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AGENDA REPORT
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| | | | | | | | DATE:
| March 2, 2021
| TO:
| Mayor and City Council
| FROM:
| Stefan T. Chatwin, City Manager
| | SUBJECT: | Resolution 2021-43 of the City Council of the City of Fairfield Authorizing the Fire Department to Apply for the Fiscal Year 2020 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant |
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| | | | | | | | | RECOMMENDED ACTION | Adopt resolution. |
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| | | | | | | | | STATEMENT OF ISSUE | Through its Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced the availability of funds and the opening of their application cycle. Applications are due on March 12th and all funds are to be allocated no later than September 30th, 2021.
Due to grant application recommendations of FEMA, the Fire Department should obtain a letter of commitment from the Mayor on behalf of the City Council which explains that if awarded, all parties involved are committed to fulfilling all grant requirements upon acceptance of the award. However, if something were to change following notification of award, or at any point prior to accepting federal funds, the Fire Department has the ability to withdraw from the program without financial penalty. |
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| | | | | | | | | DISCUSSION | The Fire Department is requesting City Council support to apply for (5) full-time firefighter positions for a period of three years through the SAFER grant. The additional full-time positions would allow the Fire Department to operate a 7th company in District 35. The additional company would serve as a valuable addition to the City’s most vulnerable district, which has the slowest response times and is most isolated for back up response from other stations.
Based on the application cycle, the Fire Department anticipates that it would have the additional firefighters hired no sooner than summer 2021, which means that the grant performance period would extend through summer 2024. During the performance period, the Fire Department would be required to maintain a roster with the additional positions and to fill any vacancies within six months.
Logistically, in order to operate an additional company, the department will need to promote six firefighters to the fire engineer rank and three fire engineers to the fire captain rank. When awarded in 2016, all promotions were limited-term and directly tied to the grant performance period. The promotions and associated financial impact were not effective until the new hires had successfully completed the fire academy and the department was ready to deploy the additional company.
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| | | | | | | | | FINANCIAL IMPACT | As a result of COVID-19, under the FY 2020 SAFER program FEMA has eliminated all cost-sharing (matching) and position cost limit requirements. In working with Finance staff, the department has determined that the total application request would be for approximately $3,350,292 in reimbursement over the course of 36 months. To move forward with the grant proposal and deployment model, if awarded, the City’s personnel costs to operate the 7th company through a SAFER grant would be approximately $630,912 over the course of the 36-month performance period (Fund 011, Division and Responsibility Code 55002). This amount reflects the cost of limited-term promotions which would not be covered by the grant, but which would be required operationally to deploy a 7th company.
Although the Fire Department must maintain staffing levels during the 36-month performance period, the City is under no obligation to maintain any of the added positions or promotions beyond the performance period of the grant. |
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| | | | | | | | | PUBLIC CONTACT/ADVISORY BODY RECOMMENDATION | N/A
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| | | | | | | | | ALTERNATIVE ACTION | The Council could choose not to sign a letter of commitment; therefore choosing not to authorize the Fire Department to apply for the SAFER grant. |
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| | | | | | | | | STAFF CONTACT | Anthony Velasquez, Fire Chief
(707) 436-7226
avelasquez@fairfield.ca.gov
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| | | | | | | | | COORDINATED WITH | City Manager's Office, Finance Department, Human Resources Department
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| REVIEWERS: | | Reviewer | Action | Date | | Armour, Taylor | Approved | 2/16/2021 - 6:22 PM | | Armour, Taylor | Approved | 2/16/2021 - 6:23 PM | | Answerer | Approved | 2/16/2021 - 6:31 PM | | Alexander, Amber | Approved | 2/17/2021 - 4:53 PM | | Alexander, Amber | Approved | 2/22/2021 - 12:10 PM |
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