City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: December 13, 2022
Agenda Item: 5.N
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Danny Alvarez, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Subject: Authorization to Accept the 2021 State Homeland Security Grant Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $185,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the 2021 State Homeland Security Grant Program in the Fire Department, and to accept all grant renewals;
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents to accept the grant, all grant renewals, and modifications. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report.
Summary
Each year, the Federal government allocates grant funding to enhance regional preparedness for disasters, emergencies, and other threats to homeland security. In grant year 2021, $185,000 was awarded to the Santa Monica Fire Department as a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) grant to fund a contractor to serve as the Los Angeles Fire Chiefs’ Association Regional Training Group’s Training Officer. Staff recommends that Council authorize acceptance of the 2021 SHSP grant funds and execution of a subrecipient agreement with the County of Los Angeles for a performance period of September 1, 2021, to May 31, 2024. The 2021 SHSP grant funds are administered by the County of Los Angeles on behalf of the Los Angeles-Long Beach Urban Area, which includes Santa Monica. 2 of 5
Discussion
The SHSP program focus is on enhancing regional preparedness and capabilities in major metropolitan areas. The Santa Monica Fire Department received funds to support the Fire Department’s core public safety mission as well as regional homeland security goals. The following are the ten major regional homeland security focus areas of the SHSP grant program, known as Investment Justifications (IJ):
lJ # 1: Strengthen Capabilities of the State Threat Assessment System; IJ # 2: Protect Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources; IJ # 3: Enhance Cybersecurity;
IJ # 4: Strengthen Emergency Communications Capabilities Through Planning, Governance, Technology and Equipment;
IJ # 5: Enhance Medical and Public Health Capabilities; IJ # 6: Preventing Violent Extremism Through Multi-Jurisdictional/InterJurisdictional Collaboration and Coordination; IJ # 7: Enhance Community Resilience, Including Partnerships With Volunteers and Community Based Organizations and Programs;
IJ # 8: Strengthen Information Sharing and Collaboration; IJ # 9: Enhance Multi-Jurisdictional/Inter-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Incident Planning, Response & Recovery Capabilities; and
IJ #10: Homeland Security Exercise, Evaluation and Training Programs The SHSP program directly supports the national priority of expanding regional collaboration within the National Preparedness Goal, which defines what it means for the whole community to be prepared for all types of disasters and emergencies. The SHSP grant is intended to assist participating jurisdictions in developing integrated regional systems for prevention, protection, response, and recovery from natural or man-made disasters.
The 2021 SHSP program’s agreement was recently received by the City since it takes the County of Los Angeles and the State the first year of the performance period to negotiate the workbook and approve the numerous regional projects before subrecipient agreements can be processed. The program will fund projects in 29 high-threat, high 3 of 5
density areas selected by DHS. The County of Los Angeles is the region's grantor for the SHSP grant and allocates funds to the City of Santa Monica. A regional working group and approval authority, made up of SHSP stakeholders from throughout the Los Angeles-Long Beach Urban Area, are the governing bodies that determine which regional projects to submit to DHS for grant funding.
The SHSP grant program is 100% federally funded by DHS and managed through the State of California's Office of Emergency Services. There is no requirement of a local match. The City of Santa Monica has received over $20 million in federal homeland security grant funding since 2003. These funds have been used to purchase necessary interoperable communication and infrastructure equipment, supplies, and training in direct support of overall regional goals to promote effective information gathering, sharing, and response to threats and/or acts of terrorism. These funds can not be used for general purposes and must be specified at the time of application. Homeland security purchases must be pre-approved by the state and align with grant guidelines.
The Fire Department will use the 2021 SHSP grant funds to host the Los Angeles Area Fire Chief’s Association Training Officer contractor. The Training Officer’s contract with Fire Resources was awarded on November 15, 2022, but only the first year’s funds were appropriated to Contract 11339 from SHSP 2020 grant funds. The Training Officer will coordinate the facilitation of regional training opportunities. The Training Officer also performs regional research, prepares reports, presentations, and briefings for the regions’ Fire Chiefs, executive and other fire service audiences on relevant fire service issues. Deploying these funds, as recommended by the Fire Department, helps ensure response readiness for incidents of national significance including, but not limited to acts of terrorism, natural disasters, public health threats and other large-scale incidents that pose a threat to public or first-responder safety.
Past Council Action
Meeting Date Description
11/15/2022 Original Request for Proposal and award of professional services agreement with Fire Resources to assist Los Angeles Area Fire 4 of 5
Chief’s Association Regional Training Group hosted by Santa Monica Fire Department using FEMA SHSP grant funds.
Environmental Review
This is not a project for the purpose of the California Environmental Quality Act.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to accept a grant from the 2021 State Homeland Security Grant Program in the amount of $185,000 to fund LAAFCA’s Training Officer contract.
FY 2022-23 Grant Budget Changes
Establish Revenue Budget Appropriate Funds
Account Number Amount Account Number Amount
20190001.40429A $185,000 20190001.55517A $185,000
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Miscellaneous Grants Fund to increase the professional services agreement with Fire Resources LLC to provide professional services to assist the LAAFCA Regional Training Group.
Professional Services Agreement Modification Request
Agreement #
Current
Authorized
Amount
FY 2022-23 Budget
Modified Request
Amount
Dept Account #
Total Revised
Contract
Amount
11339 $185,000 $185,000 20190001.55517A $370,000
Prepared By: Terese Toomey, Principal Administrative Analyst Approved Forwarded to Council
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Attachments:
A. Staff Report 5424 - Award RFP Training Professional Services on behalf LAAFCA