City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: September 8, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.H
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Matthew Hallock, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Subject: Authorization to enter into Professional Services Agreement with Grail, Inc. to Provide Cancer Screenings for the Santa Monica Fire Department Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Grail, Inc. to provide cancer screenings for Fire Department personnel. This recommended award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to the City’s Procurement Policy and is for a total contract amount not to exceed $130,962, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval and grant awards.
Summary
The Santa Monica Fire Department (“SMFD”) was awarded the FY 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (“AFG”) by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. SMFD applied for this grant to provide cancer screenings to its personnel, as cancer is the leading cause of death for firefighters. Staff recommends Council authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Grail, Inc. to provide cancer screenings to SMFD personnel. If approved, the agreement contemplates expenditures totaling $130,962, which is comprised of $119,056.36 in grant funds plus the required 10% local match of $11,905.64.
Discussion
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SMFD was awarded the FY 2024 AFG by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Council accepted this grant on January 27, 2026. The grant enables SMFD to use the grant funds of $119,056.36, plus the required 10% local match of $11,905.64, to fund cancer screenings for all SMFD personnel for one year . The AFG program has a two-year performance period, from November 25, 2025, to November 25, 2027.
The health and wellness of the City’s employees are key goals of the City. SMFD’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan identifies “Sustained Organization Vitality” as a strategic goal, with objectives focused on employee health and wellness, reducing work-related injuries, and reducing time-off due to injuries.
Cancer is the leading cause of death for firefighters due to frequent exposure to toxic fumes and soot. In fact, SMFD recently had a line of duty death due to cancer in 2023.
Early detection of cancer and associated symptoms is critical to receiving early treatment and increasing survival rates. Detecting cancer early can mean the difference between life and death. While SMFD sought funding for a two-year pilot program, the AFG award only provides enough funding to cover one year of cancer screenings. The AFG award and the required 10% local match represents a total award amount of $130,962, which will provide enough funding to screen all SMFD staff, including administrative staff.
Grail, Inc. is a healthcare biotechnology company that offers the Galleri multi-cancer early detection blood test, which analyzes DNA fragments in the blood to identify multiple cancer signals early using next generation sequencing and advanced data science. Grail’s test can detect 50+ cancer types, including many with no recommended screening, and offers high accuracy with a low false positive rate to help identify cancers when they are most treatable. SMFD utilized an exception to the competitive process because Grail is the only vendor that could provide the cancer screening services as specified in the AFG application that SMFD submitted. 3 of 4
Deviations from the grant requirements by using a different vendor for unapproved uses could result in forfeiture of the grant funds.
Exception to Competitive Bidding
Staff recommends a contract with Grail, Inc for it to provide the City with early detection cancer screening blood tests for SMFD personnel, and to do so as an exception to the competitive bidding process per the approved ECB #489 pursuant to the City’s Procurement Policy.
f. Special conditions attach to a grant, donation, gift or other legal document that require the use of particular goods and/or services;
Environmental Review
The agreement with Grail, Inc. to provide cancer screenings is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the CEQA Guidelines, which states that CEQA does not apply, “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The cancer screening services provided by Grail would have no possibility of significant effect on the environment and therefore is, exempt from CEQA.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
01/27/2026 Acceptance of FY2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Award Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the General Fund and Miscellaneous Grants Fund to award an agreement to Grail, Inc. to provide cancer screening tests to Fire Department employees.
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Agreement Request
Funding Source (s) FY 2026-27
Request Amount Department Account # Total Contract Amount General Fund $11,905.64 01190005.550010 $11,905.64
Miscellaneous
Grants Fund $119,056.36 20190001.555300 $119,056.36
Total $130,962.00
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Jonathan Tang, Principal Administrative Analyst Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Grail Oaks Initative
B. Levine Act Disclosure Grail 090226
C. 01-27-2026 FY2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Award