Title
Request to Apply for and Accept Federal Fiscal Year 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Fund (Ordinance S-48291)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to retroactively apply for, and accept, if awarded, up to $202,532 from federal fiscal year (FFY) 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program to fund three projects: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Decontamination, Fire Ground Survival (FGS) Training, and Peer Fitness Trainer (PFT) Certification. Further request authorization for the City Treasurer to accept, and for the City Controller to disburse, all funds related to this item. If not approved, the grant, if awarded, would be turned down.
Report
Summary
The AFG Program, administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is intended to help the nation's fire service by providing vital funds to local fire departments across the country. The primary goal of the program is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations, and State Fire Training Academies. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources necessary to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
PPE Decontamination
The PPE Decontamination Project will update the Fire Department’s PPE decontamination and cleaning process with an overall goal of improving firefighter health and safety by reducing repeated exposure to harmful contaminants on unclean or inadequately cleaned PPE and fire ground equipment. The funds will be utilized to purchase new washers and dryers and a downdraft table for use in the Fire Department laundry room. The total cost for this project is $90,920 with a city match of around $11,859 for upgrading the department’s aging PPE decontamination and cleaning system.
Fire Ground Survival Training
The Fire Ground Survival (FGS) Training Project will certify Phoenix and regional partner department trainers to teach Fire Ground Survival to Fire Department personnel. The training will enhance first responder awareness of conditions on the fire ground and give Fire Department members the critical skills necessary to handle a firefighter emergency. The funds will be utilized to provide training to 30 instructors and purchase three training props for department wide training. The total cost for this project is $79,612, with a city match of around $10,384.
Peer Fitness Trainer Certification
The Peer Fitness Trainer (PFT) Certification Training Project will train and certify Fire Department personnel as Peer Fitness Trainers. The goal of this project will be to certify Peer Fitness Trainers who can then deliver health and wellness training within the Department. The funds will be utilized to train and certify 40 members as PFTs. The total cost for this project is $32,000, with a city match of around $4,173.
Since 2008, the Fire Department has received more than $5 million in AFG funding. These grants were used to purchase portable radios, thermal imaging cameras, Incident Safety Officer System training, Automatic Chest Compression devices, Peer Support Team Training and Physical Therapy Equipment upgrades.
Procurement Information
The Fire Department will administer the grant in accordance with Administrative Regulation 3.10.
Contract Term
The two-year grant Period of Performance is projected to begin on or around May 1, 2022.
Financial Impact
A cost share of up to 15 percent of the award amount is required. Funds are available in the Fire Department's operating budget.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Fire Department.