GRANT APPLICATION FOR FEMA
SAFER FUNDING
City Council Meeting
August 22, 2023
1 Scott Westrope, Fire Chief
Background
• In 2019 ESCI completed a Staffing Needs Assessment for SRFD. • Findings found that SRFD did not meet NFPA 1710 for full assembly at structure fires 61% of the time.
• SRFD call volume has increased steadily for the past 3 years. 29,250 calls in 2022, with 240 being structure fires.
• ~ 60% were EMS-ALS response calls.
• Current Strategic Plan and Deployment Analysis recommend the need for additional response resources.
• SRFD has successfully managed and implemented three previous SAFER grant awards:
• 2006 – Hired 3 Firefighters - staffing Engine 10.
• 2012 – Hired 9 Firefighters, 4 veterans specifically - staffing Engines 10 and 11 • 2013 - Hired 3 Firefighters - staffing Station 6.
2 SAFER Grant Guidelines
✓ Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response
✓ Grant funds are available for hiring
firefighters for three-year period of
performance
✓ Based on NFPA 1710 Structural Response
Standards.
✓ No cost share or match during period of
performance.
3 NFPA 1710
• Initial arrival of first arriving engine per NFPA 1710 should arrive within 240 seconds (4 min) 90% of the
time.
• Arrival of full compliment of firefighting resources – • The initial full alarm assignment to a structure fire in a typical 2000 ft2 (186 m2), two-story, single-family dwelling without a basement and with no exposures must provide for a minimum of 16 members (17 if an aerial device is used).
• Initial full alarm resources should arrive within 480 seconds (8 min), 90% of the time.
• NFPA 1710 definition of full complement changed
from 14 to 17 firefighters in May 2019.
4 Response Times Compliance
• 2010, one year post-
inception of Engine 11 ,
with 19,555 calls for
service, response times
were met 76.87% of the
time.*
• In 2022, SRFD responded
to 29,250 calls for
service, response times
were met 59.63% of the
time.*
5 * Council Goals response time standards of 5 minutes for turnout and travel time 90% of the time.
Grant Request
• $7.08M over 3 years, equating to $2.3M per year
• Fund hiring of 12 new firefighter/paramedics.
• 12 new FFs will staff 2- Advance Life Support Squads. • Will respond to EMS calls for service, focused on the busiest fire districts during peak hours.
• Will also respond to structure fires to improve
compliance with NFPA 1710.
• During off-peak hours, squad personnel will be
assigned to engine companies in 4 districts, to improve compliance with NFPA 1710.
6 Expiration of Grant Award
• When POP ends, there are several options to consider:
• Continued funding of the 12 FTEs from general fund to keep ALS squads in service.
• Identify an alternative funding source to keep the squads in service or utilize the employees in different capacity. • Absorb employees by attrition and eliminate ALS squads. 7 Recommendation
• It is recommended by the Fire Department that the Council, by resolution, authorize staff to submit a grant application to FEMA for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response Grant (SAFER) in the total amount of $7,084,440 for the hiring of twelve (12) firefighters for response in high demand areas; 2) authorize the Fire Chief or his designee to accept the grant award and approve and execute all
documents and agreements related to the grant, subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney; and 3) authorize the Chief Financial Officer to appropriate funds into the project account by the amount of the grant award.
8 Questions?
9