FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2024
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: Interim City Manager Alex Posada
BY: Fire Chief Bradley Dandridge
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Approving Regional Task Force Training and Mobilization Exercises Agreement and Appropriations
Description:
The City Council will consider authorizing the City Manager or designee to enter into agreements with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to conduct annual California Regional Task Force 12 Training and Mobilization Exercises and authorizing the Director of Finance or designee to appropriate and expend funds associated with current and future activities.
Environmental Notice: The Project qualifies for an Exemption pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (common sense exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager or designee to enter into agreements with California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to conduct annual California Regional Task Force 12 training and Mobilization Exercises and authorizing the Director of Finance or designee to appropriate and expend funds associated with current and future activities.
BACKGROUND:
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) has Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces (RTF) in 12 regions. The Santa Maria Fire Department is one of six member agencies in RTF-12, along with Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara City, City of Lompoc, Vandenberg Space Force Base Fire Departments, and Montecito Fire Protection District. Urban search and rescue is considered a “multi-hazard” discipline, as it may be needed for a variety of emergencies or disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms and tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities, mudslides, and hazardous materials releases. Responding to these varied disasters requires a significant level of specialized training.
2 DISCUSSION:
The CalOES annual budget allocates funding for each of the 12 RTFs to conduct and participate in skills training and Mobilization Exercises (MOBEX). The MOBEX provides training for new team members and continuing education for existing personnel to maintain competency. Santa Maria Fire Department, as the lead agency for RTF-12, will coordinate the training and be responsible for all project tasks and deliverables, including purchasing of consumables, planning, delivery, evaluation , and after-action reporting of all training and MOBEX. The six agencies have entered a memorandum of understanding outlining the responsibilities of each agency . This includes providing the necessary apparatus and personnel documentation for reporting and reimbursement purposes.
Fiscal Considerations
Funding allocated by CalOES shows their commitment to maintaining the skills of task force members and provides the opportunity to conduct annual training without an added fiscal burden on participating agencies.
Impact to the Community
The residents of California will benefit from first responders who are trained to respond to all manner of disasters, both natural and man-made.