due to the very short time frame within which a grant application needed to be prepared and submitted, staff were unable to obtain Council authorization to apply for the grant prior to the application deadline.

However, to preserve the ability to apply and potentially receive funds through this program, the Fire Department submitted an application and is now seeking confirmation from Council that application is authorized and that the award could be accepted, if awarded. If not approved, the application will be withdrawn and the award declined.

If authorized and awarded, the Fire department will work closely with the City Attorney’s office to assess the terms and conditions of these federal award(s) before acceptance.

FEMA SAFER
The SAFER Grant Program provides funding directly to fire departments to assist in increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate fire protection from fire and firerelated hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments.

Due to growth and extended response times to the southern end of the City, an agreement was made with the developers of Avila Ranch (through the 2015 Developer's Agreement) to build a temporary Fire Station in the development and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2028. This partnership ensures that fire protection and emergency response capabilities keep pace with the City’s expansion. The City’s responsibility for the station is to staff and equip the station. The SAFER grant application (Attachment A) seeks funding to assist with hiring nine additional firefighters that will staff the new station. While the opening of the station is nearly two years away, the grant application was submitted now because hiring must begin sooner to ensure readiness of the new hires in time for the opening of the new station. The grant request totals $3,600,006.67 for these additional firefighters over a three-year grant period. This amount includes salary, health insurance, taxes, retirement contributions, worker’s compensation costs, and uniform pay that the City will pay. The SAFER grant requires a match of 25% for the first two years and 65% for the third year with the intention of preparing the grant awardee for full responsibility of the firefighter costs at the close of the grant award period. The match will total $1,380,002.66 over the grant period allowing for offset of $2,220,004.27 for the forecasted cost of the new fire staff. The five-year budget forecasts presented to Council over the

Item 6e
past two years have included the full anticipated costs of staffing the fifth fire station, presuming the receipt of no grant funding. If awarded, the SAFER grant would substantially offset the initial cost of hiring additional firefighters, reducing the immediate fiscal impact on the General Fund.

FEMA FP&S
The Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant program provides critically needed resources to strengthen community fire prevention programs and enables scientific research on innovations that improve firefighter safety, health and well-being.

The Department submitted a FP&S grant application seeking $34,900 to upgrade and standardize its investigation equipment and personal protective equipment for investigation staff. The request is for six portable radios, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ensembles, a digital camera, two portable scene lighting systems, and associated support equipment such as battery chargers.

The Fire Department’s fire investigations unit is facing increasing investigative demands.

Fires investigated have risen from 136 in 2023 to 150 in 2025. Suspicious and arsonrelated fires increased from 17 incidents in 2023 to 27 incidents in 2025 and 37 incidents through the first half of 2026 alone. During the same period, lithium-ion battery-related fires emerged as a significant new hazard, rising from zero incidents in 2023 and 2024 to three in 2025 and ten in the first half of 2026. These incidents require extensive documentation, evidence preservation, scene safety measures, communications coordination, and prolonged investigative operations.

The department's fire investigations unit employs communications equipment that is over 15 years old, and new radios will have long, reliable battery lives and up to date software for increased reliability. The requested PPE includes helmets, coveralls and industry standard protective pants for each of the six members of the investigations team. The team relies on apparatus-mounted lighting systems for investigations, often requiring fire apparatus to remain committed to scenes after suppressions activities have concluded.

The requested portable lighting systems will allow the team to work independently and with increased precision. The digital camera will be professional-grade and have the ability to capture detailed photographs of fire patterns, evidence, and other scene conditions. These camera capabilities are essential for documenting fire origin and cause, supporting criminal investigations, preserving evidence, and creating accurate records that may be used for enforcement actions, court proceedings, training, and future preventions efforts. Upgrading and replacing the ageing equipment will improve operational readiness, scene documentation and communications interoperability.

CALFIRE Proposition 4 Climate Bond
In November of 2024, California voters approved the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, called Proposition 4 (Prop 4) to fund water, climate, wildfire, and natural resource projects across the state of California. Up to $70 million from Prop 4 funding is being allocated to CAL FIRE’s Wildfire

Item 6e
Prevention Grants Program. This grant program provides funding for wildfire prevention projects and activities in and near wildfire-threatened communities that focus on increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities. Funded activities include Hazardous Fuels Reduction, Wildfire Prevention Planning, and Wildfire Prevention Education with an emphasis on improving public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Department submitted a CAL FIRE Prop 4 grant application (Attachment C) seeking funding to strengthen the City’s wildfire resilience by increasing capacity, public awareness, and code compliance, in direct alignment with CAL FIRE’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) designations. Recognizing the growing wildfire risk within the City’s expanded Fire Hazard Severity Zones, the proposed grant-funded project adopts a comprehensive approach that integrates staff training, expanded assessment efforts, targeted public education, and rigorous evaluation to achieve lasting impact.

The department received a FEMA FP&S grant in Fall 2025 to begin a project that allowed the department to hire two field interns that have developed educational materials, performed community outreach and over 100 Detailed Home Assessments (DHA’s). This project includes a wildfire education program and DHA’s provide homeowners with personalized, parcel-specific recommendations based on each property's construction, surrounding vegetation, topography, and wildfire exposure. Homeowners receive practical, prioritized actions to reduce wildfire risk through home hardening improvements, along with estimated implementation costs, enabling them to focus on the measures that will provide the greatest reduction in structure ignition potential.

Proposition 4 funding will preserve and expand this successful program that is scheduled to end by Summer 2027 due to the end of the current grant project and funding. This project has proven popular and successful, experiencing increasing demand from the community. The department is requesting $720,590.00 that will allow the program to continue for five additional years by retaining the two existing field staff interns and adding an additional Wildfire Resilience Intern to coordinate assessments, outreach, and program implementation, allowing substantially more residents to receive individualized wildfire education. The requested funds will pay these three temporary interns for the entire grant period to perform DHA’s, community outreach, as well as promotion of the program through a variety of channels ensuring messaging reaches deep into the community.

Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
On October 21, 2025, the City Council authorized the fire department to apply for an FP&S Program grant to reduce community wildfire risk through assessments, education and fuel reduction through community outreach and DHA’s. The action authorized the City Manager, or designee, to execute the grant documents and approve the budget changes necessary upon notification that the grant had been awarded.

On May 21, 2024, the City Council authorized the fire department to apply for an FP&S Program grant to purchase personal protection equipment (PPE) for fire prevention staff and authorized the City Manager, or designee, to execute the grant documents and

Item 6e
approve the budget changes necessary upon notification that the grant had been awarded.

Public Engagement
This item is on the agenda for the August 18, 2026, City Council meeting and will follow all required postings and notifications. The public will have an opportunity to comment on this item at or before the meeting.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to the recommended action in this report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15378. If the work associated with the grant funding requires environmental review, staff will not proceed with the project until a review has been completed.

FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2026-27 to FY2029-30
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:

Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
FY 2027-28
Funding
Request
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund $ $1,745.00 $1,380,002.66
State $720,590.00
Federal $2,253,159.27
Fees
Other:

Total $ $2,975,494.27 $1,380,002.66 $
The City is requesting a total of $2,975,494.27 from three grant programs.

If the Fire Department were to receive funding from the SAFER program, the City would have to match the Federal grant funds equal to $1,380,002.66. The current 5-year budget forecast includes the full cost of the additional firefighters in Fiscal Year 2027-28, and the match would be less than the anticipated amount needed to budget providing $2,220,004.27 of relief to the General Fund.

If the Fire Department were to receive funding from the FP&S program, the City would have to match the Federal Grant funds equal to 5%. The total package requested is $34,900 and if fully funded would result in $33,155 in grant funding from FEMA and require a match from the City of $1,745. The Fire Department will absorb this match

Item 6e
requirement within the existing operating budget for FY 2026-27.

If the Fire Department were to receive funding from the CALFIRE grant program the City would not have to match funds as there is no match requirement. The entire package requested is $720,590.00.

The expected announcement of grant awards is after August 2026 and could stretch into early Winter, possibly later, when notifications are sent. The FP&S and CALFIRE Climate grants will not begin without award notification and will not affect the budget. Staffing requested with the SAFER grant will begin in FY2027-28, should the City receive the grant award it would offset staffing expenditures beginning in FY2027-28.

ALTERNATIVES
The Council could decide to not authorize one or more of the identified grant applications. Under this alternative, staff would withdraw the identified grant application(s) or turn down any awards, if received prior to withdrawal. Grant funds would serve to enhance the City’s safety and resilience while increasing fiscal sustainability for the City. Without the awarded grant funds, the Fire Department will have fewer resources available to provide staff training and education to the public regarding fire prevention needs in the City.

ATTACHMENTS
A – FEMA SAFER Grant application
B – FEMA FP&S Grant application
C – CALFIRE Prop 4 grant application

Cal Fire Prop 4 Prevention Grant

1. Project Description Summary- Please provide a paragraph summarizing proposed project including the location, habitable structures, acres treated, etc. ** (character limit – 600/ at 590)
The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department intends to implement Wildfire Ready SLO, a comprehensive community wildfire resilience and wildfire prevention education initiative. It will provide public education on wildfire prevention education, Zone 0 implementation, home hardening awareness, firesmart Landscaping Education, and community preparedness outreach. The project will increase adoption of wildfire-resilience measures, reduce the risk of structure-to-wildland/wildland-to-structure fire spread, and build long-term community capacity for wildfire prevention and preparedness.

2. Award Request Amount- $720,590.00

3. Project Area Statistics: For all Hazardous Fuels Reduction projects, provide an estimate of the Treatment Influence Zone (TIZ) acres. Include Local Responsibility Area (LRA), Federal Responsibility Area (FRA) and State Responsibility Area (SRA) as applicable for TIZ.- The Treatment Influence Zones (TIZ) are the treatment areas within a project, where on-the-ground activities are accomplished. There can be multiple treatment areas associated with a project. Wildfire Prevention Planning and Wildfire Prevention Public Education projects will NOT have treatment areas.
a. Local Responsibility Area (LRA) TIZ acres
b. Federal Responsibility Area (FRA) TIZ acres
c. State Responsibility Area (SRA) TIZ acres
d. Total TIZ Acres
This application is submitted under the Wildfire Prevention Public Education category.

No hazardous fuels reduction treatments are proposed; therefore, no Treatment Influence Zone (TIZ) acres are associated with this project.

4. Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ)-What Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) are in the project area? Fire Hazard Severity Zone ratings are available at: https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/community-wildfire-preparedness-andmitigation/wildfire-preparedness/fire-hazard-severity-zones/. Copy and paste the link or right-click to open in a new tab. Please provide an approximate number of acres or percentage of the project area in each zone.
a. Number of Acres in the Very High SRA FHSZ
b. Number of Acres in the Very High LRA FHSZ
c. Number of Acres in the High SRA FHSZ
d. Number of Acres in the High LRA FHSZ

e. Number of Acres in the Moderate SRA FHSZ
f. FHSZ Total Acres

5. In addition to the online project mapping program treatment Geopoint and polygons, include a pdf map(s) of the project with the project application.

The maps shall meet the requirements of Appendix G in the Procedural Guide.

See attached Project Area Map Package. Figure 1: Wildfire Risk Profile, Figure 2: 2009 FHSZs, Figure 3: 2025 FHSZs prepared in accordance with Appendix G of the Proposition 4 Wildfire Prevention Grant Procedural Guide.

Scope of Work

1. Project Description- Please provide a comprehensive project description including the location, habitable structures, acres treated, etc. (please note there are no space limitations) *

Wildfire Ready SLO is a citywide wildfire prevention education and community resilience initiative serving the City of San Luis Obispo. The project is designed to increase homeowner awareness, preparedness, and implementation of wildfire risk-reduction measures through Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs), home hardening education, Zone 0 implementation, fire-smart Landscaping education, Firewise Community development, and community outreach. The City of San Luis Obispo is identified as a Priority Community in the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department's SLU Fire Plan, and the project directly advances the Plan’s goals of reducing structural ignitability, expanding public education and participation in pre-fire planning, and strengthening community wildfire resilience.

The project will also provide targeted wildfire prevention education to landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, homeowner associations, property management companies, and other private-sector partners who influence vegetation management, landscape design, and wildfire resilience decisions within the community.

The City of San Luis Obispo has been designated by the State of California to be a Community at Risk pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 13108.5. The City is surrounded by more than 4,000 acres of open space and is adjacent to California Public Utilities Commission-designated Tier 2 and Tier 3 wildfire threat areas. Approximately

52.5% of the City lies within the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure are directly adjacent to wildfire-prone vegetation.

According to the San Luis Obispo County Assessor's Office, the City contains approximately $13.8 billion in assessed property value, with an estimated $7.25 billion within the new FHSZ.

Over the past several decades, the City of San Luis Obispo and its surrounding wildland-urban interface have experienced repeated wildfire activity from a variety of ignition sources. Significant incidents include the Cuesta Fire, Highway 41 Fire, Highway 58 Fire, numerous vegetation fires within the City’s open space areas, including Cerro San Luis, Bishop Peak, Reservoir Canyon, Terrace Hill, and Irish Hills, as well as recurring roadside, recreation-related, and homeless encampment fires. See attached Project Map.

The City has experienced a significant increase in wildfire exposure under California’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) mapping, updated in 2025. The number of parcels designated within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone increased from 38 parcels under the 2009 maps to approximately 2,845 parcels under the 2025 maps, increasing the acres included in that zone from 765 to 2,506 acres. This is a 7,387% increase in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone parcels and a 228% increase in acreage.

Wildfire Ready SLO will expand the City’s existing Detailed Home Assessment Program and provide approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments over a five-year period.

Project activities include:

 A goal of approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments  Home hardening education and technical assistance
 Zone 0 readiness education
 Fire Smart Landscaping education
 Firewise Community support and expansion
 Community workshops and public outreach events
 Homeowner association presentations
 Professional education and partnerships
 Educational mailers and preparedness materials
 Public awareness campaigns
 GIS-based project tracking and Survey123 evaluation
Additional project support will be provided by a Limited-Term Wildfire Resilient Intern and two Limited-Term Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Interns. These positions will conduct Detailed Home Assessments, deliver wildfire preparedness education, assist with Firewise Community development, and engage directly with residents throughout the project period.

Wildfire Ready SLO builds upon a proven wildfire prevention model that has already completed approximately 100 Detailed Home Assessments, documented homeowner implementation rates exceeding 50 percent, established three Firewise USA Communities, Buena Vista Estates, Laguna Lake Mobile Estates, and San Luis Drive, and generated strong community demand for wildfire preparedness services. Supported to date through short-term funding, the program has been supported through short-term funding and has already demonstrated strong demand and measurable homeowner action and sustained community interest. Proposition 4 funding will enable the City to expand this proven model over a five-year implementation period, increasing the number of residents served, strengthening community wildfire resilience, and delivering meaningful, measurable wildfire-risk reduction benefits to residents throughout San Luis Obispo.

Wildfire Ready SLO expands an existing City wildfire prevention program currently managed by the Fire Department. The program is overseen by the Fire Marshal, supported by the Emergency Manager’s ongoing wildfire public education responsibilities, and currently delivers Detailed Home Assessments (DSA) and community outreach through two FEMA-funded Limited-Term Community Risk Reduction Interns. Proposition 4 funding will preserve these existing field positions while adding one Limited-Term Wildfire Resilient Intern to coordinate assessments, outreach, scheduling, data management, and program implementation. This additional staffing will significantly increase the City’s capacity to deliver wildfire prevention education and individualized technical assistance throughout the community.

2. Describe the specific message of the education program and how it relates to reducing the risk of wildfire to owners of structures.

Education Program Message
The primary message of Wildfire Ready SLO is that homeowners can significantly reduce the likelihood of their homes igniting during a wildfire by implementing practical, affordable, and achievable wildfire resilience measures. The program emphasizes that wildfire resilience begins at the home and that individual property owners play a critical role in reducing community wildfire risk.

Wildfire Ready SLO builds upon the City's existing wildfire education program, which currently delivers Detailed Home Assessments and community outreach through two FEMA-funded Community Risk Reduction Interns under the oversight of the Fire Marshal and with support from the Emergency Manager's public education responsibilities. Proposition 4 funding will preserve this successful program, retain the existing field staff, and add a Wildfire Resilient Intern to coordinate assessments, outreach, and program implementation, allowing substantially more residents to receive individualized wildfire education.

Through targeted education and Detailed Home Assessments, homeowners will gain a better understanding of structural ignitability, ember intrusion, and the actions they can take to reduce wildfire risk. All Fire prevention staff, including our CRR Interns, have received Cal FIRE Defensible Space Inspector training and are equipped to provide consistent, science-based guidance on home hardening, Zone 0 implementation, defensible space, and other wildfire resilience measures. Recommendations provided during Detailed Home Assessments are based on current CAL FIRE guidance, the California Building Code, Firewise USA principles, and other nationally recognized wildfire mitigation best practices. This training ensures consistent messaging that aligns with regional standards and Cal FIRE best practices.

Each Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) will include a 31-page homeowner resource guide covering home hardening, defensible space, Firewise Communities, evacuation preparedness, and wildfire resilience. The guide explains Fire Hazard Severity Zones and the importance of reducing structural ignitability through home hardening. It provides practical recommendations for home hardening improvements, including estimated implementation costs, as well as detailed guidance for Zones 0, 1, and 2 defensible space with associated cost estimates.

The guide also includes fire-smart landscaping, vegetation and tree management common tree maintenance practices, and the City’s tree removal permit process and application. Designed as a long-term reference, the guide reinforces education provided during the site visit and enables residents to prioritize wildfire resilience improvements over time as budgets and opportunities allow.

Following each assessment, homeowners receive a customized report that documents property-specific wildfire vulnerabilities, photographs of identified conditions, provides prioritized recommendations with estimated implementation costs, and recognizes existing wildfire-resilient features.

This individualized report serves as a property-specific implementation plan that homeowners can use to prioritize wildfire resilience improvements over time. Unlike generalized wildfire education campaigns, Detailed Home Assessments provide personalized, parcel-specific recommendations based on each property's construction, surrounding vegetation, topography, and wildfire exposure. This tailored approach enables residents to identify their greatest vulnerabilities and prioritize improvements that provide the greatest reduction in structure ignition potential.

Wildfire Ready SLO is founded on decades of wildfire research demonstrating that many homes are lost because wind-driven embers ignite vulnerable materials on or around structures rather than through direct flame contact. The program focuses on reducing structural ignitability by helping homeowners understand where their homes are vulnerable and providing practical, affordable measures that reduce the likelihood of home ignition.

The program is based on the principle that informed homeowners are more likely to take meaningful action to reduce wildfire risk. By providing personalized education, technical guidance, and property-specific recommendations, Wildfire Ready SLO transforms wildfire awareness into measurable homeowner action that reduces structural ignitability and strengthens community wildfire resilience.

The education program will also include targeted outreach to landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, property managers, and other private-sector partners whose work directly influences vegetation management, plant selection, irrigation design, and maintenance practices around structures. This targeted outreach will reinforce how fire-smart landscaping, ignition-resistant plant selection, Zone 0 implementation, limiting fire spread from vegetation to structures, and ongoing vegetation maintenance reduce structural ignitability and support long-term wildfire resilience. Because these professionals routinely advise property owners and influence landscaping decisions across multiple properties, they serve as effective multipliers for promoting home hardening, defensible space, and long-term wildfire resilience throughout the community.

Educational messaging will be delivered through one-on-one Detailed Home Assessments, homeowner resource guides, customized assessment reports, community workshops, neighborhood meetings, Firewise Community events,

homeowner association presentations, professional education sessions, digital outreach, and printed educational materials. Delivering consistent messaging across multiple formats reinforces key wildfire resilience concepts and increases the likelihood that residents will implement recommended actions.

The educational program promotes the development of fire-adapted communities by encouraging shared responsibility among homeowners, neighborhoods, professional partners, and community organizations to reduce the ignitability of structures and improve wildfire resilience. The education program focuses on four interconnected wildfire resilience messages:

Zone 0 Readiness
Residents will learn how combustible materials immediately adjacent to a structure can increase ignition potential. Educational messaging will encourage homeowners to reduce or eliminate combustible materials within the first 5 feet around structures and to identify opportunities to create ignition-resistant areas around homes. A particular emphasis on the home’s vulnerability and the proximity of vegetation. For example, the proximity of vegetation to windows, doors, vents, and similar openings.

Home Hardening
Residents will learn how embers, radiant heat, and direct flame contact can ignite structures. Educational materials and Detailed Home Assessments will help homeowners identify common vulnerabilities and understand practical improvements that can reduce wildfire exposure. Focusing on elements that homeowners can do over a weekend that have the greatest benefits, like ember-resistant screening or gutter guards.

Fire Smart Landscaping
Residents will learn how landscape design, vegetation maintenance, plant spacing, and ongoing property management can influence wildfire behavior around homes.

Educational materials will promote wildfire-resilient landscaping principles that support both wildfire adaptation and environmental stewardship. Emphasizing the importance of planting Fire Smart Vegetation that meets the 8 Characteristics of Fire Smart Vegetation per the 2025 California WUI Code Appendix F.

Community Preparedness
Residents will learn how wildfire preparedness extends beyond property improvements.

The program will promote evacuation planning, Ready, Set, Go! principles, emergency preparedness, Firewise Community participation, and neighborhood-level resilience efforts. Residents will also be encouraged to participate in Firewise USA Communities, helping neighborhoods organize around long-term wildfire risk reduction and shared responsibility for community resilience.

The City has demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach through an existing FEMA-funded pilot program. The program currently delivers Detailed Home Assessments and community outreach through two FEMA-funded Community Risk Reduction Interns under the oversight of the Fire Marshal and with support from the Emergency Manager's public education responsibilities. Through approximately 100 completed Detailed Home Assessments, more than 50 percent of participating homeowners have implemented one or more recommended wildfire resilience improvements. Homeowner follow-up surveys and GIS-based tracking will continue measuring implementation rates to evaluate program effectiveness and refine educational messaging. Proposition 4 funding will preserve this successful program, retain the existing field staff, add a Wildfire Resilient Intern to coordinate and expand program implementation, and significantly increase the number of residents who receive individualized wildfire resilience education.

By increasing homeowner implementation of Zone 0 improvements, home hardening measures, Fire Smart Landscaping principles, and community preparedness actions, Wildfire Ready SLO directly reduces structural ignitability, strengthens neighborhood wildfire resilience, and supports the long-term protection of homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and community assets throughout the City of San Luis Obispo.

3. Describe the target audience of the education program and how information will be distributed to this audience.

Wildfire Ready SLO utilizes a layered education and outreach strategy designed to deliver wildfire prevention information through multiple communication channels to audiences with the greatest ability to reduce structure ignition and increase community wildfire resilience.

The City's existing wildfire education program has demonstrated that combining direct homeowner engagement with community-wide outreach results in higher participation in Detailed Home Assessments and increased implementation of wildfire resilience measures. Proposition 4 funding will allow the City to expand this proven outreach

model by increasing the number of neighborhoods served, community events conducted, and residents receiving individualized wildfire education.

Primary Target Audiences
Geographic Priority Areas
Wildfire Ready SLO will prioritize outreach to residents located within High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, which collectively comprise the City's designated Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). There are 4,477 parcels in the High and Very High Zone; however, 52.5% of all City parcels are within a fire hazard zone. These neighborhoods will receive the highest level of outreach because they represent the areas of greatest wildfire exposure and the greatest opportunity to reduce structural ignitability through homeowner action.

Additional outreach will also be provided to neighborhoods immediately surrounding the designated WUI because wind-driven embers can travel significant distances ahead of the main fire front and threaten structures located outside mapped hazard zones.

Educational messaging for these areas will emphasize ember intrusion, home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, and vegetation management practices that reduce structure ignition potential.

Residents adjacent to open space, natural resource areas, and undeveloped lands will receive educational materials on wildfire preparedness, evacuation planning, Fire Smart Landscaping, and defensible space principles due to their increased wildfire exposure.

Educational messaging will be delivered using a layered outreach strategy that combines direct mail, neighborhood canvassing, utility bill inserts, digital communications, community presentations, and individualized Detailed Home Assessments. Educational mailers will be distributed annually before the start of fire season in both English and Spanish to property owners and residents within priority project areas. Neighborhood canvassing and door hangers will encourage participation in Detailed Home Assessments, while utility bill messaging will provide citywide awareness using an established communication platform with demonstrated community reach. All outreach materials will direct residents to request a Detailed Home Assessment, the program's primary educational tool.

Low-Income Households, Seniors, and Vulnerable Populations The program will prioritize outreach to residents who may face financial, physical, language, transportation, or other barriers to implementing wildfire preparedness measures. Educational materials and outreach efforts will be designed to ensure that

wildfire preparedness information is accessible, understandable, and available to all community members including Spanish language materials and outreach staff will bring wildfire preparedness education directly into neighborhoods through community meetings, home visits, and other localized outreach efforts to reduce barriers to participation.

Information Distribution Methods
Beyond targeted neighborhoods the Wildfire Ready SLO will target all residents of the City with a broad message by utilizing multiple communication and outreach methods to maximize participation and ensure information reaches a broad cross-section of the community. Communication channels include radio broadcasting, local news stories, social media campaigns, and printed materials. All distributed methods will comply with state laws and will produce all printed materials in English and Spanish, as well as social media campaigns.

Educational workshops and presentations will be delivered throughout the community, including HOA meetings, neighborhood gatherings, Firewise events, and preparedness workshops. Previous workshops and community presentations have consistently generated additional requests for Detailed Home Assessments, demonstrating strong community interest in individualized wildfire preparedness education. As participation has increased, demand for assessments has exceeded the capacity of the existing FEMA-funded field staff. Proposition 4 funding will enable the City to meet this growing demand while significantly expanding outreach throughout the community.

Existing and developing Firewise USA Communities will receive enhanced outreach through neighborhood meetings, community assessments, annual Firewise events, and technical assistance. Firewise Communities serve as neighborhood ambassadors, helping expand wildfire education and encouraging participation in Detailed Home Assessments throughout adjacent neighborhoods.

The events committee program staff consists of the Fire Marshal, the Chief Building Official, the Emergency Manager, the City Arborists, the City Biologist, and the CRR Interns. Program staff will participate in community outreach events, including the Downtown Farmers Market, preparedness fairs, public safety events, and other community gatherings to provide wildfire resilience education and distribute educational materials. Prop 4 funding will directly impact our staffing, allowing the Fire Department to host more events and reach more community members.

The City has already demonstrated success through an existing FEMA-funded pilot program. Proposition 4 funding will preserve that successful effort, retain the current

field staff, add a Wildfire Resilient Intern to improve coordination, and significantly expand the number of residents receiving wildfire resilience education.

4. Will the education program raise the awareness of homeowner responsibilities of living in a fire prone environment? Homeowner Responsibilities in a Fire-Prone Environment
The primary objective of Wildfire Ready SLO is to help homeowners understand that they play a critical role in reducing wildfire risk and improving the survivability of their homes, neighborhoods, and community. The program emphasizes that individual actions taken before a wildfire can significantly influence whether a structure survives.

As California continues to experience larger, more destructive wildfires and expands wildfire resilience initiatives such as Zone 0 implementation and home hardening, homeowner awareness and proactive action have become increasingly important components of community wildfire resilience.

Through the City's existing FEMA-funded pilot program, Wildfire Ready SLO has demonstrated that individualized education delivered through Detailed Home Assessments increases homeowner understanding of wildfire risk and leads to measurable implementation of wildfire resilience improvements. Proposition 4 funding will preserve and expand this successful education model, allowing substantially more homeowners to receive personalized guidance and technical assistance.

Educational messaging recognizes that while wildfire cannot always be prevented, homeowners have the ability to substantially reduce the likelihood that their homes will ignite through informed maintenance, home hardening, and vegetation management decisions.

The program is founded on the principle that wildfire resilience is a shared responsibility between government agencies, emergency responders, neighborhoods, and individual property owners. While public agencies play an important role in wildfire preparedness and emergency response, homeowners are often responsible for many of the actions that most directly influence the survivability of structures during a wildfire.

Wildfire Ready SLO will provide residents with practical, science-based, propertyspecific information on how wildfires affect homes and neighborhoods and the actions they can take to reduce structural ignitability. Educational messaging emphasizes that homeowners have the ability, and responsibility, to significantly influence wildfire outcomes through property maintenance, preparedness planning, and implementation of wildfire resilience measures.

These responsibilities will be reinforced consistently through Detailed Home Assessments, homeowner resource guides, customized assessment reports, community presentations, and neighborhood outreach.

The program will educate homeowners regarding:
 Zone 0 implementation and the importance of maintaining ignition-resistant areas immediately adjacent to structures.
 Home hardening measures that reduce vulnerability to embers, radiant heat, and direct flame contact.
 Defensible space concepts and vegetation management practices that reduce wildfire intensity around structures.
 Fire Smart Landscaping principles that support both wildfire resilience and environmental stewardship.
 Evacuation preparedness, emergency planning, and Ready, Set, Go! principles.  The role of Firewise Communities and neighborhood-level preparedness efforts.  Routine inspection and maintenance of homes to reduce ember intrusion and ignition vulnerabilities.

Wildfire Ready SLO places a strong emphasis on individualized education through the DHA Program. Because every property presents different construction features, vegetation conditions, and exposure to wildfire hazards, individualized assessments provide homeowners with recommendations that are directly applicable to their homes and more likely to result in implementation than generalized educational messaging.

During assessments, homeowners receive site-specific recommendations that help them understand how conditions on their property may influence wildfire risk and what actions they can take to improve resilience. Educational messaging will also be reinforced through homeowner associations, Firewise Communities, landscape professionals, nurseries, and other community partners that regularly influence homeowner decisions regarding vegetation management and home improvements.

Through its existing FEMA-funded pilot program, the City has demonstrated that homeowners are willing to take meaningful action when provided with individualized education and technical assistance. Approximately 100 Detailed Home Assessments have been completed, with more than 50 percent of participating homeowners implementing one or more recommended wildfire resilience improvements. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of combining personalized education with practical recommendations. Proposition 4 funding will preserve this successful program, retain the existing field staff, expand program coordination, and enable thousands of additional homeowners to better understand their responsibilities and opportunities to reduce wildfire risk.

By increasing homeowner awareness, reinforcing individual responsibility, and supporting measurable implementation of wildfire resilience measures, Wildfire Ready SLO will foster a lasting culture of wildfire preparedness throughout the community. The program empowers homeowners to take practical actions that reduce structural ignitability, strengthen neighborhood resilience, and improve the City's overall ability to withstand and recover from future wildfires.

5. Identify specific actions being advocated in the education material that is expected to increase the preparedness of residents and structures for wildfire.

Specific Actions Advocated Through Educational Materials Wildfire Ready SLO is designed to transform wildfire awareness into measurable homeowner action. Every educational component of the program is intended to provide residents with practical, science-based recommendations that reduce structure ignitability, improve emergency preparedness, and increase community wildfire resilience. The educational actions promoted through Wildfire Ready SLO build upon the City's existing FEMA-funded pilot program, which has demonstrated that individualized education leads to measurable homeowner implementation of wildfire resilience improvements. Proposition 4 funding will preserve and expand this proven approach, allowing more residents to receive personalized recommendations through Detailed Home Assessments and community outreach. Educational materials, Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs), workshops, outreach events, and Firewise Community engagement activities will provide residents with practical recommendations that can be implemented at the property and neighborhood level. Educational materials will include practical guidance on defensible space, vegetation management, roof and gutter maintenance, seasonal landscape maintenance, ignition prevention, and safe equipment use during periods of elevated wildfire danger.

The program will advocate the following wildfire preparedness actions:

Zone 0, 1, and 2 Readiness Actions
Residents will learn to create and maintain an ignition-resistant area within the first five feet (Zone 0) surrounding structures and take action in Zone 1 (Lean, Clean, and Green) and Zone 2 (Reduced Fuel Zone). Educational materials will emphasize that Zone 0 is one of the most effective homeowner actions available to reduce structure ignition because it addresses the area most vulnerable to ember accumulation and direct flame contact:

 Removing combustible materials adjacent to structures.  Relocating firewood, combustible storage, and flammable items away from structures and placing them in the appropriate zone.
 Replacing combustible ground coverings near structures with ignition-resistant alternatives where appropriate.
 Maintaining clear separation between vegetation and structures. As well as vegetation-to-vegetation by following plant clearance recommendations.  Reducing combustible materials on decks, patios, and around entrances.  Remove all branches within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe outlet.  Remove all dead and dying trees, branches, shrubs, or other plants that overhang the buildings within 5 feet.
 Cut and maintain all annual grasses to 4 inches or less in height.

These actions are intended to reduce the likelihood of ember ignition immediately adjacent to homes. During each Detailed Home Assessment, these recommendations will be prioritized based on the property's specific construction, vegetation, and wildfire exposure so homeowners can focus first on the improvements expected to provide the greatest reduction in structural ignitability. Materials will focus on the new Zone 0 update, including the expectations and 3- and 5-year grace periods for combustible materials. The significant importance of understanding the relationship to the most vulnerable aspects of their home and of communicating with vegetation planted around windows and doors.

Home Hardening Actions
Residents will be encouraged to evaluate and improve common building vulnerabilities by:
 Installing or upgrading ember-resistant vent protection.  Screening openings that may allow ember intrusion.
 Maintaining roofs, gutters, and roof valleys free of combustible debris.  Identifying combustible attachments and vulnerable building components.  Improving the overall ignition resistance of structures when undertaking maintenance or renovation projects.
 Replace combustible fencing where it attaches directly to the home or interrupt the fuel pathway with ignition-resistant materials.

These actions help reduce structure vulnerability to embers, radiant heat, and direct flame exposure. Educational materials will emphasize affordable improvements that

homeowners can complete as part of routine home maintenance, as well as larger projects that can be incorporated into future renovations.

Defensible Space and Vegetation Management Actions
Residents will be encouraged to:
 Maintain defensible space around structures using a vegetation management plan.
 Understand and develop a vegetation management plan.
 Remove dead and dying vegetation.
 Reduce ladder fuels and excessive vegetation density.  Prune trees and shrubs to reduce fire spread potential.  Maintain vegetation in accordance with wildfire preparedness principles.  Education on reducing fire pathways.

These actions help reduce fire intensity around their home and improve firefighter access and defensibility when homeowners have a well-developed seasonal maintenance routine rather than one-time vegetation clearing. Homeowners will also be encouraged to develop annual maintenance schedules that recognize vegetation management as an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-time project.

Fire Smart Landscaping Actions
Residents will be encouraged to:
 Break up continuous fuel beds
 Increase horizontal and vertical spacing
 Reduce fuel continuity
 Use hardscape strategically
 Select low-flammability plants
 Maintain adequate irrigation
Educational materials will emphasize that no plant is fireproof and that proper placement, maintenance, and management are critical components of wildfire resilience. Educational materials will highlight the eight characteristics of fire smart vegetation identified in the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Appendix F and demonstrate how proper plant selection, spacing, and maintenance can reduce fire spread around structures.

Emergency Preparedness Actions
Residents will be encouraged to:
 Develop household evacuation plans.
 Register for emergency notification systems such as AlertSLO and become familiar with local evacuation zones before an emergency occurs.  Prepare emergency supply kits.
 Identify multiple evacuation routes.
 Participate in Ready, Set, Go! preparedness activities.  Discuss evacuation planning with family members and neighbors.

These actions improve resident readiness and support safer evacuation during wildfire emergencies. Understanding evacuation zones and multiple evacuation routes before an emergency occurs saves lives.

Neighborhood and Community Preparedness Actions
Residents will be encouraged to:
 Participate in Firewise USA Communities.
 Encourage neighbors to complete Detailed Home Assessments.  Participate in neighborhood projects that reduce wildfire risk and support community-wide preparedness efforts.
 Attend wildfire preparedness workshops and outreach events.  Engage with homeowner associations on wildfire resilience initiatives.  Share preparedness information with neighbors.
 Participate in community-level preparedness activities.

These actions help build neighborhood resilience and promote a shared responsibility approach to wildfire preparedness.

The educational actions promoted through Wildfire Ready SLO were selected because they represent practical, achievable, and evidence-based measures that homeowners can implement to reduce structural ignitability, improve defensible space, enhance emergency preparedness, and strengthen neighborhood wildfire resilience.

Recommendations are based on current California wildfire science, the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, CAL FIRE defensible space guidance, Firewise USA principles, and nationally recognized home hardening research. The City's existing FEMA-funded pilot program has demonstrated that homeowners are willing to implement these recommendations when they receive individualized education and

technical assistance. Proposition 4 funding will enable the City to preserve this successful model while significantly expanding its reach throughout the community.

6. Describe the expected outcome of the education in terms of increased or changed public awareness about wildfire.

Expected Outcomes of the Education Program
The expected outcome of Wildfire Ready SLO is increased home survivability, resilience against structure ignition and wildfire property loss throughout the City through increased public awareness, understanding, and implementation of wildfire-resilience that improve community preparedness. The ultimate goal of the program is a reduction in loss during a large wildfire event. The County assessor’s office estimates that the City has over $7 billion in property value in the FHSZ and this program’s expected outcome and goals would be to prevent property loss that could reach into billions during a fire.

Recent wildfire history demonstrates that the City of San Luis Obispo has repeatedly experienced vegetation fires that threatened homes, neighborhoods, and critical infrastructure. Through aggressive initial attack and favorable weather conditions, firefighters have successfully prevented many of these incidents from becoming catastrophic urban interface fires. However, wildfire outcomes cannot rely solely on emergency response. Under more extreme weather conditions, including high winds, low humidity, and prolonged drought, many of these same incidents could have resulted in widespread structure loss. Wildfire Ready SLO is intended to reduce that dependence on suppression by increasing homeowner preparedness before a wildfire occurs.

The program is designed to move residents beyond general awareness of wildfire risk and toward a deeper understanding of how individual actions can influence wildfire outcomes. Educational activities will help residents recognize that wildfire resilience is not solely the responsibility of emergency responders or public agencies but a shared responsibility among homeowners, neighborhoods, and community organizations.

Participants will be provided tangible actions they can take to improve wildfire resilience on their property. The goal will be to have recipients of a DHA perform at least one home hardening improvement to their property to wildfire spread or property loss.

With awareness and resulting actions residents take the ultimate goal of the Wildfire Ready SLO is home survivability and reduced community destruction in a large-scale wildfire. Over recent decades, the City has experienced numerous vegetation fires on Cerro San Luis, Bishop Peak, Reservoir Canyon, Terrace Hill, Irish Hills, and

surrounding open space that have required rapid fire department response to protect adjacent neighborhoods. While these incidents resulted in limited structure loss, many occurred immediately adjacent to residential development where changing weather conditions could have significantly altered fire behavior and increased the potential for widespread property damage.

As a result of the program, residents are expected to demonstrate increased awareness in the following areas:

Understanding of Wildfire Risk
Residents will gain a greater understanding of the wildfire risks facing the City of San Luis Obispo, including the significance of living within the wildland-urban interface, the implications of updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone designations, and the factors that contribute to structure loss during wildfire events.

Understanding of Structure Ignition
Residents will develop a better understanding of how homes ignite during wildfires and the role that embers, radiant heat, combustible materials, and property conditions play in structure survivability.

Educational messaging will help shift public understanding from the belief that wildfire losses are unavoidable to the recognition that many losses can be reduced through proactive preparedness and risk-reduction measures.

Awareness of Zone 0 Readiness
Residents will become more familiar with California's evolving wildfire adaptation strategies, including Zone 0 readiness concepts and the importance of maintaining ignition-resistant areas immediately adjacent to structures.

Awareness of Home Hardening Opportunities
Residents will gain a better understanding of common building vulnerabilities and practical improvements that can reduce wildfire exposure and improve structure resilience.

Awareness of Fire Smart Landscaping Principles
Residents will become more knowledgeable about how vegetation placement, maintenance practices, and landscaping choices influence wildfire behavior around homes and neighborhoods. Educational materials supporting these actions will also be provided to landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, homeowner association landscape committees, property managers, and retailers of home-hardening products to reinforce wildfire prevention practices at the professional level and encourage consistent implementation across the community.

Educational recommendations on Fire Smart Landscaping will incorporate the principles contained in Appendix F of the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, reinforcing the eight characteristics of Fire Smart Vegetation and emphasizing that vegetation selection, placement, spacing, and maintenance are equally important components of wildfire resilience.

Increased Preparedness Awareness
Residents will gain a stronger understanding of emergency preparedness responsibilities, evacuation planning, emergency notifications, and Ready, Set, Go! principles, and actions that improve household readiness during wildfire emergencies.

Increased Community Engagement
Residents will become more aware of opportunities to participate in Firewise Communities, neighborhood preparedness initiatives, and community wildfire resilience efforts that support collective action and shared responsibility.

Measurable Changes in Awareness
The City will evaluate changes in public awareness through participant surveys, Detailed Home Assessment follow-up surveys, outreach metrics, Firewise Community participation, workshop attendance, and program engagement data.

Success will be measured not only by the number of residents reached, but by demonstrated increases in understanding, participation, and implementation of recommended wildfire resilience practices. By performing a follow-up assessment, our goal is to see a 25% reduction in risk pertaining to home hardening and defensible space. Beyond increasing awareness, Wildfire Ready SLO seeks to create lasting behavior and cultural change. The expected outcome is that residents not only understand wildfire risk, but routinely apply home hardening principles, maintain

defensible space, create and sustain Zone 0, incorporate Fire Smart Landscaping practices, participate in Firewise USA Communities, and prepare their households for wildfire emergencies. These actions collectively reduce structural ignitability, strengthen neighborhood resilience, and improve the City's ability to withstand future wildfire events.

The City has already demonstrated that education can lead to measurable outcomes.

Through approximately 100 completed Detailed Home Assessments, more than 50% of participating homeowners have implemented one or more wildfire resilience recommendations. Wildfire Ready SLO will expand this proven model to help thousands of additional residents better understand wildfire risk, recognize their role in reducing it, and take meaningful steps to improve the resilience of their homes, neighborhoods, and community.

Ultimately, Wildfire Ready SLO seeks to create a culture of wildfire resilience in which homeowners, neighborhoods, professional partners, businesses, and community organizations recognize wildfire preparedness as an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-time activity.

Section II
Degree of Risk

1. Discuss the location of the project in relation to areas of moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zone as identified by the latest Fire and Resource Assessment Program maps. *
Wildfire Ready SLO is located entirely within the City of San Luis Obispo, a designated Community at Risk and a Priority Community identified in the CAL FIRE/San Luis Obispo County Fire Unit Strategic Fire Plan. The project area includes neighborhoods, homes, businesses, public infrastructure, and community assets located within Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones identified by CAL FIRE’s 2025 Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.

According to CAL FIRE’s 2025 FHSZ maps and the City’s analysis, approximately 5,611 acres and 8,782 parcels within the City are located within mapped Fire Hazard Severity Zones, including:
 2,506 acres within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.  907 acres within the High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
 2,198 acres within the Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

The City’s designated WUI area includes these Fire Hazard Severity Zones, representing approximately 52.5 percent of all City parcels. More than 4,000 acres of open space surround and intersperse developed neighborhoods throughout San Luis Obispo, creating numerous locations where homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and community assets directly interface with wildfire-prone vegetation.

The City has experienced a dramatic increase in wildfire exposure under the updated FHSZ maps. Under the 2009 maps, only 38 parcels and approximately 766 acres were designated within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Under the 2025 maps, that designation increased to approximately 2,845 parcels and 2,506 acres, representing a 7,387 percent increase in Very High FHSZ parcels and a 228 percent increase in Very High FHSZ acreage. See attached Figure 1.

Recent reporting on CAL FIRE’s 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone map rollout identified San Luis Obispo as one of the communities experiencing some of the most significant increases in mapped wildfire exposure on California’s Central Coast. These changes reflect the State’s recognition of substantially increased wildfire hazard within the community and reinforce the need for expanded wildfire preparedness, home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping education, Firewise Community development, and neighborhood resilience efforts.

Wildfire Ready SLO directly addresses this documented hazard and potential risk by providing homeowners and residents with education, technical assistance, and individualized recommendations related to structure ignition reduction, defensible space, evacuation readiness, emergency preparedness, and Firewise Community participation. Because the project serves residents located within Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones throughout the City, it is specifically targeted toward communities facing measurable and increasing wildfire risk.

2. Describe the geographic proximity of the project to structures at risk to damage from wildfire in the WUI. *
Wildfire Ready SLO serves residents and structures throughout the City of San Luis Obispo, with a primary focus on homes, neighborhoods, businesses, and community assets located within the City's designated Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The City is recognized as a Priority Community in the CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit (SLU) Fire Plan, where prefire management activities, including public education, are identified as a priority.

Thousands of homes, businesses, schools, and critical community facilities throughout San Luis Obispo are located immediately adjacent to wildfire-prone open space and natural vegetation. The City's designated WUI encompasses approximately 52.5% of all City parcels, reflecting the extensive interface between developed neighborhoods and wildfire-prone landscapes.

The City maintains more than 4,000 acres of open space that surround and intersperse developed neighborhoods, creating a continuous greenbelt of grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral, riparian corridors, and natural vegetation. Unlike many California communities where wildfire exposure is concentrated along a single edge of development, San Luis Obispo's extensive open-space system creates multiple wildland-urban interfaces throughout the City, resulting in wildfire exposure across numerous residential neighborhoods rather than a single geographic area.

In many locations, residential structures directly abut wildfire-prone vegetation with little separation between homes and natural fuels. In addition to residential neighborhoods, the project area includes schools, California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly), parks, water and wastewater infrastructure, public safety facilities, major transportation corridors, healthcare facilities, and other critical community assets located within or immediately adjacent to wildfire-prone landscapes. Wildfire affecting these areas has the potential to disrupt essential public services, transportation, emergency response, and community continuity.

The wildfire threat to these neighborhoods is well documented. Over the past two decades, vegetation fires have occurred within and adjacent to the City's open-space system, including Cerro San Luis, Bishop Peak, Reservoir Canyon, Terrace Hill, Irish Hills, Johnson Ranch, and other surrounding natural areas. These incidents demonstrate that wildfire risk is not theoretical but an ongoing threat to homes, businesses, and community infrastructure throughout the City's WUI. Through rapid initial attack and favorable fire conditions, firefighters have successfully prevented many of these incidents from becoming catastrophic urban interface fires. However, under more extreme weather conditions, including high winds, low humidity, and prolonged drought, many of these same incidents could have resulted in significant structural loss and community impacts. (See Map Attachment, Wildfire Risk Profile of the City of San Luis Obispo.)
The City's wildfire risk is further influenced by steep topography, seasonal wind conditions, evacuation constraints, and its proximity to California Public Utilities Commission-designated Tier 2 (Elevated) and Tier 3 (Extreme) wildfire threat areas.

These factors can contribute to rapid fire spread, increased ember production, and more challenging suppression conditions, increasing the potential for wildfire to impact structures throughout the community.

Because wildfire exposure is distributed across much of the City, Wildfire Ready SLO is designed as a comprehensive citywide wildfire prevention education initiative. The project will prioritize Detailed Home Assessments, community outreach, Firewise USA Community development, and professional education within neighborhoods located in Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, areas immediately adjacent to open space, and communities identified as having the greatest wildfire exposure.

Residents will receive individualized education and technical assistance on Zone 0 readiness, home hardening, Fire Smart Landscaping, defensible space, emergency preparedness, evacuation planning, and Firewise USA Community participation. By

focusing educational resources on structures located immediately adjacent to wildfireprone landscapes, Wildfire Ready SLO prioritizes those homes most likely to be affected by future wildfire while improving the resilience of neighborhoods, critical infrastructure, and the broader San Luis Obispo community.

Section III
Community Support

1. Does the project include any matching funds from other funding sources or any in-kind contributions that are expected to extend the impact of the proposed project? *(please note there are no space limitations) * Although no cash match is required for this application, the City of San Luis Obispo will contribute substantial in-kind resources, existing staff support, technical expertise, equipment, community partnerships, and previously developed program infrastructure, which together will significantly expand the impact of the proposed project and maximize the value of Proposition 4 funding. CAL FIRE is not funding the creation of Wildfire Ready SLO they are funding the expansion of a successful program that already has substantial local investment, technical infrastructure, and community support.

The City has already invested considerable resources in developing the foundation for Wildfire Ready SLO. Existing investments include
 Development of the Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) Program  GIS-based risk assessment and tracking tools
 Survey123 data collection systems
 Public education materials to include a homeowner education packet  Wildfire preparedness outreach educational materials
 Zone 0 Materials, public workshops
 Development of professional partnerships
 Establishment of Firewise USA Communities
The City has already demonstrated community demand by completing approximately 100 Detailed Home Assessments, educating more than 3,600 residents over the past two years, establishing three Firewise USA Communities, and documenting homeowner implementation rates exceeding 50 percent. Because these resources have already

been developed, Proposition 4 funding can be directed toward expanding homeowner education rather than recreating program infrastructure.

The project will also build upon an existing FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant that currently funds Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Interns supporting wildfire preparedness and Detailed Home Assessment activities. Proposition 4 funding will expand and extend these existing capabilities, allowing the City to increase service delivery and meet growing community demand.

Significant in-kind contributions are expected from multiple City departments and community partners, including:

City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department
The Fire Marshal will provide project oversight, supervision, program management, technical expertise, community outreach support, and integration with existing wildfire preparedness initiatives. Along with the Fire Department’s Business Analyst. The Fire Department will continue providing office space, utilities, administrative support, computer equipment, communications systems, meeting facilities, fleet access, and supervisory oversight as in-kind contributions throughout the grant period.

Emergency Management Program
The City's Emergency Management Program will continue supporting Firewise Community development, preparedness education, evacuation planning outreach, and community engagement activities. The City's Emergency Manager and the County’s Emergency Manager have committed to this project and provided a letter of commitment. The County’s Emergency Manager has personally seen the effects that a strong education can have on a community facing our unique challenges.

City Arborist
The City Arborist will provide technical expertise and educational support related to wildfire-resilient landscaping, vegetation management, urban forest stewardship, and community outreach events. Our Arborist is committed to this program and has provided a letter of commitment. He has already invested considerable time to achieve the success we have seen.

City Biologist
The City Biologist has demonstrated a high level of commitment and will continue to do so in community education efforts on open-space management, ecological stewardship,

habitat considerations, and wildfire resilience strategies that balance fire safety with environmental objectives. The City Biologist has also provided a letter of commitment to the project. He has provided considerable time and believes in the message this program provides.

Community Development and GIS Support
Existing GIS infrastructure, mapping resources, and technical support will assist with project implementation, performance tracking, data analysis, and evaluation activities.

Our GIS Team is committed to the success of this community-based program and has provided the Fire Department with considerable resources. Community Development Department has provided a letter of support.

Firewise Communities and Homeowner Associations
Existing Firewise Communities, homeowner associations, and neighborhood organizations will provide venues, outreach opportunities, community engagement support, and volunteer participation to help expand the project's reach. All of the Firewise Communities have provided letters of support to expand the program throughout the city.

Community Partners
Additional support will be provided through collaboration with emergency management partners, Fire Safe Council representatives, AIA California Central Coast, community organizations, and local stakeholders participating in wildfire preparedness and resilience efforts. All have provided a letter of support or of commitment.

These existing investments and in-kind contributions significantly enhance the effectiveness of the proposed project by leveraging established programs, technical expertise, community relationships, and organizational capacity. Collectively, these investments demonstrate that Wildfire Ready SLO is not a new initiative but an established and successful community wildfire resilience program with significant local investment. Proposition 4 funding will leverage these existing resources to substantially expand wildfire prevention education, increase homeowner participation, and accelerate implementation of wildfire resilience measures throughout the City.

2. Describe plans for external communications during the life of the project to keep the effected community informed about the goals, objectives and progress of the project. Activities such as planned press releases, project signage, community meetings, and field tours are encouraged. *

The City of San Luis Obispo is committed to maintaining transparent, consistent, and proactive communication with residents throughout the implementation of Wildfire Ready SLO. The project's communications strategy is designed to keep residents informed of project goals, objectives, educational opportunities, measurable accomplishments, and opportunities to participate in wildfire preparedness activities throughout the five-year grant period. Communication activities will occur throughout the project rather than being limited to wildfire season.

Community engagement and public communication are central components of Wildfire Ready SLO. The City will utilize a comprehensive communications strategy that combines individualized homeowner education, public outreach events, community partnerships, digital communications, media outreach, and recurring public engagement to ensure wildfire preparedness information reaches residents through multiple trusted communication channels.

The City's Communications Office, staffed by two full-time communications professionals, will support project messaging, media relations, press releases, digital communications, and public awareness campaigns throughout the grant period. Media outreach, public events, printed materials, website and social media content, and Farmers' Market-style outreach are communication tools the City has successfully used for many years to educate and engage the community.

Detailed Home Assessments
The Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) Program serves as one of the primary communication tools for the project.

Residents participating in assessments will receive individualized education, propertyspecific recommendations, follow-up communications, and implementation resources that reinforce project objectives and wildfire preparedness messaging.

Community Workshops and Public Meetings
The City will conduct educational workshops, community presentations, homeowner association meetings, Firewise Community events, and preparedness forums throughout the project period. These events will provide opportunities for all residents to learn about wildfire risk, ask questions, receive technical guidance, and stay informed about project progress and community resilience initiatives. Concurrently, workshops and public meetings will be geared towards landscape contractors, architects, nurseries, HOSs, AIA and property managers, not just homeowners. As these groups are multipliers for Wildfire Ready SLO messaging.

Firewise Community Engagement
Existing Firewise USA Communities and neighborhoods pursuing Firewise recognition will serve as important communication partners. Regular engagement with these communities will provide opportunities to share project updates, preparedness information, success stories, and neighborhood-level wildfire resilience activities.

Community Events and Outreach Activities
Project staff will participate in many public events. The City maintains a presence at the Downtown San Luis Obispo Farmers' Market, one of the largest recurring community events on the Central Coast, attracting more than 5,000 attendees each week. Project staff will participate at least four times annually to engage residents, distribute educational materials, demonstrate wildfire resilience techniques, and promote participation in Detailed Home Assessments and Firewise Communities. These events provide direct access to residents and allow project staff to distribute educational materials, discuss wildfire preparedness strategies, and promote participation in project activities. Community meetings and workshops will provide opportunities for residents to ask questions, provide feedback, and identify additional wildfire preparedness needs Educational Mailers and Printed Materials
Targeted mailers, informational brochures, educational guides, and preparedness resources will be distributed throughout the project area. Materials will provide residents with practical information regarding Zone 0 readiness, home hardening, Fire Smart Landscaping, emergency preparedness, and available project resources. Additional materials will be developed to target our identified multipliers, like landscape contractors, landscape architects, and property managers. As well as Spanish-speaking populations.

Digital Communications
The City will utilize multiple digital communication platforms to keep the community informed, including:
 City website content and project updates: slocity.org/wildfire with downloadable resources, videos, maps, DHA request, Firewise information  Social media platforms: Instagram and Facebook
 Electronic newsletters: Public Safety Newsletter
 Emergency preparedness communications: Alert SLO
 Firewise Community communications: Firewise Newsletter

Digital communications will provide ongoing project updates, educational content, event announcements, success stories, and information regarding available wildfire preparedness services. An annual project summary highlighting accomplishments, participation metrics, Firewise Community growth, Detailed Home Assessments completed, and homeowner implementation success will be shared with the community through digital communications and public presentations.

Geofenced Digital Outreach
The City will utilize targeted digital advertising and geofencing technology to expand the reach of the Wildfire Ready SLO program and ensure wildfire preparedness information is delivered to residents within the City of San Luis Obispo. Location-based digital advertising campaigns will display Wildfire Ready SLO educational banner advertisements and public service messages to individuals using social media platforms and participating websites while they are located within or near the City limits. These advertisements will direct users to slocity.org/wildfire, where they can access the City's wildfire preparedness resources, complete the GIS-based Wildfire SelfAssessment, request a Detailed Home Assessment, register for workshops, and learn more about home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping, Firewise USA Communities, and emergency preparedness. Geofencing technology will allow the City to efficiently target outreach to residents, workers, and visitors within the project area, increasing public awareness, expanding participation in wildfire preparedness programs, and ensuring educational messaging reaches the populations most likely to benefit from the project.

Media Outreach
The City will coordinate media outreach efforts throughout the project's life, including project announcements, milestone updates, community success stories, and wildfire preparedness campaigns. Media engagement will include press releases, interviews, public service messaging, and educational campaigns designed to expand community awareness and participation. Short media outreach of success stories showing the before-and-after has been a continued success for us currently. Expanding on this will encourage other homeowners to realize that the tasks of Defensible Space and Home Hardening can feel challenging, but not impossible. We plan to leverage a wellestablished citywide media department with 2 full-time staff members.

Project Progress Reporting
Project accomplishments and outcomes will be communicated regularly to residents through community presentations, outreach events, digital communications, Firewise

Community meetings, and project reporting materials. Communications will highlight measurable accomplishments, including completed Detailed Home Assessments, conducted community outreach activities, Firewise Community growth, homeowner implementation success stories, and other project achievements.

Community Partnership Communications
Project partners, including Emergency Management, the City Arborist, the City Biologist, Firewise Communities, and homeowner’s associations, will help expand communication efforts and ensure consistent messaging throughout the community.

Through these coordinated communication strategies, Wildfire Ready SLO will maintain ongoing engagement with residents, promote transparency, encourage participation, and reinforce the educational messages necessary to improve wildfire preparedness and community resilience throughout the City of San Luis Obispo.

Professional Partner Communications
Wildfire Ready SLO will maintain ongoing communication with professional partners whose work directly influences wildfire resilience throughout the community. Educational outreach will target landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, homeowner associations, property managers, irrigation professionals, arborists, builders, architects, and other organizations that routinely make decisions affecting vegetation management, landscape design, and structure ignition potential. Through workshops, presentations, technical guidance, newsletters, and digital communications, these partners will receive current information on home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping, defensible space, and wildfire preparedness initiatives.

Professional partner communications will also promote collaboration between the City and organizations such as the AIA California Central Coast Chapter, Fire Safe Council, homeowner associations, and other community stakeholders to ensure consistent wildfire prevention messaging throughout San Luis Obispo. By engaging these trusted professional networks, Wildfire Ready SLO extends educational outreach well beyond individual homeowners, creating a multiplier effect that encourages the adoption of wildfire-resilient practices across neighborhoods, businesses, and future development throughout the community.

Describe any plans to maintain the project after the grant period has ended. *

The City of San Luis Obispo is committed to maintaining and expanding the Wildfire Ready SLO program beyond the grantfunded performance period. Proposition 4 funding will establish long-term program capacity by expanding an existing wildfire prevention education program rather than creating a temporary initiative. The City's objective is to institutionalize wildfire prevention education as a core component of Community Risk Reduction and Fire Prevention Bureau operations.

Throughout the grant period, the City will integrate Wildfire Ready SLO into existing Fire Department programs, community outreach efforts, Emergency Management initiatives, Firewise USA Community development, and public education activities.

The City has demonstrated a long-term commitment to wildfire resilience through adoption of the California Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code, implementation of the Wildfire
Preparedness and Vegetation Management Plan, establishment of three Firewise USA Communities, and continued investment in wildfire preparedness education. Wildfire Ready SLO builds upon these long-term commitments rather than creating a stand-alone program. The project's GIS-based Survey123 platform, Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) Program, homeowner educational
materials, Wildfire Ready SLO website, performance
dashboards, and professional education curriculum will remain valuable City resources that can continue supporting wildfire preparedness long after the grant has concluded.

The City intends to continue leveraging partnerships established through this project, including collaboration with the City's Emergency Management Program, Community Development
Department, City Arborist, City Biologist, Fire Safe Council, AIA California Central Coast Chapter, homeowner associations, landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, Firewise USA Communities, and other community organizations. These partnerships create a sustainable network of wildfire
preparedness advocates that will continue promoting wildfire resilience throughout the community.

The Wildfire Ready SLO program has already demonstrated strong community demand through approximately 100 completed

Detailed Home Assessments, homeowner implementation rates exceeding 50 percent, the establishment of three Firewise USA Communities, and increasing requests for wildfire preparedness education. The City anticipates that continued public
participation, neighborhood engagement, and professional partnerships developed during the grant period will sustain community interest and support for the program well beyond the life of the grant.

During the final year of the project, the City will complete a comprehensive program evaluation and develop a long-term sustainability strategy. This strategy will identify opportunities to incorporate successful program components into ongoing Fire Prevention Bureau operations, pursue future grant funding, seek partnerships with public and private organizations, and evaluate potential local funding opportunities that support continued wildfire prevention education and community resilience efforts.

Because Wildfire Ready SLO emphasizes education, behavior change, community partnerships, and institutional capacity building rather than one-time project activities, many of the program's benefits will continue long after grant funding has ended. The educational materials, GIS and Survey123 platform, professional partnerships, Firewise USA Communities,
homeowner knowledge, trained staff, and established community relationships developed through this project will continue supporting wildfire preparedness throughout the City of San Luis Obispo for years to come.

Ultimately, Proposition 4 funding will enable the City to transition Wildfire Ready SLO from a successful pilot program into a sustainable, community-supported wildfire prevention program that continues reducing structure ignition potential, strengthening neighborhood resilience, and protecting lives, property, critical infrastructure, and community assets well beyond the grant performance period
Does the proposed project work with other organizations or agencies to address fire hazard reduction at the landscape level? *

Wildfire Ready SLO is built upon a collaborative, landscapescale approach to wildfire resilience that brings together local government agencies, public safety partners, natural resource professionals, community organizations, homeowner
associations, and private-sector partners to reduce wildfire risk throughout the City of San Luis Obispo. While the proposed project is focused on wildfire prevention education rather than hazardous fuels reduction, it directly supports landscape-level fire hazard reduction by educating the individuals and
organizations responsible for vegetation management,
landscape design, community planning, and long-term
stewardship of the City's wildland-urban interface.

The City has developed an interdisciplinary wildfire resilience program that coordinates efforts among multiple departments and organizations to ensure consistent messaging, technical expertise, and community engagement. Project partners include:
 City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department – Overall
project management, Detailed Home Assessments,
wildfire prevention education, Firewise USA Community
development, and technical assistance.
 City Emergency Management Program – Evacuation
preparedness, Ready, Set, Go! education, AlertSLO
promotion, Firewise Community support, and community
preparedness planning.
 City Arborist – Technical guidance on urban forestry, Fire Smart Landscaping, vegetation management, tree
maintenance, and wildfire-resilient landscape practices.  City Biologist – Integration of wildfire resilience with habitat protection, native vegetation management,
ecological stewardship, and environmental sustainability.  Community Development Department – Coordination of
wildfire resilience principles with land use planning,
development review, building standards, and
implementation of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.

 GIS Program – Development and maintenance of GIS
mapping, Survey123 data collection, performance
dashboards, and wildfire risk analysis that support project implementation and evaluation.

The project also leverages strong partnerships with organizations actively engaged in wildfire preparedness and landscape management, including:
 San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council
 AIA California Central Coast Chapter
 Firewise USA Communities
 Homeowner Associations
 Landscape contractors
 Landscape architects
 Nurseries and garden centers
 Property management companies
 Arborists and tree care professionals
 Builders, architects, and design professionals
 Neighborhood organizations and community groups
These partnerships extend the reach of the project beyond individual homeowners by engaging the professionals and organizations that influence vegetation management, landscape design, plant selection, irrigation practices, and long-term maintenance of properties throughout the community. By
providing education to these groups, Wildfire Ready SLO creates a multiplier effect in which wildfire-resilient practices are incorporated into hundreds of residential and commercial properties over time.

The project also complements the City's broader wildfire resilience initiatives, including implementation of the City of San Luis Obispo Wildfire Preparedness and Vegetation Management Plan, the CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit (SLU) Strategic Fire Plan, ongoing Firewise USA Community development, open
space management programs, and adoption of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code. Together, these initiatives create a coordinated approach to reducing wildfire risk across neighborhoods, open space interfaces, and community assets.

Although Wildfire Ready SLO does not directly perform
hazardous fuels reduction or vegetation treatment, the education and technical assistance provided through the project directly support landscape-level fire hazard reduction by increasing homeowner implementation of defensible space, Zone 0
readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping, home hardening, and
wildfire preparedness measures. Educational outreach to landscape professionals, homeowner associations, and
community organizations further reinforces wildfire-resilient vegetation management practices across the City, helping reduce structure ignition potential and strengthen community resilience at a landscape scale.

The City has already demonstrated the effectiveness of this collaborative approach through the establishment of three Firewise USA Communities, the development of the Detailed Home Assessment Program, and strong participation from City departments, community partners, and residents. Proposition 4 funding will allow these partnerships to expand further, creating a sustainable, community-wide network that supports wildfire resilience well beyond the grant period.

Section IV
Project Implementation

1. Discuss the anticipated timeline for the project. Make sure to take seasonal restrictions into account. *

Project Overview
The City of San Luis Obispo will implement Wildfire Ready SLO over a five-year grant period by expanding an existing wildfire prevention education program established through a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant. The current program has successfully demonstrated community demand for wildfire preparedness services by developing the City's Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) Program, GIS-based risk assessment tools, Survey123 data collection platform, homeowner education materials, and the Firewise USA Community program.

Proposition 4 funding will allow the City to transition from a limited pilot program into a comprehensive citywide wildfire resilience initiative capable of providing approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments, expanding Firewise USA Communities, increasing professional education, and significantly improving homeowner implementation of wildfire resilience measures throughout the City.

Unlike a new program, Wildfire Ready SLO is built upon an established operational framework, allowing implementation activities to begin immediately upon grant award.

Wildfire Ready SLO Program Delivery
Residents may access the program through multiple communication channels, including direct mail, social media, community workshops, homeowner associations, Firewise USA Communities, Farmers' Market outreach, public events, professional partner organizations, media campaigns, or by visiting slocity.org/wildfire.

Residents may request a Detailed Home Assessment by contacting the Fire Department by telephone or email, contacting Community Risk Reduction staff directly, or submitting an online request through the City's website. Homeowners may also complete the City's GIS-based Survey123 Wildfire Self-Assessment, allowing residents to evaluate their own property, request a professional assessment, and schedule neighborhood wildfire preparedness presentations.

Each Detailed Home Assessment provides individualized education addressing:
 Home hardening
 Defensible space
 Zone 0 readiness
 Fire Smart Landscaping
 Firewise USA Communities
 Emergency preparedness
 Evacuation planning

During the site visit, homeowners receive printed educational materials, access to digital resources, individualized recommendations, and handwritten field notes identifying existing strengths and opportunities to improve wildfire resilience.

A comprehensive electronic report is provided to the homeowner the same day as the assessment. The report includes photographs taken during the site visit, propertyspecific recommendations, educational resources, implementation guidance, and links to the City's online wildfire preparedness library, including the 31-page Wildfire Preparedness Guide, educational videos, and additional technical resources.

Following the assessment, participating homeowners may enroll in the Wildfire Ready SLO newsletter to receive follow-up communications at approximately 3, 6, and 9 months after the assessment. Homeowners are encouraged to revisit their GIS-based Survey123 assessment to document completed improvements and schedule a follow-up assessment approximately one year after the initial visit to evaluate progress and provide additional technical assistance.

Annual Operational Work Plan
The Wildfire Ready SLO program will operate continuously throughout the grant period.

Activity Annual Goal
Detailed Home Assessments Approximately 500
Homeowner Follow-up Assessments Approximately 250
Homeowner Association Presentations Monthly
Community Workshops Monthly
Farmers' Market Wildfire Outreach Events Monthly
Community Town Hall Meetings Quarterly
Professional Partner Workshops Quarterly
Firewise USA Community Meetings Quarterly
Social Media Campaigns Continuous
Educational Mailers Annual
Public Safety Newsletters Quarterly
Press Releases / Media Updates Monthly
Five-Year Implementation Timeline
Year 1 – Program Expansion
Building on the City's existing wildfire prevention program, the first year will focus on expanding staffing capacity, increasing the availability of Detailed Home Assessments, and broadening community outreach.

Major activities include:
 Hiring the Limited-Term Wildfire Resilience Intern.
 Extending Community Risk Reduction Intern staffing.
 Expanding Detailed Home Assessment capacity.
 Increasing public outreach and community education.
 Expanding Firewise USA Community engagement.

 Launching the Professional Wildfire Education & Community Partnership Program.
 Enhancing GIS, Survey123, and program performance tracking.  Coordinating implementation with Emergency Management, the City Arborist, the City Biologist, homeowner associations, Firewise Communities, and other community partners.

Year 1 Outcome
Expanded staffing, fully operational project infrastructure, increased community awareness, and significantly increased access to wildfire preparedness services.

Years 2–4 – Full Program Implementation
The project will operate at full capacity while continuing to expand wildfire prevention education throughout the community.

Major activities include:
 Approximately 500 Detailed Home Assessments annually.  Approximately 250 homeowner follow-up assessments annually.  Monthly community workshops and HOA presentations.
 Monthly Farmers' Market wildfire preparedness outreach.  Quarterly Firewise USA Community meetings.
 Quarterly professional education workshops for landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, property managers, builders, and other community partners.
 Annual educational mailers.
 Quarterly newsletters.
 Monthly media releases.
 Continuous social media outreach.
 Ongoing Fire Smart Landscaping education.
 Home hardening education.
 Zone 0 readiness education.
 Firewise USA Community development and expansion.
 Annual homeowner implementation tracking and program evaluation.

Years 2–4 Outcomes
 Expanded homeowner participation.
 Increased implementation of wildfire resilience measures.  Growth of Firewise USA Communities.
 Increased professional adoption of wildfire-resilient landscape and vegetation management practices.
 Demonstrated improvements in homeowner preparedness and community awareness.

Year 5 – Program Sustainability
The final year will focus on long-term sustainability and integration of successful program components into ongoing City operations.

Major activities include:
 Completion of remaining Detailed Home Assessments.
 Final homeowner follow-up assessments.
 Comprehensive program evaluation.

 Documentation of homeowner implementation outcomes.
 Firewise USA Community sustainability planning.
 Presentation of project results to City leadership, community partners, and residents.
 Identification of future funding opportunities.
 Integration of successful practices into ongoing wildfire prevention programming.

Year 5 Outcome
A sustainable, data-driven wildfire-prevention education program that supports longterm community resilience beyond the grant period.

Seasonal Considerations
Because Wildfire Ready SLO is a public education initiative, seasonal environmental restrictions will have minimal impact on project implementation. The City's Mediterranean climate allows Detailed Home Assessments, community workshops, Firewise USA Community engagement, and public outreach activities to occur yearround.

Educational campaigns will be strategically emphasized during the spring and early summer months to encourage homeowners to complete home hardening improvements, vegetation management, Zone 0 readiness activities, and emergency preparedness planning before peak wildfire season. Additional messaging will be provided throughout fire season in coordination with CAL FIRE, the City's Emergency Management Program, and local wildfire preparedness initiatives.

Adaptive Management and Performance Evaluation
Project performance will be continuously evaluated using GIS mapping, Survey123 data, homeowner follow-up surveys, participation metrics, Firewise USA Community growth, workshop attendance, and community feedback. Performance data will be reviewed regularly to identify participation trends, evaluate homeowner implementation of wildfire resilience measures, and refine outreach priorities throughout the grant period.

This adaptive management approach will allow the City to continually improve educational messaging, target underserved neighborhoods, strengthen community partnerships, and maximize project effectiveness.

Expected Project Outcomes
Over the five-year implementation period, Wildfire Ready SLO is expected to:
 Complete approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments.  Conduct approximately 1,250 homeowner follow-up assessments.  Expand Firewise USA Community participation.
 Increase homeowner implementation of Zone 0 readiness, home hardening, and Fire Smart Landscaping practices.
 Increase professional adoption of wildfire-resilient landscape and vegetation management practices.
 Improve emergency preparedness and evacuation readiness.  Maintain homeowner implementation rates exceeding 50 percent.  Demonstrate measurable reductions in homeowner wildfire risk through follow-up assessments.
 Build a sustainable wildfire prevention education program that continues beyond the grant period.

Rather than providing one-time wildfire education, Wildfire Ready SLO establishes a continuous cycle of homeowner engagement, individualized education, implementation support, follow-up, community partnership, and performance evaluation that builds lasting wildfire resilience throughout the City of San Luis Obispo.

2. Verify the expected timeframes to complete the project will fall under the required completion dates depending on the source of the funds awarded. * The City of San Luis Obispo has developed a project schedule that fully aligns with CAL FIRE's required grant performance period and is confident that all project activities, deliverables, financial reporting, and grant closeout requirements can be completed within the required timeframe.

Wildfire Ready SLO is proposed as a 5 year wildfire prevention education and community resilience initiative that intentionally includes sufficient time for project startup, procurement of educational materials and outreach equipment, staffing, implementation, performance evaluation, final reporting, and project closeout activities.

The project schedule has been developed to ensure all grant-funded activities are completed prior to the required completion date while maintaining flexibility to accommodate unforeseen circumstances.

Wildfire Ready SLO expands an existing wildfire prevention education program already operating within the City. The Detailed Home Assessment Program, GIS and Survey123 data collection platform, homeowner education materials, wildfire preparedness website, Firewise USA Community program, and community partnerships have already been established through previous City investments and FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant funding. Because this operational foundation is already in place, project implementation can begin immediately following grant award.

Following startup activities, the City will implement the full scope of work throughout the remainder of the grant period, including approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments, homeowner follow-up assessments, community workshops, homeowner association presentations, Firewise USA Community development, professional partner education, public awareness campaigns, educational mailers, and ongoing digital communications. Project performance will be monitored continuously using GIS mapping, Survey123 data, homeowner follow-up surveys, participation metrics, and regular progress reporting to ensure milestones remain on schedule.

Because Wildfire Ready SLO is a public education and community engagement project rather than a hazardous fuels treatment project, seasonal environmental restrictions are expected to have minimal impact on implementation. Detailed Home Assessments, Firewise activities, community workshops, outreach events, and educational campaigns can occur year-round within San Luis Obispo's Mediterranean climate, allowing the City to maintain consistent progress throughout the five-year implementation period.

The City has already demonstrated its administrative, financial, and operational capacity by successfully implementing wildfire prevention programs, completing approximately 100 Detailed Home Assessments, establishing three Firewise USA Communities, and documenting homeowner implementation of recommended wildfire resilience measures.

These existing capabilities, combined with dedicated project staffing, established partnerships, and a phased implementation schedule, provide confidence that Wildfire Ready SLO will successfully meet all grant objectives, performance measures, reporting requirements, and project completion deadlines within the required grant performance period.

3. Using bullets, list the milestones that will be used to measure the progress of the project. *
The following milestones will be used to measure the implementation and progress of Wildfire Ready SLO throughout the five-year grant period. These milestones provide measurable indicators of project performance, community engagement, homeowner participation, and successful completion of grant objectives.

Project Startup Milestones
 Execute the CAL FIRE grant agreement and complete all project startup activities.
 Establish project management procedures, financial tracking, reporting protocols, and implementation schedules.
 Hire and onboard the Limited-Term Wildfire Resilience Intern.  Extend staffing for two Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Interns.  Complete procurement of outreach equipment, educational materials, demonstration supplies, and program resources.
 Finalize GIS mapping tools, Survey123 data collection systems, project dashboards, and performance evaluation metrics.
 Launch enhancements to the Wildfire Ready SLO website, including the GISbased Wildfire Self-Assessment, homeowner resource library, educational videos, and online Detailed Home Assessment request portal.

Program Implementation Milestones
 Launch the expanded Wildfire Ready SLO Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) Program.
 Complete approximately 500 Detailed Home Assessments annually.  Conduct approximately 250 homeowner follow-up assessments annually, based on homeowner participation.
 Provide homeowners with same-day digital assessment reports, including photographs, individualized recommendations, educational resources, and implementation guidance.
 Implement annual citywide wildfire preparedness mail campaigns.  Launch and maintain continuous social media, digital advertising, and geofenced public awareness campaigns throughout the grant period.  Conduct 12 community workshops annually.
 Conduct 12 Homeowners Association presentations annually.  Participate in 12 Farmers' Market wildfire preparedness outreach events annually.
 Conduct 4 community Town Hall meetings annually.
 Conduct 4 Professional Wildfire Education workshops annually for landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, property managers, builders, architects, and other professional partners.
 Conduct 4 Firewise USA Community meetings annually to support existing communities and neighborhoods pursuing Firewise recognition.

Community Resilience Milestones
 Expand participation and support for existing Firewise USA Communities.  Assist additional neighborhoods pursuing Firewise USA Community recognition.  Increase homeowner participation in Zone 0 readiness, home hardening, Fire Smart Landscaping, and emergency preparedness activities.  Expand professional education and partnerships with landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, homeowner associations, property managers, builders, architects, arborists, and other organizations that influence wildfire resilience.
 Increase community participation in the City's GIS-based Wildfire SelfAssessment and online wildfire preparedness resources.  Increase resident participation in wildfire preparedness workshops, community outreach events, and neighborhood education programs.

Performance Measurement Milestones

 Maintain GIS and Survey123 tracking for 100 percent of Detailed Home Assessments.
 Monitor homeowner implementation through scheduled 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up communications.
 Encourage and complete one-year homeowner reassessments to document completed wildfire resilience improvements.
 Maintain homeowner implementation rates exceeding 50 percent, based on follow-up assessments.
 Achieve a target 25 percent reduction in identified home hardening and defensible space deficiencies among participating properties during follow-up assessments.
 Track community participation through workshop attendance, outreach contacts, website utilization, GIS analytics, digital advertising metrics, and social media engagement.
 Monitor Firewise USA Community participation, neighborhood engagement, and professional partner involvement throughout the project.  Evaluate homeowner knowledge gains through pre- and post-program surveys and follow-up evaluations.

Grant Management and Project Closeout Milestones
 Submit all required quarterly and annual CAL FIRE performance and financial reports.
 Monitor project expenditures and ensure compliance with grant requirements.  Complete comprehensive project evaluation and outcome assessment.  Document project accomplishments, homeowner implementation outcomes, and community resilience improvements.
 Present project results to City leadership, community partners, and the public.  Develop recommendations for long-term program sustainability and future funding opportunities.
 Successfully complete all grant deliverables and project closeout requirements within the required grant performance period.

Expected Five-Year Project Deliverables
By the conclusion of the grant period, Wildfire Ready SLO is expected to achieve the following measurable outcomes:
 Approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments completed.  Approximately 1,250 homeowner follow-up assessments were conducted, based on homeowner participation.

 60 community workshops were conducted.
 60 Homeowners Association presentations delivered.
 60 Farmers' Market wildfire preparedness outreach events completed.  20 Community Town Hall meetings conducted.
 20 Professional Wildfire Education workshops completed.  20 Firewise USA Community meetings conducted.
 Expanded Firewise USA Community participation throughout the City.  Increased homeowner implementation of Zone 0 readiness, home hardening, Fire Smart Landscaping, and emergency preparedness practices.  Increased professional adoption of wildfire-resilient landscaping and vegetation management principles.
 Continuous public engagement through annual mailers, quarterly newsletters, monthly press releases, year-round social media outreach, and targeted geofenced digital advertising campaigns.
 A sustainable, data-driven wildfire prevention education program that continues to serve the City of San Luis Obispo beyond the grant period.

4. Using bullets, list the measurable outcomes (i.e. project deliverables) that will be used to measure the project’s success. *
Measurable Outcomes (Project Deliverables)
The success of Wildfire Ready SLO will be measured through the completion of the following measurable project deliverables and documented community outcomes over the five-year grant period.

Homeowner Education & Assessment Deliverables
 Complete a target of approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs) throughout the grant period.
 Provide same-day digital assessment reports to participating homeowners following each Detailed Home Assessment. Reports will include property photographs, individualized recommendations, educational resources, implementation guidance, and links to additional online wildfire preparedness resources.
 Conduct a target of approximately 1,250 homeowner follow-up assessments, based on homeowner participation, to document completed wildfire resilience improvements.
 Maintain homeowner implementation rates of 50% or greater for recommended home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, defensible space, Fire Smart Landscaping, and emergency preparedness measures.
 Achieve a target 25% reduction in identified home hardening and defensible space deficiencies among participating properties during follow-up assessments.

 Provide every participating homeowner access to the City's GIS-based Survey123 Wildfire Self-Assessment, allowing residents to document completed improvements and monitor their wildfire resilience progress over time.

Community Education Deliverables
 Conduct a target of approximately 60 community wildfire preparedness workshops.
 Conduct a target of approximately 60 Homeowners' Association (HOA) presentations.
 Participate in a target of approximately 60 Farmers' Market wildfire preparedness outreach events.
 Conduct a target of approximately 20 community Town Hall meetings.  Deliver individualized wildfire preparedness education to thousands of residents through Detailed Home Assessments, workshops, outreach events, neighborhood presentations, and community engagement activities.  Increase resident awareness of home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping, evacuation preparedness, and wildfire risk reduction strategies.

Professional Education Deliverables
 Conduct a minimum of 20 Professional Wildfire Education workshops for landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, homeowner associations, property managers, builders, architects, arborists, irrigation professionals, and other community partners.
 Develop and distribute Fire Smart Landscaping guidance materials for landscape professionals and private-sector partners.
 Establish and maintain professional partnerships that expand wildfire prevention education throughout the community.
 Increase professional awareness and implementation of wildfire-resilient landscaping, vegetation management, Zone 0 readiness, defensible space, and home hardening principles.

Firewise USA Community Deliverables
 Maintain technical assistance and educational support for the City's three existing Firewise USA Communities.
 Assist additional neighborhoods pursuing Firewise USA Community recognition.  Conduct ongoing Firewise USA meetings, neighborhood education, preparedness events, and technical assistance.
 Increase resident participation in neighborhood wildfire preparedness and Firewise USA activities.

Public Outreach & Communications Deliverables
 Distribute annual wildfire preparedness mailers throughout the project area.  Publish quarterly wildfire preparedness newsletters.

 Maintain continuous wildfire preparedness messaging through social media platforms throughout the grant period.
 Publish monthly press releases, project updates, and community success stories.  Implement geofenced digital advertising campaigns promoting Wildfire Ready SLO to residents and visitors located within the City of San Luis Obispo.  Maintain and expand the Wildfire Ready SLO website, online wildfire preparedness resource library, educational videos, and GIS-based Wildfire SelfAssessment platform.

GIS, Evaluation & Performance Deliverables
 Maintain 100 percent GIS and Survey123 documentation for all Detailed Home Assessments.
 Maintain a public-facing GIS/Survey123 dashboard allowing homeowners to access educational resources, monitor progress, and update completed wildfire resilience improvements.
 Track homeowner participation, implementation rates, Firewise USA participation, workshop attendance, outreach contacts, website utilization, GIS analytics, digital advertising performance, and social media engagement.
 Evaluate homeowner knowledge gains through pre- and post-program surveys, follow-up evaluations, and homeowner implementation tracking.  Prepare and submit all required CAL FIRE performance reports, financial reports, and grant documentation throughout the project period.

Long-Term Community Outcomes
By the conclusion of the grant period, Wildfire Ready SLO is expected to achieve the following measurable community outcomes:
 Complete a target of approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments.  Complete a target of approximately 1,250 homeowner follow-up assessments, based on homeowner participation.
 Expand participation in Firewise USA Communities throughout the City.  Increase homeowner implementation of Zone 0 readiness, home hardening, Fire Smart Landscaping, defensible space, and emergency preparedness practices.  Increase professional adoption of wildfire-resilient landscape design, vegetation management, and home hardening principles.
 Increase community participation in wildfire preparedness education, neighborhood engagement, and Firewise USA activities.
 Improve homeowner understanding of wildfire risk, structure ignitability, and personal responsibility for reducing wildfire risk.
 Build a sustainable, data-driven wildfire prevention education program capable of serving the City of San Luis Obispo well beyond the grant-funded implementation period.

5. List any existing forest or land management plans; Conservation Easements; Covenant, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&R’s); matters

related to zoning; use restrictions, or other factors that can or will limit the wildfire prevention proposed activity? *
Wildfire Ready SLO is not expected to be limited by existing forest or land management plans, conservation easements, zoning restrictions, or other land use constraints because the project consists exclusively of wildfire prevention education, Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs), technical assistance, Firewise USA Community development, professional education, and public outreach. The project does not include hazardous fuels reduction, prescribed burning, vegetation treatment, construction, or other grounddisturbing activities that would typically require environmental permitting, land management approvals, or compliance with forest management plans.

Rather than limiting project implementation, several existing plans, policies, and community initiatives provide a strong foundation that supports and reinforces Wildfire Ready SLO's objectives. These include:
 CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit (SLU) Strategic Fire Plan, which identifies the City of San Luis Obispo as a Priority Community for pre-fire management activities, including public education and community wildfire preparedness.  City of San Luis Obispo Wildfire Preparedness and Vegetation Management Plan.
 City of San Luis Obispo General Plan policies supporting climate adaptation, community resilience, wildfire preparedness, and public safety.  California Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code, adopted by the City and effective January 1, 2025, supports home hardening, defensible space, and wildfire-resilient development.
 Emergency preparedness and evacuation planning initiatives.  City open space, natural resource management, and vegetation management programs.
 Firewise USA Community initiatives that promote neighborhood-level wildfire preparedness and shared responsibility.

The City currently supports three recognized Firewise USA Communities:
 Buena Vista Estates (recognized March 11, 2026)
 Laguna Lake Mobile Estates (recognized May 12, 2026)
 San Luis Drive (recognized May 20, 2026)
The City is also actively assisting additional neighborhoods pursuing Firewise USA Community recognition. These existing programs provide established neighborhood

leadership, communication networks, and volunteer engagement that will enhance project implementation rather than limit it.

The City recognizes that some homeowner associations maintain Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) that may influence landscaping, architectural improvements, vegetation management, or exterior modifications. In addition, some older or historically significant homes may require property owners to consider design compatibility when implementing certain home hardening improvements. Wildfire Ready SLO addresses these situations through an education-first approach, providing individualized recommendations, technical assistance, and practical wildfire resilience strategies tailored to each property's unique circumstances.

Participation in Detailed Home Assessments and implementation of recommended wildfire resilience measures are entirely voluntary. While homeowner participation ultimately determines the implementation of recommended improvements, the City has already demonstrated that voluntary education is highly effective. Through approximately 100 completed Detailed Home Assessments, more than 50 percent of participating homeowners have implemented one or more recommended wildfire resilience measures. The program's same-day assessment reports, GIS-based Survey123 tracking, quarterly follow-up communications, one-year reassessment opportunities, and continued technical assistance are designed to encourage long-term homeowner participation and sustained behavior change.

The City also recognizes that some residents may face financial, physical, or other barriers to implementing wildfire resilience improvements. To help overcome these challenges, the project provides practical, cost-conscious recommendations; Fire Smart Landscaping education; home hardening guidance with estimated implementation costs; Firewise USA Community support; professional education for landscape and design professionals; and ongoing technical assistance, allowing homeowners to prioritize improvements over time based on their individual circumstances.

Because Wildfire Ready SLO is a voluntary, education-based community resilience project, the City does not anticipate any significant planning, zoning, conservation, environmental, or regulatory constraints that would prevent successful implementation.

Instead, existing City policies, the CAL FIRE SLU Strategic Fire Plan, Firewise USA Communities, and established community partnerships provide a strong framework that supports successful project delivery and long-term wildfire resilience throughout the City of San Luis Obispo.

Section V
Administration

1. Describe any previous experience the project proponent has with similar projects. Include a list of recent past projects the proponent has successfully completed if applicable. Project applicant or manager having no previous experience with similar projects should discuss any past experiences that may help show a capacity to successfully complete the project being proposed. This may include partnering with a more experienced organization that can provide project support. * The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department has extensive experience implementing community risk reduction, wildfire preparedness, public education, emergency management, code compliance, wildfire resilience, and managing grant-funded programs. Wildfire Ready SLO builds upon several existing programs and initiatives that demonstrate the City's ability to successfully implement and manage the proposed project.

Most notably, the City has successfully developed and implemented a pilot program with temporary and limited funding for a Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) Program focused on wildfire preparedness, home hardening, defensible space education, Fire Smart Landscaping, and homeowner wildfire resilience. The funding terminates and without grant assistance the program will cease.

To date, the City has:
 Completed approximately 100 Detailed Home Assessments.  Documented homeowner implementation rates exceeding 50 percent following assessments.
 Established three recognized Firewise USA Communities.  Supported additional neighborhoods pursuing Firewise USA recognition.  Developed GIS-based wildfire risk assessment and tracking tools.  Implemented Survey123-based data collection and performance tracking systems.
 Established a waiting list for Detailed Home Assessments, demonstrating strong community demand for wildfire preparedness services.

The City has also demonstrated successful administration of federal, state, and local grant-funded projects. The department has successfully managed both FEMA Assistance to Firefighter Grants Fire Prevention and Safety Grants. They have been for both equipment and training. FEMA conducted a desk review of an AFG grant project that involved training firefighters to become paramedics and concluded the grant project and management was progressing satisfactorily. Other successful grant projects have been with the Office of Traffic Safety for the purchase of extrication equipment and a

CALFIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant for hazardous fuels reduction with chippers that is currently ongoing.

The proposed project will be supported by an established team of experienced professionals, including Fire Prevention personnel, Community Risk Reduction staff, Emergency Management staff, the City Arborist, the City Biologist, GIS support personnel, and community partners. These individuals already collaborate on wildfire preparedness, Firewise Community development, vegetation management education, open space stewardship, and community resilience initiatives. The project type of work is the same work identified in the SLU Plan and supported by many different departments within the City organization.

2. Identify who will be responsible for tracking project expenses and maintaining project records in a manner that allows for a full audit trail of any awarded grant funds. *
The City of San Luis Obispo has established financial management, procurement, record retention, and auditing procedures to administer and document all activities associated with the proposed project.

The Fire Department's Business Analyst, Nicole Vert, will be responsible for tracking project expenditures, monitoring grant budgets, maintaining financial records, coordinating reimbursement requests, and ensuring compliance with all applicable grant requirements in a manner that allows for a full audit trail of any awarded grant funds.

The Business Analyst has experience supporting grant-funded projects and coordinating financial reporting, budget tracking, and documentation requirements.

Nicole is also the Department Fiscal Officer where she has successfully managed an $18MM+ annual operating budget, and multiple grants. Nicole will work with other department and City staff, the City Finance Department, and Enterprise Resource Planning software to ensure all costs are able to be audited and tracked.

The Fire Marshal, serving as Project Manager, will be responsible for overall project oversight, monitoring project progress, verifying deliverables, reviewing expenditures for consistency with approved project activities, and ensuring compliance with grant performance requirements.

The City of San Luis Obispo has successfully administered federal, state, and local grant-funded programs and has established internal controls, financial oversight procedures, and documentation practices necessary to support grant compliance and future audit requirements. These systems will ensure that all awarded grant funds are properly tracked, documented, and managed throughout the life of the project.

Section VI

Budget
A detailed project budget should be provided in the online budget included in this solicitation.

The space provided here is to allow for a narrative description to further explain the proposed budget.

1. Explain how the grant funds, if awarded, will be spent to support the goals and objectives of the project. If equipment grant funds are requested, explain how the equipment will be utilized and maintained beyond the life of the grant. *
Grant funds will be used for the primary activity of the project which is Wildfire Ready SLO, a community wildfire resilience and wildfire prevention education initiative designed to increase homeowners' implementation of wildfire risk-reduction measures, expand home hardening education outreach, and increase home hardening for structure survivability throughout the City of San Luis Obispo.

The City of San Luis Obispo is facing significant financial challenges that impact our ability to fund projects, equipment or staff beyond critical frontline emergency response capabilities. Available resources are prioritized toward critical life and safety programs.

Slowing sales tax revenue combined with increasing expenses has created projected shortfalls to the General Fund of approximately $9.4 million in Fiscal Year 2025-26, with continued deficits projected through FY 2028-29. In response to the City’s financial challenges, all departments were directed to reduce expenditures. Because of those reductions, SLOFD was forced to eliminate 3 firefighter positions as of June 2026. As a result, SLOFD cannot fund the intern positions or any project costs without grant funds.

The San Luis Obispo Fire Department’s FY 2025-26 operating budget is approximately $19.1 million, with personnel costs accounting for nearly 93%, or $17,746,785 of the department’s total budget. The City of San Luis Obispo is a participating agency in California’s Public Employee Pension Fund (CALPERS) which experienced significant investment losses during the Great Recession creating an unfunded pension liability crisis that continues to affect current budgets. In response, CALPERS increased the employer contributions to the funds. As a result, the Fire Department must dedicate $4.5 million, or nearly 24% of the total budget, for unfunded liability payments to CALPERS. Leaving only about $1.3 million available for operational costs, including apparatus maintenance, training, and equipment replacement.

Personnel and Program Capacity
Grant funds will support a Limited-Term Wildfire Resilient Intern and two CRR Interns.

These positions are critical to expanding service capacity and meeting growing community demand for wildfire preparedness services. A FEMA grant for $62,000 over a two year period allowed SLOFD to hire and train interns that have successfully launched the program and demonstrated measurable progress toward its intended goals. CAL FIRE grant funds will allow the department to expand the program and continue community education beyond the FEMA grant period that is reaching its end date.

The Wildfire Resilient Intern will support project implementation, coordinating DHA’s, assisting with Firewise USA community recognition and renewal efforts, developing public education materials and maintaining project databases and inspection records.

This includes tracking homes assessed and the mitigation measures taken. It will also coordinate outreach events and workshops and track program metrics and evaluation of program effectiveness to ensure goals are being attained.

The CRR Interns will conduct Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs), participate in community outreach events, support wildfire preparedness workshops, assist with Firewise Community development, and provide direct education to residents regarding home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping, and emergency preparedness.

Together, these positions will enable the City to expand a proven wildfire prevention education program that currently maintains a waiting list and has already demonstrated homeowner implementation rates exceeding 50%.

Community Outreach and Public Education Expenses
Grant funding will support educational materials, outreach supplies, preparedness campaigns, community workshops, educational mailers, digital communications, outreach displays, and public engagement activities, including radio advertisements and billboard messaging that could not be otherwise created.

These resources will allow the City to expand wildfire prevention messaging related to:
 Zone 0 readiness
 Home hardening
 Fire Smart Landscaping
 Defensible space awareness
 Emergency preparedness
 Evacuation readiness
 Firewise Community participation
Educational materials and outreach activities will be used during Detailed Home Assessments, community events, homeowner association meetings, Firewise Community gatherings, neighborhood outreach, and public workshops.

Fire Smart Landscaping Education and Community Assistance Grant funds will support Fire Smart Landscaping Education activities. These efforts will provide residents with practical information, technical assistance, and implementation support that encourage wildfire-resilient landscaping practices and Zone 0 improvements.

The program will be implemented in collaboration with the City Arborist and City Biologist to ensure wildfire resilience objectives remain aligned with urban forest management, environmental stewardship, and open-space protection goals.

Firewise Community Support
Grant funds will support continued growth of the City's Firewise USA Community program through technical assistance, educational resources, outreach materials, community engagement efforts, and neighborhood preparedness activities.

These investments will help strengthen the City's three existing Firewise Communities and support additional neighborhoods pursuing recognition.

Program Evaluation and Performance Tracking
Grant funds will support data collection, GIS-based tracking, homeowner follow-up surveys, performance measurement, and project evaluation activities. The City of San Luis Obispo has a GIS team of specialists, and the program will be supported by this team. The resource specialists will allow the City to document project accomplishments, measure homeowner implementation rates, evaluate program effectiveness, and report outcomes to CAL FIRE. The team uses the entire GIS Suite, and our Specialists have currently built a Survey123 program that is in use.

Long-Term Sustainability
The proposed budget is intentionally focused on building long-term community wildfire prevention capacity rather than supporting short-term activities. By investing in personnel, outreach infrastructure, community partnerships, and proven education programs, the project will create lasting benefits that extend beyond the grant-funded implementation period.

The City has already demonstrated success through its Detailed Home Assessment Program, Firewise Community development efforts, wildfire preparedness outreach, and the implementation of the Wildland-Urban Interface Code. Grant funding will allow the City to scale these successful efforts and create a sustainable framework for continued wildfire resilience activities well into the future.

2. Are the costs for each proposed activity reasonable for the geographic area where they are to be performed? Identify any costs that are higher than usual and explain any special circumstances within the project that makes these increased costs necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of the project. *
The costs for the activity are reasonable for the San Luis Obispo geographic area.

The only special circumstance related to project costs may be the geographic

distance from major metropolitan areas. The City is situated between Los Angeles and San Francisco, where more vendors are situated, thus improving competition.

Travel and delivery costs may also be higher for delivery. This can be avoided by utilizing local firms, however, at times the prevalence of local vendors can be limited.

3. Is the total project cost appropriate for the size, scope, and anticipated benefit of the project? *
The City of San Luis Obispo believes the total project cost is appropriate, reasonable, and proportional to the size, scope, and anticipated benefits of Wildfire Ready SLO. The $720,590 in funding for interns and educational support materials will allow for dedicated resources City-wide, prioritizing areas most at risk.

For a total project cost of $720,590.00, the anticipated benefit is staggering. These resources will help improve the City’s ability to provide individualized guidance and instruction to homeowners on wildfire prevention and home resilience during a wildfire ultimately saving what could be billions of dollars in property loss from a wildfire that the County assessor’s office estimates is within the new FHSZ within the City. According to Zillow the average home value in the City of San Luis Obispo is $1,155,000, if this project prevents a single home from being destroyed by wildfire, the project cost of $720,590 would result in a cost-benefit ratio of over 2, each additional home saved increases the ratio. Additionally, the project benefits the entire City area, which has 6 census tracks with identified low-income communities under the California Climate Investments Priority Populations and would provide tremendous benefit to populations that are often most negatively impacted by wildfire.

The proposed budget is intentionally structured to maximize direct community benefit while building long-term wildfire prevention capacity. Most grant funds are dedicated to personnel, public education, wildfire preparedness outreach, and community resilience activities that will produce measurable results over the five-year grant period.

A significant portion of the budget supports personnel responsible for delivering approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs), conducting community outreach, supporting Firewise Community activities, providing homeowner education, and tracking project performance. These staff investments are essential to achieving the proposed scale of service delivery under the project and are proportional to the project area's size and the number of residents expected to benefit.

The budget also makes substantial investments in direct community benefits. The Fire Smart Landscape Education Program will provide homeowners with the education they

need for wildfire-resilient landscaping and Zone 0 improvements identified through Detailed Home Assessments. Grant funding supports educational mailers, public awareness campaigns, outreach displays, workshop materials, and community engagement efforts necessary to reach residents at a citywide scale and to encourage measurable behavior change.

The City has already demonstrated that this approach is effective. The existing DHA Program has completed approximately 100 assessments, documented homeowner implementation rates exceeding 50% , established three Firewise USA Communities, and generated a waiting list for wildfire preparedness services. Wildfire Ready SLO will build on this proven foundation by expanding service delivery, increasing homeowner participation, and scaling successful wildfire prevention activities. The total project cost is appropriate because it supports a five-year, citywide wildfire prevention education and resilience effort that will deliver approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments, expand Firewise Community participation, improve wildfire preparedness, increase home hardening and Zone 0 awareness, and strengthen long-term community resilience.

Given the scale of wildfire risk in San Luis Obispo, the City's documented increase in Fire Hazard Severity Zone exposure, the number of parcels and residents expected to benefit, and the project's emphasis on direct homeowner action and measurable outcomes, the City believes the total project cost represents a prudent and costeffective investment in wildfire prevention, community preparedness, and long-term resilience that are far-reaching and will continue to provide community benefit for year beyond the life of the grant.

4. Using bullets please list each object category amount that you are requesting and the detail of how that would support meeting the grant objectives. *
 Wildfire Resilient Intern (5 Years) – $165,000
o Working 30 hours per week to support overall project coordination, wildfire prevention program administration, community outreach, grant reporting, performance tracking, GIS coordination, homeowner engagement, Firewise Community support, and implementation of project activities throughout the five-year grant period.
 CRR Intern Extension (2 Interns / 5 Years) – $207,000 o These staff members will work twenty hours per week and be paid $20 per hour with no benefits. They will be responsible for completion of approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs), wildfire preparedness education, home hardening outreach, Zone 0 education, Fire Smart Landscaping education, homeowner association presentations, community workshops, Firewise Community support, and neighborhoodlevel engagement activities.

 Outreach Displays, Equipment & Materials – $26,500
o Supports educational displays, portable exhibits, demonstration materials, preparedness workshop equipment, home hardening displays, Zone 0 educational materials, Fire Smart Landscaping exhibits, and other publicfacing outreach tools used during workshops, community events, Firewise activities, and neighborhood meetings.
 Educational Mailers & Printed Materials – $45,000
o Supports development, printing, and distribution of wildfire preparedness mailers, educational brochures, Firewise materials, home hardening resources, Zone 0 educational guides, and community outreach materials distributed to residents throughout the project area.
 Community Outreach Supplies & Educational Materials – $17,700 o Supports community workshops, educational handouts, homeowner resources, preparedness demonstrations, outreach supplies, event materials, wildfire prevention educational tools, and other public engagement resources used to support project delivery and wildfire education efforts.
 Demonstration Materials - $5,800
o Demonstration items for Home hardening, Zone 0, Fire Smart Landscaping,
 Tablets - $3,900
o ipads and cases
 Intern Uniforms - $1,500
o Shirts, Hi-Vis vests, protective gear
 Battery Portable power station - $ 1,000
o Provide power in the field at community events
 Portable PA - $1,000
o Voice amplifier for community events
 Professional Community Partnership Program - $45,000
o Supplies to educate and partner with landscapers, arborists, nurseries, architects, and building material merchants that include tabletop exercises and perishable display items specifically targeted to these groups.  Media Campaign & Public Awareness – $55,000
o Supports community-wide wildfire preparedness messaging, public education campaigns, local media outreach, digital communications, social media promotion, public service announcements, and awareness efforts designed to increase resident participation, wildfire preparedness, and understanding of wildfire risk reduction measures.
 Indirect Costs - $93,990.00
 Total Grant Request -$720,590
o Supports expansion of the City of San Luis Obispo's wildfire prevention education and resilience program through approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments, home hardening education, Zone 0 readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping implementation, Firewise Community support, public education, direct homeowner assistance, and long-term community wildfire resilience activities throughout the City.

Section VII
California Climate Investments
The space provided here is to allow for a narrative description to further explain how the project/activity will reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions.

1. How will the project/activity reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions? * Wildfire Ready SLO will support California Climate Investments' goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through zero-emission transportation, promoting climateresilient landscaping practices, supporting urban forest health, and increasing community resilience to climate-driven wildfire risks.

The project will also reduce greenhouse gas impacts through its Fire Smart Landscaping education efforts, which will promote climate-adapted landscaping practices, drought-tolerant and water-efficient plant selection, ignition-resistant landscaping design, and reduced vegetation-related wildfire risk. These practices support long-term sustainability, reduce resource consumption, and improve resilience to California’s changing climate.

Wildfire Ready SLO will further support greenhouse gas reduction and climate resilience through collaboration with the City Arborist and City Biologist. This type of approach aligns with ecological restoration, healthy natural resources, and community resilience goals. Educational messaging will emphasize wildfire resilience strategies that support healthy urban forests, preserve appropriate tree canopy, protect natural resources, and balance wildfire preparedness with environmental stewardship. Maintaining healthy vegetation and urban forest resources contributes to long-term carbon sequestration and climate resilience goals.

In addition to direct greenhouse gas reduction benefits, the project supports California’s broader climate adaptation objectives by helping residents prepare for increasing wildfire risks associated with a changing climate. Through Detailed Home Assessments, Firewise Community development, home-hardening education, Zone 0 readiness education, Fire Smart Landscaping, and wildfire preparedness outreach, the project will help residents implement actions to increase resilience to climate-related wildfire impacts.

Section VIII
Meaningful and Direct Benefits
Examples of how projects can benefit communities by: A. Preventing wildfires and reducing the risk of wildfires B. Reducing the chances that power lines, roads, or other infrastructure start wildfires C. Keeping forests and natural areas healthy and better able

to withstand and recover from wildfires D. Capturing and naturally storing carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are released during wildfires to help slow climate change E. Improving air quality, including through reducing wildfire-related smoke F. Building wildfire resilience of headwater sources to protect water supply G.

Helping to ensure a more reliable water supply during droughts H. Protecting communities’ energy systems by reducing wildfire risk related to energy transmission

1. Using the above examples, describe what Benefits will the Project Provide? Meaningful and Direct Benefits
Wildfire Ready SLO will provide direct, tangible, and measurable benefits to residents throughout the City of San Luis Obispo, with particular emphasis on disadvantaged communities (DACs), vulnerable populations, low-income households, fixed-income seniors, residents living within Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and residents located within the wildland-urban interface (WUI).

The project is specifically designed to help these residents understand wildfire risk and take actions that reduce the potential for structure ignition and improve community resilience.

A. Preventing Wildfires and Reducing Wildfire Risk
Wildfire Ready SLO will provide approximately 2,500 Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs), wildfire preparedness education, Firewise Community support, home hardening education, Zone 0 readiness guidance, and Fire Smart Landscaping assistance. These activities will help residents reduce structure ignition potential, improve wildfire preparedness, and increase resilience in the case of a wildfire with the ultimate goal to be structure survivability during a wildfire and prevent community devastation that other communities have experienced.

B. Reducing the Likelihood of Human-Caused Wildfire Ignitions Educational messaging will increase public awareness regarding wildfire prevention practices, ignition prevention, vegetation management, and responsible activities within wildfire-prone environments. Community education reduces behaviors that can contribute to wildfire starts and improves understanding of local wildfire risks.

Additionally, the educational materials support Emergency Evacuation. Items like Know your Zone, what routes, and early alerting.

E. Improving Air Quality
Wildfire preparedness, structure ignition reduction, and community resilience activities help reduce the potential impacts associated with wildfire events. Reducing wildfire losses and improving community preparedness can contribute to better air quality outcomes by reducing the severity and consequences of future wildfires.

F. Increasing Community Resilience to Climate Hazards
The project directly addresses increasing wildfire risks associated with climate change by helping residents implement practical resilience measures. Home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping, emergency preparedness, and Firewise Community participation all improve residents' and neighborhoods' ability to withstand and recover from wildfire events.

2. Disadvantaged community (DAC): A community with a median household income of less than 80 percent of the area average or less than 80 percent of statewide median household income.

Severely disadvantaged community (SDAC): A community with a median household income of less than 60 percent of the area average or less than 60 percent of statewide median household income.

Vulnerable population: A subgroup of population within a region or community that faces a disproportionately heightened risk or increased sensitivity to impacts of climate change and that lacks adequate resources to cope with, adapt to, or recover from such impacts.

Please identify the communities or populations that will benefit from the project and whether these are a DAC, SDAC, or vulnerable population.  Severely disadvantaged community (SDAC)
 Disadvantaged community (DAC)
 Vulnerable population
 Tribe
 None of the above
• Ensures the creation of direct, tangible, and substantial benefits to individuals of the (S)DAC or vulnerable population that would not have materialized without its implementation.
• Protects or enhances a (S)DAC or vulnerable population’s resources and quality of life by building climate resilience, such as reducing risks to the community or population from climate hazards, protecting resources threatened by climate change.
• Directly responds to the (S)DAC’s or vulnerable population’s expressed need or desired benefit, either through direct project input or as part of a larger planning or engagement effort.
• Does not result in a long-term degradation or reduction of any (S)DACs’ or vulnerable populations’ resources identified in.

Meaningful Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) and Vulnerable Populations
Wildfire Ready SLO will provide direct benefits to disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations by delivering free Detailed Home Assessments, educational

resources, technical assistance, preparedness information, and access to the Fire Smart Landscape Assistance Program.

Priority outreach and engagement efforts will focus on:
 Low-income households.
 Fixed-income households.
 Residents living within Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
 Residents adjacent to open space and in City WUI areas.  Residents facing financial or physical barriers to implementing wildfire preparedness measures.

The Fire Smart Landscape Assistance Program will help eligible residents implement wildfire-resilient landscaping and Zone 0 improvements that may not otherwise occur without project support. These benefits are direct, tangible, and measurable because they provide participating households with resources, education, and implementation assistance that would not be available without the project.

Benefits to Tribal Communities and Tribal Partnership
Wildfire Ready SLO will provide benefits through the City of San Luis Obispo's ongoing partnership with the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini (ytt) Northern Chumash Tribe. The City and ytt maintain a strong collaborative relationship focused on community resilience, environmental stewardship, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), and long-term adaptation to increasing wildfire risk.

This partnership is recognized in the City's Safety Element and supports shared goals for wildfire preparedness, ecological health, climate resilience, and public education.

Through ongoing collaboration, the City and ytt continue to identify opportunities to increase public understanding of wildfire, cultural stewardship, and landscape resilience.

Educational activities funded through this project will increase public awareness of wildfire risk, encourage implementation of home hardening and Zone 0 practices, support Firewise Community development, promote Fire Smart Landscaping, and strengthen community preparedness.

The project will also continue to foster relationships with tribal partners and support broader community conversations regarding resilience, stewardship, and adaptation to California's changing wildfire environment. By increasing public understanding and preparedness, Wildfire Ready SLO contributes to community resilience goals that benefit residents, tribal partners, and future generations alike.

3. Utilizing the points shown above, please describe how the anticipated benefits from above are “meaningful and direct” to the (S)DAC(s) or vulnerable
Meaningful and Direct Benefits to DACs and Vulnerable Populations Wildfire Ready SLO provides direct, tangible, and substantial benefits to disadvantaged communities (DACs) and vulnerable populations by delivering wildfire preparedness services, technical assistance, education, and implementation support that would not otherwise be available without project funding.

Many residents living within the FHSZs face financial, physical, informational, or resource barriers that limit their ability to implement wildfire preparedness measures independently. These barriers can be especially significant for low-income households, fixed-income households, and other vulnerable populations.

The project directly addresses these challenges by providing:
 Free Detailed Home Assessments (DHAs).
 Free wildfire preparedness education.
 Free home hardening recommendations.
 Free Zone 0 readiness guidance.
 Free Fire Smart Landscaping consultations.
 Free Vegetation Management strategy assistance.
 Firewise Community support and technical assistance.
 Access to the Fire Smart Landscape Assistance Program.  Community workshops and preparedness events.
 Educational materials and outreach resources.

These benefits are meaningful because they provide residents with specific, propertylevel information that helps reduce wildfire risk to their homes and families. Rather than providing general awareness information alone, the project delivers individualized recommendations and implementation support that can lead to measurable improvements in wildfire resilience.

The benefits are direct because participating residents receive services, technical assistance, educational resources, and implementation opportunities that are specifically targeted to their homes, neighborhoods, and wildfire risk conditions.

Through Detailed Home Assessments, residents receive personalized recommendations related to home hardening, Zone 0 readiness, Fire Smart Landscaping, defensible space, and emergency preparedness.

The Fire Smart Landscape Assistance Program further enhances these direct benefits by helping residents overcome financial barriers to implementing wildfire-resilient landscaping and Zone 0 improvements. This program will provide targeted education for landscape contractors to better serve our community as they bid jobs and follow future

California vegetation practices. Without project funding, many of these improvements would not occur, particularly among residents with limited financial resources.

Without implementing the Wildfire Ready SLO, many residents, particularly those facing economic or physical barriers, would lack access to the education, technical assistance, and implementation support needed to reduce wildfire risk and improve resilience.

Proposition 4 funding will ensure these benefits are delivered directly to the residents who need them most.

1. Please explain the applicant's need for financial assistance to carry out the proposed project(s). Provide detail about the applicant's total operating budget, including a high-level breakdown of the budget. Describe the applicant's inability to address financial needs without federal assistance.

Discuss other actions the applicant has taken to meet their needs. Include information on efforts to obtain funding elsewhere and how similar projects have been funded in the past.

Financial Need (3,940 character count – 4,000 limit)
The City of San Luis Obispo is facing significant financial challenges that impact our ability to fund critical fire department staffing needs. Slowing sales tax revenue combined with increasing expenses has created a projected shortfalls to the General Fund of approximately $9.4 million in Fiscal Year 2025-26, with continued deficits projected through FY 2028-29.

The San Luis Obispo Fire Department’s FY 2025-26 operating budget is approximately $19.1million, with personnel costs accounting for $17,746,785 or nearly 93% of the department’s total budget. The City of San Luis Obispo is a participating agency in California’s Public Employee Pension Fund (CALPERS) which experienced significant investment losses during the Great Recession creating an unfunded pension liability crisis that continues to affect current budgets. To navigate through the crisis, CALPERS increased the employer contributions to the funds. As a result, the Fire Department must dedicate $4.5 million, or nearly 24% of the total budget, for unfunded liability payments to CALPERS. Only about $1.3 million remains available for non-personnel operational costs, including apparatus maintenance, training, and equipment replacement. This leaves no available funds to purchase additional equipment for inspection activities.

In response to the City’s financial challenges, all departments were directed to reduce expenditures. Because of those reductions, SLOFD was forced to eliminate 3 firefighter positions. Available resources have been prioritized toward maintaining frontline emergency response capabilities, staffing, fire apparatus operations, regulatory compliance, and critical life safety programs. As a result, the replacement of specialized fire investigation equipment has been repeatedly deferred despite increasing operational demands and emerging investigative challenges.

The department's fire investigations unit currently operates with portable radios that are over 15 years old and behind current communications technology. Existing radios experience degraded battery performance, software support limitations, broken operational components, and reduced reliability during investigations. Fire investigators routinely coordinate with suppression personnel while conducting origin and cause investigations. Reliable communications are essential to investigator safety, operational coordination, and timely collection of information necessary to determine fire causes and identify prevention opportunities. Replacement of these

radios has been deferred due to competing budget priorities resulting in continued reliance on aging equipment that is increasingly difficult to maintain and less reliable during critical fire prevention and investigation actives.

The financial constraints facing the City are particularly challenging due to increasing investigative demands. Fires investigated have risen from 136 in 2023 to 150 in 2025.

Suspicious and arson-related fires increased from 17 incidents in 2023 to 27 incidents in 2025 and 37 incidents through the first half of 2026 alone. During the same period, lithium-ion battery-related fires emerged as a significant new hazard, rising from zero incidents in 2023 and 2024 to three in 2025 and ten in the first half of 2026. The requested equipment is replacement and modernization of critical investigative equipment that has exceeded its expected service life and can no longer reliably support current operational demands.

Current fiscal realities prevent the department from independently funding the specialized equipment required to safely and effectively investigate increasingly complex incidents involving lithium-ion batteries, suspicious fires, and arson. Without federal assistance, replacement of these critical investigative resources will likely continue to be as limited local funding remains focused on maintaining emergency response staffing and essential operational functions.

Please provide an explanation for other funding sources in the space provided below. Character Count – 480- limit 500
Currently we have one active FEMA grant, EMW-2024-FP-00527 for Wildfire Risk Reduction. The department also has an active Wildfire Prevention grant award from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) for fuels reduction equipment. These are not listed under the percentage of declared operating budget above because the grant related training is not built within the operating budget but incurs unbudgeted costs that are reimbursed through the AFG project.

2. Please describe your organization and/or community that you serve.

The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department is an all-hazards, career fire department that protects approximately 49,000 residents across 13.2 square miles and serves a daytime population that routinely exceeds 100,000 people. As the county seat and regional economic center for San Luis Obispo County, the City supports County government operations, tourism, higher education, healthcare services, and critical infrastructure that serve both local residents and the surrounding region. The department also provides fire and emergency services protection to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), serving more than 22,000 students and staff and adding significant seasonal population fluctuations to the community.

San Luis Obispo presents a diverse and complex risk profile. The department protects a historic downtown district containing older commercial structures, growing mixed-use and commercial developments, major transportation corridors, industrial occupancies, and over 4,000 acres of designated open space and wildland-urban interface areas. The community hosts more than one million visitors annually and serves as a regional destination for recreation, tourism, education, and commerce. These factors create a broad range of fire risks requiring a comprehensive prevention and fire investigation program.

While the department continues to address traditional fire risks, the fire environment in the community has evolved significantly in recent years due to the rapid rise in lithium-ion battery fires. Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly present in residential occupancies, commercial businesses, personal transportation devices, energy storage systems, industrial applications, and manufacturing operations. Currently, the City of San Luis Obispo is home to 6 Department of Defense (DoD) commercial businesses, and 4 of them exclusively operate with Lithium-ion batteries.

The impact of this emerging hazard is clearly demonstrated through local fire investigation data. The department investigated no lithium-ion battery-related fires in either 2023 or 2024. In 2025, investigators responded to three batteryrelated fires. Through the first half of 2026 alone, investigators have already responded to ten battery-related fires. This trend represents the emergence of an entirely new fire risk category that is increasing both the complexity and resource demands associated with modern fire investigations.

The department has also experienced a significant increase in suspicious and arson-related fires. Investigators responded to seventeen suspicious or arsonrelated fires in both 2023 and 2024. That number increased to 27 incidents in 2025 and has already reached 37 through the first half of 2026. These investigations frequently require extensive scene processing, evidence preservation, witness interviews, law enforcement coordination, and support for criminal prosecution. The increasing volume of these incidents further increases the demand on the department's fire investigations program.

Despite growing investigative demands and the increasing complexity of fire incidents, the department's fire investigations unit continues to operate with aging communications equipment, limited scene documentation resources, nonstandardized PPE, and inadequate scene lighting capabilities. These deficiencies impact investigator safety, operational effectiveness, evidence preservation, and the department's ability to efficiently identify and evaluate emerging fire hazards.

Modernizing the fire investigations unit will enhance the department's ability to safely and effectively investigate lithium-ion battery fires, suspicious fires, arson incidents, and other complex fire events. Improved investigative capabilities will support more

accurate origin and cause determinations, strengthen the department's ability to identify emerging hazards, reduce future fire risk, and support the long-term safety and resilience of the San Luis Obispo community.

3. What is the estimated size of the target audience?
6 4. Please provide a brief synopsis of the proposed project and then identify the specific goals and objectives of your project. (Limit 1,000 Characters 978)
The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department seeks funding to modernize and equip its fire investigations unit in response to the rapid rise in lithium-ion battery fires, rising numbers of suspicious and arson-related fires, and growing investigative demands. The department is requesting funding to purchase six portable radios, six investigationspecific PPE ensembles, two portable tripod scene-lighting systems, a battery-charging system, supplemental lighting batteries, and a digital camera package. The total project cost is $34,900.

The project goals are to reduce fire inspector exposure to harmful situations when entering a post burn environment, operational readiness, evidence preservation, scene documentation, and communications interoperability.

The project will support six staff members assigned to the department's fire investigations program, that respond to fire scenes throughout the City and participate in regional mutual-aid fire investigation operations.

5. Please explain hw this project will assist you in reaching this goal (Limit 1,000 Characters 867)
Should this request be awarded this grant the department will be able to purchase equipment that addresses critical operational deficiencies that currently limit the fire investigator’s ability to safely and effectively investigate increasingly complex fire incidents.

The requested equipment will provide investigators with the tools necessary to safely evaluate incidents in post burn environments that are still filled with contaminants and debris and accurately document critical findings. Radios will improve communications reliability; PPE will improve investigator safety in post-fire environments. Lighting and a camera will provide improved investigation abilities.

By improving the department's investigative capabilities, this project will strengthen its ability to understand the growing threat posed by lithium-ion battery fires and other emerging hazards.

6. Explain your jurisdiction's training requirements for fire investigation personnel (Characters – 770/ limit 800)
SLOFD investigators are required to complete California State Fire Marshal Fire Investigator coursework, including Fire Investigator 1A, 1B, and 1C. Investigators also complete a Fire Investigator Task Book.

The department's training program is aligned with nationally recognized fire investigation standards, including NFPA 1033: Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator and NFPA 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations.

Investigators are expected to apply these standards during all fire origin-and-cause investigations.

In addition to technical fire investigation training, investigators complete training on California Penal Code Section 832. They are also required to attend the BATI Training Program Interview and Interrogation Course.

7. Please explain your experience and ability in developing and conducting (i.e., timely and satisfactory project completion) past fire prevention and safety projects. Additionally, please demonstrate the experience and expertise you have in managing the type of project you are proposing. (Characters 1736- limit 2000)
The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department has experience developing, implementing, and successfully completing fire prevention, community risk reduction, and managing various grant-funded projects.

The department is successfully managing Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant projects including grant EMW-2024-FP-00527 and grant EMW-2021-FG-07554 which has successfully been completed and is in the process of being closed out. While in progress FEMA conducted a desk review on now closed AFG grant EMW-2022-FG08062 and determined it was progressing according to the authorized statement of work and follows FEMA guidelines and federal regulations for the AFG program. SLOFD has demonstrated the ability to achieve project objectives while maintaining compliance with federal grant requirements. Project work with grant EMW-2024-FP-00527 has included

implementing a Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) Program focused on wildfire preparedness, defensible space education, home hardening, and community risk reduction.

The proposed Fire Investigations Modernization Project aligns closely with the department's existing operational responsibilities and areas of expertise. Fire investigators currently manage fire scene documentation, evidence preservation, communications equipment, PPE, scene safety, and regional mutual-aid operations.

SLOFD staff has experience successfully following City procurement policies to obtain grant-funded equipment. Once obtained staff follows department policy for training, maintenance, and upkeep of the equipment.

If the grant request is awarded the department is well-positioned to successfully complete the proposed project on time, within budget, and in full compliance with all grant requirements.

8. Sustainability: Is it your organization's intent to deliver this program after the grant performance period? If so, how will the overall activity be sustained and what are the long-term benefits? Examples of sustainable projects can be illustrated through the long-term benefits derived from the delivery of the project, the presence of non-federal partners likely to continue the effort, or the demonstrated long-term commitment of the applicant. (Characters 1723- limit 2500)
SLOFD will complete the project prior to the end of the grant performance period. The department will develop strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability and continuity of equipment operations beyond the grant period.

The equipment acquired through this project will be incorporated into the department's existing fire investigations program and maintained throughout its useful service life.

Portable radios, investigation-specific PPE, scene lighting systems, and photographic documentation equipment will be assigned to fire investigators, incorporated into existing operational procedures, and maintained through established equipment management and replacement programs. The department is committed to sustaining these resources through future budgeting processes as equipment reaches the end of its service life.

The project also supports the department's long-term commitment to staff safety and operational readiness. Standardized PPE, improved communications equipment, enhanced scene documentation capabilities, and dedicated scene lighting resources will

improve investigator safety and effectiveness for many years while supporting hundreds of future fire investigations.

The department's participation in the San Luis Obispo Fire Investigation Strike Team (SLO FIST) further enhances project sustainability. Through this regional partnership, investigators routinely collaborate with neighboring agencies to share resources, exchange investigative findings, identify emerging hazards, and support mutual-aid operations. These partnerships will continue beyond the grant period and help ensure that the knowledge, capabilities, and benefits generated by this project extend throughout San Luis Obispo County.

9. 10.

Narrative
The narrative statements must provide all the information necessary for you to justify your needs and for FEMA to make an award decision. A panel of peer reviewers will evaluate the applications by using the narrative statements below to determine the worthiness of the request for an award.

Please ensure that your narrative clearly addresses each of the following evaluation criteria elements to the best of your ability with detailed but concise information. You may either type your narrative statements in the spaces provided below or create the text in your word processing system and then copy it into the appropriate spaces provided below. Please note the narrative block does not allow for formatting. Do not type your narrative using only capital letters. Additionally, do not include tables, special fonts (i.e., quote marks, bullets, etc.), or graphs. Please review the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional narrative details.

11. Commitment to Mitigation: Fire Department applicants that can demonstrate their commitment and proactive posture to reducing fire risk will receive higher consideration. Applicants must explain their code adoption and enforcement (to include Wildland Urban Interface and commercial/residential sprinkler code adoption and enforcement) and mitigation strategies (including whether or not the jurisdiction has a FEMAapproved mitigation strategy). Applicants can also demonstrate their commitment to reducing fire risk by applying to implement fire mitigation strategies (code adoption and enforcement) via this application. (Limit 3,000 /Currently at 2,355

The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to fire prevention, risk reduction, code enforcement, and community resilience through a comprehensive approach that integrates inspections, public education, wildfire mitigation, fire investigations, and proactive code adoption.

The City has adopted and enforces the California WUI Code, California Fire Code, California Building Code, and California Residential Code, including local amendments designed to address community-specific fire risks. The City’s local ordinance requires all new construction over 1,000 square feet to have sprinklers installed. The division reviews plans and construction sites prior to signing an occupancy permit to enforce fire safety regulations.

SLOFD is mandated by the State of California to complete inspections annually on all public and private schools, hotels, motels, and apartment/condominium buildings within the City. The department achieves 100 percent inspection compliance with all 701 statemandated inspections and maintains oversight of approximately 2,352 fire protection systems throughout the community. The City is home the Cal Poly University, with over 20,000 students enrolled and only 8,000 of those students reside on campus the remainder live in the city resulting in an abundance of apartment buildings needing inspections. Through focused compliance efforts, fire protection system compliance has increased to approximately 97%. The department also implemented a New Business Inspection Program to ensure newly established businesses comply with applicable fire and life safety requirements at the start of occupancy.

The City participated in a countywide development of a Wildfire Preparedness Plan and Vegetation Management Plan and continues to support community education efforts focused on wildfire risk reduction, defensible space, home hardening, and emergency preparedness.

The City has begun an outreach program encouraging local neighborhoods to become Firewise Communities. Firewise USA is managed by the NFPA and has required activities such as creating fuel breaks, using fire-resistant landscaping and hosting community wildfire preparedness events. These areas within the City work together to implement wildfire risk-reduction strategies to improve resilience against wildland fire threats.

11. Vulnerability Statement:
 The assessment of fire risk is essential in the development of an effective project goal, as well as meeting FEMA’s goal to reduce risk by conducting a

risk assessment as a basis for action. Vulnerability is a “weak link,” demonstrating high-risk behavior, living conditions, or any type of high-risk situation. The Vulnerability Statement should include a description of the steps taken to determine the vulnerability and identify the target audience.

The methodology for determination of vulnerability (i.e., how the vulnerability was found) should be discussed in-depth in the application’s Narrative Statement.
 The specific vulnerability that will be addressed with the proposed project can be established through a formal or informal risk assessment. FEMA encourages the use of local statistics, rather than national statistics, when discussing the vulnerability.
 In a clear, to-the-point statement, the applicant should summarize the vulnerability the project will address, including who is at risk, what the risks are, where the risks are, and how the risks can be prevented, reduced, or mitigated.
 For the purpose of this application, formal risk assessments consist of the use of software programs or recognized expert analysis that assess risk trends.
 Informal risk assessments could include an in-house review of available data (e.g., National Fire Incident Reporting System [NFIRS]) to determine fire loss, burn injuries or loss of life over a period of time, and the factors that are the cause and origin for each occurrence, including a lack of adoption or enforcement of certain codes. CURRENT Word Count 4295 The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department identified the vulnerability addressed by this project through a comprehensive review of local fire incident data, fire investigation reports, NFIRS/NERIS reporting, internal ImageTrend records, CAL FIRE publications, NFPA guidance, and information shared through the San Luis Obispo Fire Investigation Strike Team (SLO FIST). The department routinely analyzes fire trends, origin-andcause determinations, injury data, and emerging hazards to evaluate risks that and inform prevention, mitigation, and community risk reduction efforts.

This assessment identified the rapid emergence of lithium-ion battery fires as a significant and growing risk within the community. The department investigated no lithium-ion battery-related fires in 2023 or 2024. In 2025, investigators responded to three battery-related fires. Through the first half of 2026 alone, investigators have already responded to 10 battery-related fires. This trend represents a rapidly growing fire hazard that is increasing in frequency and complexity throughout the community.

The target audience for this project includes the approximately 49,000 residents of the City of San Luis Obispo, more than 22,000 California Polytechnic State University

students and staff, local businesses, visitors, City personnel, and emergency responders who may be affected by fires involving lithium-ion battery technologies.

Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly common in homes, apartments, commercial occupancies, energy storage systems, personal transportation devices, industrial facilities, and manufacturing operations throughout the City. The community is also home to multiple Department of Defense-affiliated businesses that rely on lithium-ion battery technologies as part of their operations.

SLOFD Arson and Fire investigators enter a burn area post IDLH atmosphere and when carbon monoxide levels are reduced, however, particles and gasses still exist. The composition of the post-fire scene particulate matter depends on the nature of the burning fuel and conditions of combustion. Investigators frequently dig through debris, handle burned materials and examine areas with chemical residues. The risk associated with this vulnerability has already resulted in significant consequences. A recent residential lithium-ion battery fire caused severe burn injuries to a resident, injuries to a City building inspector, and the recovery and disposal of three drums of damaged lithium-ion batteries. A separate lithium-ion battery fire at a local aerospace manufacturing facility injured a firefighter and required extensive hazardous materials coordination and investigation. These incidents demonstrate that lithium-ion battery fires present unique hazards including thermal runaway, hazardous off-gassing, reignition potential, contamination concerns, and complex fire origin-and-cause determinations.

The department has also identified a significant increase in suspicious and arsonrelated fires. Investigators responded to 17 suspicious or arson-related fires in both 2023 and 2024. That number increased to 27 incidents in 2025 and has already reached 37 incidents during the first half of 2026. These incidents often require extensive scene processing, evidence preservation, documentation, and coordination with law enforcement agencies, placing additional demands on investigative personnel and resources.

The vulnerability exists throughout the City of San Luis Obispo because lithium-ion battery technologies are increasingly integrated into residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. As the use of these technologies continues to expand, so does the potential for fires involving hazardous battery failures and more complex investigations.

The identified risk can be reduced through effective fire investigation, hazard identification, public education, enforcement , and community risk reduction strategies.

By enhancing the department's ability to safely investigate these incidents, identify root causes, preserve evidence, and recognize emerging hazards, the proposed project will strengthen fire prevention efforts and help reduce future fire loss, injuries, and

community impacts associated with lithium-ion battery fires and other complex fire incidents.

12. Project Description: Applicants must describe in detail not only the project components but also how the proposed project addresses the identified capability gap, due to financial need and/or the vulnerabilities identified in the vulnerability statement. The following information should be included:
 Project Components
 Review of any existing programs or models that have been successful.  Detailed description of how the proposed project components fill the identified capability gap
 If working with Fire Service Partners/Organizations, identify each partner/organization and the role(s) they will fill in the successful completion of the proposed project. Currently at 4891- 5000 limit The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department operates an established fire investigations program that serves as a critical component of the department's community risk reduction strategy. The program is responsible for determining fire origin and cause, identifying emerging hazards, supporting public education and fire prevention efforts, assisting law enforcement investigations, and providing information that helps improve community safety.

The department has identified a growing capability gap between rising investigative demands and its ability to safely and effectively investigate complex incidents. Through review of local fire investigation data, the department identified a significant increase in lithium-ion battery fires and suspicious fire activity. These incidents require extensive documentation, evidence preservation, scene safety measures, communications coordination, and prolonged investigative operations. However, the department's fire investigations unit continues to rely on communications equipment that is over 15 years old, non-standardized investigation-specific PPE, limited scene lighting resources, and a single digital camera shared among investigators.

The proposed Project will address these capability gaps through the acquisition of six portable radios, six investigation-specific PPE ensembles, one digital camera package, two portable scene lighting systems, a battery charging bank, and supplemental batteries. These resources will enhance investigator safety, improve communications

reliability, strengthen scene documentation, evidence preservation, and expand the department’s ability to conduct effective investigations during extended and nighttime operations.

The portable radios will replace aging communications equipment that currently experiences degraded battery performance, software support limitations, damaged operational components, and reduced reliability. Reliable communications capability will improve investigator safety, accountability and coordination during complex investigations involving suppression personnel, hazardous materials specialists, law enforcement agencies, building officials, utility representatives, and regional partners.

The investigation-specific PPE ensembles follow the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) guidance for PPE. The sets include NFPA 2112 and ANSI/ISEA 107 coveralls, NFPA and CAL OSHA standard helmets with straps, helmet shields, NFPA 1951, 1977, 1992, and 1999 boots, and NFPA 1999 work pants. Standardized PPE will improve investigator safety and operational readiness while reducing reliance on aging structural firefighting gear. The department has respiratory protection in possession from a prior FP&S grant.

The digital camera package will include a professional-grade camera, interchangeable lenses, external flash, memory storage, and associated accessories capable of producing high-resolution images in a variety of lighting and environmental conditions.

Required features include low-light performance, optical zoom capability, image stabilization, GPS and metadata retention, durable field operation, and the ability to capture detailed photographs of fire patterns, evidence, and other scene conditions.

These capabilities are essential for documenting fire origin and cause, supporting criminal investigations, preserving evidence, and creating accurate records that may be used for enforcement actions, court proceedings, training, and future preventions efforts.

The portable scene lighting systems will address a significant operational limitation within the current program. Investigators currently rely on apparatus-mounted lighting systems during nighttime investigations, often requiring fire apparatus to remain committed to scenes after suppression activities have concluded. Dedicated scene lighting will improve investigator safety, enhance scene documentation, and allow emergency response apparatus to return to service more quickly, improving overall response readiness.

The project also supports our regional partners’ fire investigation capabilities through the department's participation in SLO FIST. Local partner agencies routinely collaborate on complex investigations, suspicious fires, arson cases, and incidents involving

emerging hazards. Equipment acquired through this project will improve interoperability, strengthen mutual-aid capabilities, and improve regional fire investigation effectiveness throughout San Luis Obispo County.

By addressing identified capability gaps in communications, investigator safety, scene documentation, and scene lighting, the proposed project will improve the department's ability to investigate lithium-ion battery fires and other emerging hazards, strengthen community risk reduction efforts, and enhance firefighter safety while supporting longterm fire prevention and mitigation strategies. 13 Implementation Plan: Each project proposal should include details on the implementation plan which discusses the proposed project’s goals and objectives. The following information should be included to support the implementation plan:Implementation Plan: Each project proposal should include details on the implementation plan which discusses the proposed project’s goals and objectives. The following information should be included to support the implementation plan:
 Goals and objectives
 Details regarding the methods and specific steps that will be used to achieve the goals and objectives
 Timelines outlining the chronological project steps (this is critical for determining the likeliness of the project’s completion within the period of performance)  Where applicable, examples of marketing efforts to promote the project, who will deliver the project (e.g., effective partnerships), and the manner in which materials or deliverables will be distributed
 Requests for props (i.e., tools used in educational or awareness demonstrations), including specific goals, measurable results, and details on the frequency for which the prop will be utilized as part of the implementation plan. Applicants should include information describing the efforts that will be used to reach the high-risk audience and/or the number of people reached through the proposed project (examples of props include safety trailers, puppets, or costumes)  Where human subjects are involved, describe plans for submission to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) (for further guidance and requirements, see the Human Subjects Research section of the NOFO)
 NOTE: For applicants proposing a complex project that may require a 24-month Period of Performance, please include significant justification and details in the implementation plan that justify the applicant’s need for a Period of Performance of more than 12 months. Characters 3993 The goal of the Fire Investigations Modernization Project is to improve the San Luis Obispo Fire Department's ability to safely and effectively determine fire origin and cause, identify emerging hazards , enhance firefighter safety, and strengthen community risk reduction efforts. The project is specifically intended to address the increasing complexity of fire investigations involving lithium-ion battery fires, suspicious fires, arson investigations, and other emerging hazards identified through the department's risk assessment process.

The primary objectives of the project are to establish a standardized investigationspecific PPE program for personnel assigned to fire investigations, replace obsolete communications equipment, enhance scene documentation capabilities, establish dedicated lighting resources for nighttime investigations, and strengthen the department's ability to identify and evaluate emerging fire hazards through fire investigations.

The department will implement the project using existing personnel, administrative systems, procurement processes, and operational procedures. No additional staffing will be required.

Following deployment, all six personnel assigned to the Fire Investigations Unit will be equipped with standardized PPE following IAAI guidance and modern communications equipment. Dedicated scene lighting resources and enhanced photographic documentation capabilities will be placed into service and made available for fire investigations throughout the City and during regional mutual-aid responses. Equipment utilization and operational effectiveness will be monitored through existing fire investigation reporting systems and departmental records.

The anticipated implementation timeline is six months from the date of award. Months 1 and 2 will be the procurement phase. Upon award, the department will initiate procurement activities in accordance with City purchasing policies and applicable federal grant requirements. The department will begin identifying the most suitable items for the project, finalize equipment specifications, identify vendors, and begin procurement, following the City’s established purchasing guidelines and policy. During this phase, the department will purchase six portable radios, six investigation-specific PPE ensembles, one digital camera package, two portable scene lighting systems, a battery charging bank, and supplemental batteries.

During Months 3 and 4, equipment will be received, inventoried, assigned, and prepared for deployment. Investigators will begin training on proper equipment use with the department’s existing training and usage policies.

During Months 5 and 6, equipment will be fully integrated into operational procedures and placed into service. SLOFD investigators will develop equipment maintenance and inspection schedules that will evaluate the condition of the equipment and ensure proper upkeep. Following implementation, the department will continue monitoring project outcomes and equipment utilization throughout the remainder of the grant performance period.

The project builds upon an established and successful fire investigations program.

Existing relationships through the San Luis Obispo Fire Investigation Strike Team (SLO

FIST), including County Fire and five local, partner agencies, will support continued mutual-aid operations and regional fire investigation activities. While these partner agencies are not responsible for project implementation, they will benefit from the enhanced capabilities provided through the project and will continue collaborating on complex investigations involving emerging hazards.

The department anticipates completing all project activities within a standard 12-month period of performance. Because the project consists primarily of equipment acquisition, deployment, and integration into an existing program, no extended period of performance is anticipated or required.
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12.Evaluation Plan: Projects should include a plan for evaluation of effectiveness and identify measurable goals. Applicants seeking to carry out awareness and educational projects, for example, should identify how they intend to determine that there has been an increase in knowledge about fire hazards, or measure a change in the safety behaviors of the audience. Applicants should demonstrate how they will measure risk at the outset of the project in comparison to how much the risk decreased after the project is finished. There are various ways to measure the knowledge gained about fire hazards, including the use of surveys, pre- and posttests, or documented observations. Applicants are encouraged to attend training on evaluation methods, such as the National Fire Academy’s “Demonstrating Your Fire Prevention Program’s Worth.” (Characters 3593) The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department will evaluate the effectiveness of this project through a combination of operational performance measures, equipment deployment metrics, and fire investigation outcomes. The evaluation process will focus on determining whether the project successfully improves investigator safety, enhances investigative capabilities, and strengthens the department's ability to identify and mitigate emerging fire hazards.

Prior to implementation, the department will establish baseline conditions using existing findings, equipment inventories, and operational practices. Current conditions include reliance on aging communications equipment, limited photographic documentation capabilities, inconsistent investigation-specific personal protective equipment, and dependence on fire apparatus-mounted lighting systems during nighttime investigations.

The department will also utilize existing fire investigation data maintained through

NFIRS/NERIS reporting, ImageTrend records, and internal fire investigation tracking systems to establish baseline incident trends.

Project success will be measured through several objective performance indicators. The department will track the deployment of six portable radios, six investigation-specific PPE ensembles, one digital camera package, and dedicated scene lighting equipment.

Upon project completion, 100 percent of personnel assigned to the fire investigations unit will be equipped with standardized PPE and modern communications equipment.

The department will also establish dedicated nighttime scene lighting capability and enhanced photographic documentation capability for fire investigations.

The department will evaluate operational improvements by documenting the use of grant-funded equipment during fire investigations, particularly incidents involving lithiumion batteries, suspicious fires, and arson investigations. Investigators will track equipment utilization, scene lighting deployment, communications reliability, photographic documentation improvements, and investigator safety benefits. The department will also evaluate reductions in reliance on fire apparatus-mounted lighting systems and the resulting improvement in apparatus availability for emergency response.

The department will continue monitoring fire investigation trends through NFIRS/NERIS reporting, ImageTrend records, and internal investigation data. Particular attention will be given to lithium-ion battery fires and other emerging hazards identified through fire investigations. Information gathered from these investigations will be used to support public education efforts, prevention strategies, enforcement activities, and community risk reduction initiatives.

The long-term effectiveness of the project will be measured by the department's enhanced ability to safely investigate incidents, identify emerging hazards, preserve critical evidence, and utilize investigative findings to support prevention efforts. The department will compare post-project operational capabilities to established baseline conditions and document improvements in investigator safety, investigative effectiveness, equipment reliability, and community risk reduction outcomes.

Through this evaluation process, the department will ensure that grant-funded equipment directly supports the project's goal of improving fire investigation capabilities and strengthening the community's ability to identify, understand, and mitigate emerging fire hazards before they result in additional injuries, property loss, or community impacts.
a.

13. Cost Benefit: Projects will be evaluated and scored by the Peer Review Panelists based on how well the applicant addresses the fire prevention needs of the department or organization in an economic and efficient manner. The applicant should show how it will maximize the level of funding that goes directly into the delivery of the project. The costs associated with the project also must be reasonable for the target audience that will be reached, and a description should be included of how the anticipated project benefit(s) (quantified if possible) outweighs the cost(s) of the requested item(s). The application should provide justification for all costs included in the project in order to assist the Technical Evaluation Panel with their review. Character limit 2,500 -1311 The proposed project will support six members assigned to the department's fire investigations program while benefiting approximately 49,000 residents, more than 22,000 California Polytechnic State University students and staff, local businesses, visitors, and regional partner agencies. The award provides needed equipment without placing a significant burden on local taxpayers. The total projected cost of $34,900 equates to approximately $0.71 per resident, representing a highly cost-effective investment in firefighter safety, community risk reduction, and fire investigation capabilities throughout the City of San Luis Obispo
Increase morale in the SLOFD for the investigators as budget reductions have reduced operating budgets and equipment for staff. The ability to provide updated equipment through the FP&S program demonstrates support for essential emergency services.

Increased fire investigator safety during fire investigations.

One hundred percent of requested funding will be used to purchase essential fire investigation equipment, including portable radios, investigation-specific personal protective equipment, scene lighting systems, a digital camera package, and supporting batteries and charging equipment.

The project also strengthens regional capabilities through the department's participation in the San Luis Obispo Fire Investigation Strike Team.

14. Additional Comments: If you have any additional comments about your project, please provide them here.

The City of San Luis Obispo respectfully requests consideration for funding to address this growing risk and to express their sincere gratitude for to DHS, FEMA, and SAFER for the opportunity to apply for the relief to solve our critical equipment needs. We would also like to thank the reviewers for donating their time and efforts.

SLO SAFER 2026
Describe your financial need to include descriptions of the following:
 Income vs. expense breakdown of the current annual budget  Budget shortfalls and the inability to address financial needs without federal assistance
 Actions taken to obtain funding elsewhere (i.e. state assistance programs or other grant programs)
 How your critical functions are affected without this funding (4,000-character limit) 3,965 characters)
The City of San Luis Obispo is facing significant financial challenges that impact our ability to fund critical fire department staffing needs.. Slowing sales tax revenue combined with increasing expenses created an initial General Fund shortfall of approximately $9.5 million in FY 2025-26.

The San Luis Obispo Fire Department’s FY 2025-26 operating budget is approximately $19.1 million, with personnel costs accounting for nearly 93%, or $17,746,785 of the department’s total budget. The City of San Luis Obispo is a participating agency in California’s Public Employee Pension Fund (CALPERS) which experienced significant investment losses during the Great Recession creating an unfunded pension liability crisis that continues to affect current budgets. In response, CALPERS increased the employer contributions to the funds. As a result, the Fire Department must dedicate $4.5 million, or nearly 24% of the total budget, for unfunded liability payments to CALPERS. Leaving only about $1.3 million available for operational costs, including apparatus maintenance, training, and equipment replacement. Leaving no available funds to hire 9 firefighters necessary to open the fifth fire station currently in development.

In response to the City’s financial challenges, all departments were directed to reduce expenditures by at least five percent. Because of those reductions, SLOFD was forced to eliminate 3 firefighter positions, which ultimately increases the staffing needed to open the fifth fire station to nine positions. Emergency service demand also continues to increase due to residential and commercial development, tourism, and expansion at California Polytechnic State University.

Despite these limitations, the City demonstrated its commitment to improving emergency response capabilities by entering an agreement with a housing developer to provide a parcel and the building for a new station through offsets of their Development Impact Fees (DIF), relieving the City of having to allocate funds for the build. The City has committed to purchasing a Type I fire engine for the new station. However, the City currently does not have an additional $3,600,006.67 to hire the firefighters required to place the station into service.

The need for additional staffing was recently validated through the City’s Fire Master Plan and Standards of Cover analysis conducted by Citygate Associates. The study concluded that major portions of the City’s southern area are underserved and determined that a fifth fire station is necessary to maintain adequate emergency response coverage to approximately 20% of the

population. The report also found that relocating existing resources was not geographically feasible and would increase response times during simultaneous incidents.

Current staffing remains inadequate to consistently provide the speed and weight of attack necessary to safely for emergencies. Given our lack of staffing, SLOFD currently only achieves its four-minute response objective on approximately 60% of incidents and the NFPA 1710 eightminute Effective Response Force objective about 44.4% of incidents. Current staffing prevents the department from consistently meeting NFPA 1710 response objectives and OSHA 1910 “two-in/two-out” requirements during initial structure fire operations.

The department frequently seeks and applies for grant opportunities to off-set operational costs.

The department applies annually for FEMA grants such as the Fire Prevention and Safety and Assistance to Firefighters Grants, California state sponsored grants, and has had nominal success in securing small private business grants.

The 9 requested SAFER-funded firefighters are critical to implementing the City’s deployment strategy and place the fifth fire station into service. If awarded, this grant funding will allow us to improve response-times, enhance Effective Response Force capability, and improve the safety of the community and our firefighters.

Please provide an explanation for other funding sources in the space provided below.

Currently we have one active FEMA grant, EMW-2024-FP-00527 for Wildfire Risk Reduction. The department also has an active Wildfire Prevention grant award from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) for fuels reduction equipment. These are not listed under the percentage of declared operating budget above because the grant related training is not built within the operating budget but incurs unbudgeted costs that are reimbursed through the AFG project.

Please explain how your department is facing a new risk, expanding service to a new area, or experiencing an increased call volume.
(4,000-character limit) (3,918 characters)
Over the past decade, the City has experienced significant growth in the southern portion of town where the fifth fire station is going to be located. Four major residential developments and continued expansion along the busiest corridor in the city have transformed previously undeveloped areas into one of the fastest-growing regions in the City. Despite this growth, fire department staffing has decreased 6% and station resources have remained unchanged.

Recognizing the operational impact of this expansion, the City commissioned Citygate Associates to evaluate deployment performance, staffing, response coverage, and future service demands. The study concluded that portions of the southern area are underserved and that the growth area falls well outside the eight-minute Effective Response Force travel-time objective

identified in NFPA 1710. Citygate further determined that an additional fire station and response company are necessary to maintain adequate emergency response coverage.

Current performance data confirms these findings. SLOFD currently achieves its four-minute travel-time objective on approximately 60% of all incidents, while the NFPA 1710 standard of eight-minute Effective Response Force objective is achieved on only 44.4% of the time. Within the growing southern area, average travel times are approximately 6:02 minutes, significantly exceeding adopted response-time goals. Current staffing limitations reduce the department’s ability to consistently provide the speed and weight of attack necessary to safely control timecritical emergencies. Existing staffing also prevents the department from consistently meeting NFPA 1710 response objectives and OSHA 1910 “two-in/two-out” requirements during initial structure fire operations.

The department is also experiencing increasing demand for emergency services. Annual call volume has increased from 6,180 incidents in 2019 to 7,344 incidents in 2025, representing a 19% increase in calls for service. Emergency medical incidents account for approximately 65% of all responses, placing additional strain on available resources and increasing vulnerability during simultaneous incidents.

Community risk continues to increase due to population growth, wildfire exposure, and highdensity development. Updated California Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps identified approximately 2,845 parcels within the City that are now located in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, an increase from only 38 in 2011. 8,782 parcels are located within Moderate, High, or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, up from zero in 2011. 64% of all residential and commercial properties in the City’s jurisdiction now fall within a fire hazard severity zone. The City is also surrounded by Tier 2 (Elevated) and Tier 3 (Extreme) wildfire threat areas identified by the California Public Utilities Commission. These conditions significantly increase the need for reliable staffing, rapid deployment capability, and sustained operational depth during wildfire responses.

In addition, the department provides fire and emergency medical services to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), which serves more than 22,000 students. Cal Poly continues expanding on-campus housing capacity, with student residents projected to increase to approximately 9,300 by Fall 2026, which will further increase the number of emergency responses to campus.

The City has secured a site for the fifth fire station and purchased a new Type I fire engine for deployment. However, current fiscal constraints have prevented the City from funding the personnel necessary to place the station into service. The requested SAFER-funded firefighters are critical to correct the documented deployment deficiency, improve response performance, strengthen Effective Response Force capability, and provide adequate emergency response coverage to a rapidly growing all-hazards community.

Please describe your organization and/or community that you serve. (4,000-character limit) (3,820 characters?)

San Luis Obispo City Fire Department (SLOFD) is requesting $3,600,006.67 for 9 SAFER firefighters to staff a fifth fire station and improve response performance in the rapidly expanding southern area of the City. The additional firefighters will staff a new station and reduce travel times to this area from approximately 6:02 minutes to under 4 minutes, 90% of the time, while improving firefighter safety and compliance with NFPA 1710 and OSHA 1910.

SLOFD is an all-hazards, career fire department providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, wildland fire response, and community risk reduction services to the City of San Luis Obispo and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly).

The department currently staffs 4 fire stations with 42 sworn suppression personnel operating across three shifts. Daily staffing includes 1 Battalion Chief, 1 four-person truck company, and 3 three-person engine companies. SLOFD maintains an ISO Class 2 rating and responds to approximately 7,300 emergency incidents each year.

Unfortunately, recent citywide budget reductions resulted in the loss of 3 firefighter positions, further limiting our ability to meet increasing service demands. Current staffing levels prevent the department from consistently meeting NFPA 1710 travel-time and Effective Response Force objectives, NFPA 1750 deployment recommendations, and OSHA 1910 “two-in/two-out” requirements during initial structure fire operations.

The department protects a population of approximately 49,000 people; however peak-time, business-day population in the City is routinely more than 100,000 as we are the County government operations center and business center. The City is a popular year-round tourist destination with over 1,400,000 visitors annually and has a seasonal increase in population of during the academic school year. Our department also provides fire and emergency medical services (EMS) protection for California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), which sits just outside the city limits but adds over 22,000 students and staff to our service population, including 9,300 on-campus student residents.

The City has a historic downtown district, high-density housing, 42 hotels with approximately 3,500 rooms, two regional hospitals, schools, commercial occupancies, industrial facilities, and critical transportation corridors. Recent industrial growth supporting Department of Defense contracts has introduced additional lithium-ion battery hazards, increasing the need for additional staffing to meet the needs of this new target hazard.

The City is experiencing significant residential growth adding more than 2,000 residential units and 5,000 residents to the community. Four major housing developments have significantly increased demand for emergency services, and in the last 5 years, annual call volume has increased from 6,180 incidents to 7,344 incidents, representing a 19% increase.

Wildfire risk also represents a growing challenge within the community. Updated California Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps identified approximately 2,845 parcels within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and approximately 8,782 parcels within Moderate, High, or Very High

Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The City is surrounded by approximately 4,000 acres of open space, 53 miles of recreational trails, and Tier 2 (Elevated) and Tier 3 (Extreme) wildfire threat areas.

The continued growth of the City, combined with increasing call volume, expanding wildfire exposure, and staffing reductions, has outpaced the department’s current deployment capability.

If this grant were to be awarded, SLOFD could staff a fifth fire station and rebuild our response operations, improving compliance with NFPA 1710, NFPA1750, and OSHA 1910 “two-in/twoout” requirements. Without grant funding, the department will continue operating with limited staffing in a rapidly growing community.

Please provide details on the department's existing staffing model to include the number of shifts, number of positions per shift, chief level officer staffing per shift (i.e., Battalion Chief, District Chief, etc.), and contracted shift hours per week/pay period. If the contracted shift hours included FLSA overtime or Kelly Days, please be sure to include details.
(3,000-character limit) (2,802 characters)
The San Luis Obispo Fire Department operates a three-platoon system consisting of A, B, and C shifts. Suppression personnel work a 48-hours-on, 96-hours-off (48/96) schedule with a 56-hour average workweek. Personnel work approximately 2,912 scheduled hours annually. The department does not utilize Kelly Days.

SLOFD currently staffs 4 fire stations and deploys 1 Battalion Chief, 1 four-person tiller truck company, and 3 three-person engine companies each day. Current minimum daily staffing consists of 13 suppression personnel and 1 Battalion Chief assigned to emergency response operations.

Each shift is staffed with:
• 1 Battalion Chief
• 4 Fire Captains
• 5 Fire Engineers
• 4 Firefighters/Firefighter-Paramedics
Total department staffing includes:
• 3 Battalion Chiefs
• 12 Fire Captains
• 15 Fire Engineers
• 12 Firefighters/Firefighter-Paramedics
Total authorized suppression personnel: 42
The Fire Chief and Deputy Chief work a standard administrative schedule and are not included in daily suppression staffing calculations. Neither position is routinely assigned to frontline emergency response operations or minimum daily staffing.

Current staffing levels have become increasingly strained due to a 19% increase in annual call volume, significant residential growth, expanding wildfire risk, and recent elimination of 3 firefighter positions due to citywide budget cuts. These staffing reductions further limit our department’s ability to meet current service demands and will inhibit SLOFD from staffing a fifth fire station despite already securing a station site and purchasing a new Type I fire engine.

Current staffing levels also prevent the department from consistently meeting NFPA 1710 traveltime and Effective Response Force (ERF) objectives, NFPA 1750 deployment recommendations, and OSHA 1910 “two-in/two-out” requirements during initial structure fire operations. SLOFD currently relies heavily on automatic aid and mutual aid resources to assemble an ERF for significant incidents, reducing response reliability during simultaneous emergencies and increasing risk to firefighters and the public.

The requested SAFER-funded firefighters would increase authorized suppression staffing from 42 to 51 personnel, representing a 21.4% increase in suppression staffing. These positions would allow SLOFD to staff a new three-person engine company at the planned fifth fire station, increasing daily suppression staffing from 13 firefighters to 16 firefighters. These firefighters would staff a new station that will improve response times to the rapidly growing southern area of the City, reduce overall travel times to under 4 minutes 90% of the time, reduce reliance on outside automatic aid resources, and improve compliance with NFPA 1710, NFPA 1750, and OSHA 1910 standards.

Describe the department's step-by-step hiring process (application period, written test, physical, approval) and the timeline for each step.

The department initiates hiring by completing a “Request for Hire” form and forwarding to Human Resources for processing. The personnel rules identify Firefighter/Paramedic as a "competitive service" position that is subject to the City's Personnel Rules and Regulations. It is the City's policy to recruit and select the most qualified individuals. Recruitment and selection shall be conducted in a manner that will ensure open competition, provided equal employment opportunity, and prohibit discrimination or favoritism because of race, religion, sex, color, national origin, age, serious medical condition, disability, politics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and ancestry.

Positions to be filled are publicized via several mediums and are visible for a minimum of 10 working days (usually 4 weeks). After review of qualifying applications, candidates compete through an examination process consisting of a written didactic test, and an oral interview. All qualifying applicants must also pass a Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) within an identified time frame. After initial evaluation, the most qualified candidates will be interviewed by the Fire Chief and provided a conditional offer of employment. Those who are offered will undergo a pre-employment physical, background check, DOJ check and a psychological exam. If successful in all phases, the candidate is given a “final offer” and is appointed.

We are requesting 9 personnel via this SAFER Grant application and can start the hiring process soon after award notification.

How long after award will the department be able to start a recruit class? Upon award notification the department will begin the recruitment process, including candidate outreach, screening, interviews, background investigations, and hiring. The process is expected to take approximately six months to complete. Following the completion of recruitment and hiring, SLOFD will commence a recruit academy.

City leadership fully supports this project, and the requested positions have already been identified as part of the department’s long-term staffing and deployment strategy. SLOFD maintains established hiring and onboarding procedures and does not anticipate delays related to position authorization or implementation.

These positions are critical to staffing the planned fifth fire station, improving response performance, strengthening Effective Response Force capability, and improving compliance with NFPA 1710, NFPA 1750, and OSHA 1910 requirements.

How often are your recruit classes held?
Recruit academies are typically scheduled every other year, allowing SLOFD to efficiently onboard and train new personnel while maintaining high training standards and operational readiness. This approach provides the department with a consistent and sustainable staffing pipeline.

When operational needs and funding require accelerated hiring, SLOFD has the flexibility and experience to conduct recruit academies more frequently. In recent years, the department has completed back-to-back recruit academies to meet staffing demands and support expanding emergency response needs.

Provide details on the timeline needed to accept the grant award.

The San Luis Obispo Fire Department has already coordinated with City leadership regarding acceptance of a potential SAFER award. An agenda item is prepared to present to the City Council to authorize acceptance of the grant, if awarded. Because this approval process will occur prior to, or concurrent with, the anticipated award announcement, the City will be positioned to immediately execute the grant agreement and begin implementation activities upon notification of award.

City leadership fully supports the project and recognizes the importance of staffing the planned fifth fire station to address significant response deficiencies, increasing call volume, and expanding community risk. SLOFD does not anticipate delays related to grant acceptance, position authorization, or implementation.

Describe how the analysis was conducted and the outcome of the analysis or ISO rating. (1,000 Characters) (991 characters exactly)
Citygate Associates conducted a comprehensive Standards of Cover analysis evaluating station locations, staffing, response performance, deployment reliability, community risk, and Effective Response Force capability. The study recommended a fifth fire station and additional staffing to improve deployment reliability and firefighter safety. SLOFD maintains an ISO Class 2 rating.

The analysis identified response deficiencies in the City’s southern growth area, concluding that portions of the area fall outside NFPA 1710 travel-time and ERF benchmarks. The study also identified limited ability to consistently establish OSHA 1910 “two-in/two-out” compliance during structure fire operations.

Since completion of the study, more than 2,000 residential units have been constructed or approved, 5,000 residents added, and annual call volume has increased 19% and the department is only able to meet the four-minute travel-time 60% of the time and eight-minute ERF objectives 44.4% of the time.

Why does the department need the positions requested in this application? (3,000 Character limit) (2,881 characters)
SLOFD is currently operating below its desired staffing ratio, maintaining approximately 0.9 firefighters per 1,000 residents despite a department goal of 1.1 to 1.3 firefighters per 1,000 residents. Existing personnel are working significant overtime to maintain minimum daily staffing and sustain emergency operations. Unfortunately, current staffing levels no longer meet call volume. SLOFD currently meets its 4-minute travel-time objective approximately 60% of incidents and its 8-minute ERF objective on only 44.4% of incidents. Within the area of the fifth station under construction, average travel times are approximately 6:02 minutes, significantly exceeding NFPA 1710 response objectives and delaying critical fireground operations.

Limited staffing and 20% expansion of the city prevents the department from consistently meeting NFPA 1710 travel-time and ERF objectives, NFPA 1750 deployment recommendations, and OSHA 1910 “two-in/two-out” requirements during structure fire operations. First-arriving crews frequently cannot safely initiate simultaneous rescue, fire attack, ventilation, and rapid intervention functions until automatic aid resources arrive, usually arriving 10-12 minutes after the first arriving unit. This reliance on automatic and mutual aid resources places a significant burden on neighboring jurisdictions. As outside agencies respond into San Luis Obispo, emergency coverage is simultaneously reduced in neighboring communities.

The department is also experiencing increasing strain from simultaneous incidents. In 2025, all first-due apparatus were committed to active incidents 424 times, averaging more than once per day without an immediately available first-due company for subsequent emergencies. Because approximately 65% of all calls for service are EMS-related, fire companies are routinely committed to medical incidents, reducing response reliability throughout the system.

The requested SAFER positions will finally allow SLOFD to staff the fifth fire station and close a growing coverage gap impacting approximately 20% of the community and more than 5,000 residents. The additional staffing will reduce average travel times in this area from approximately 6:02 minutes to below 4 minutes, significantly improving compliance with NFPA 1710 and improving department-wide response times well above the current 60% compliance rate.

Most importantly, these positions will help reduce reliance on automatic and mutual aid partners, and provide safer, faster, and more effective emergency response coverage to a rapidly growing community.

The requested SAFER-funded firefighters are critical to restoring safe and effective emergency response coverage within San Luis Obispo. These positions will allow SLOFD to finally align our staffing with community demands created by rapid growth, increasing call volume, and expanding community risk.

How will the positions requested in this application be used within the department? (e.g., 4th on engine, open a new station, eliminate browned out stations, reduce overtime)? (3,000 character limit) (1,572 characters)
If awarded, the 9 additional firefighters would increase SLOFD’s daily minimum staffing from 14 firefighters to 17 firefighters and allow the department to place a fifth fire station into service to keep up with increasing call volume and rapid residential growth in the southern area of the City.

Recommended through the City’s independent Standards of Cover analysis, the fifth station is strategically located in an area where current average travel times are approximately 6:02 minutes, significantly exceeding NFPA 1710 response objectives. The additional staffing will improve emergency response coverage to approximately 20% of the community and more than 5,000 residents while helping reduce pressure on the department’s four existing stations. The department’s annual call volume has also increased 19% over the last five years, rising from 6,180 incidents in 2019 to 7,344 incidents in 2025.

Most importantly, the additional firefighters will move SLOFD closer to meeting NFPA 1710 travel-time and Effective Response Force objectives, NFPA 1750 deployment recommendations, and OSHA 1910 “two-in/two-out” requirements. Additional staffing will improve the department’s ability to safely initiate rescue, fire attack, ventilation, and rapid intervention functions during structure fires without waiting for outside resources to arrive. Overall, SLOFD will be less dependent on neighboring agencies, reduce strain on the regional emergency response system, improve firefighter safety, and provide faster and more reliable emergency response coverage to the community.