RES 1369 06/24/2008 CITY OF CIBOLO, TEXAS
RESOLUTION NO. 1369
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE APPLICATION BY THE
CIBOLO FIRE DEPARTMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY UNDER THE 2008 SAFER GRANT.
WHEREAS, the Department is offering competitive grants for Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER); and
WHEREAS, the Cibolo Fire Department is willing to prepare and submit a grant
application to the Department of Homeland Security for the hiring of
career firefighters; and
WHEREAS, there is need to increase the number of firefighters that are available for
response to emergencies in order to improve the safety of the community
and emergency responders; and
WHEREAS, the City of Cibolo has recognized the need to increase the staffing of the
first alarm assignment utilizing career and volunteer firefighters; and
WHEREAS, the elected officials have been informed of the application and of the
financial support necessary and are committed to securing the necessary
financial support.
NOW, THEREFORE THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CIBOLO,
TEXAS, HEREBY RESOLVES AND FINDS AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
The Fire Department is authorized to submit an application to the Department of
Homeland Security SAFER grant program for 12 firefighters.
SECTION 2.
The City Council has been informed of the grant application and is committed to
providing appropriate financial support.
SECTION 3.
The Fire Chief of the City of Cibolo and the City Manager are hereby authorized
to execute all documents necessary to accomplish the purposes of this resolution.
SECTION 4.
This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its final adoption by
the city.
ADOPTED on this the ?`1 day of 2008.
Jennifer Hartman, Mayor
City of Cibolo, Texas
ATTEST:
Peggy Cimics, City Secretary
City of Cibolo, Texas
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Susan C. Rocha, City Attorney
City of Cibolo, Texas
U . S . DEPARTMENT OF 1 1 SECURITY
Fiscal Year 2008
STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
PROGRAM AND APPLICATION GUIDANCE
May 2008
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant
Contents
Highlights........................................................................................2
Introduction.....................................................................................3
Part I. Eligible Program Activities......................................................5
Part II. Available Funding and Eligible Applicants...............................12
Part III. Evaluation Process...............................................................16
Part IV. Application Requirements......................................................18
Appendix1. Definitions.....................................................................26
Appendix 2. Grantee Responsibilities.................................................29
Appendix 3. Excess Funds.................................................................32
1
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant
Highlights
The Fiscal Year 2008 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response
(SAFER) grants remain largely unchanged from last year's program; however,
this year's guidance has been changed to provide accurate references to
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards regarding the training of
firefighters.
As in last year's program, cash payments given directly to members for
participation in activities for recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters,
other than those directly linked to operational services, are not eligible. Stipends,
such as pay-on-call, and payments of lost wages resulting from attending training
and/or participating in operational services, are eligible, if included as part of the
grantee's fringe benefit package and supported by formal personnel policies
and/or standard operating procedures.
Contributions to individual member retirement accounts are eligible if the activity
is highly rated during the application review process and is included as part of the
grantee's fringe benefit package and supported by formal personnel policies
and/or standard operating procedures. However, incentives for retention (such
as contributions into a retirement account) cannot be retroactive.
Ineligible uses of funds include cash payments for years of service or
membership and payment for travel for pleasure. Costs associated with award
banquets (such as food, facilities, or entertainment) are not eligible; however
costs for non-cash awards are eligible.
The limited funding available for SAFER activities precludes the award of funds
for operational activities, such as the equipment and training of newly hired or
recruited firefighters. Therefore, personal protective clothing, firefighting
equipment, and costs for providing training to the firefighter minimum-staffing
level, as offered in the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) grant program, are not
eligible. However, applicants receiving SAFER funding will receive priority
consideration in applying for funding under subsequent cycles of the AFG
program. In this case, applicants will be reviewed by the AFG peer evaluation,
provided that the AFG funds would be used to support SAFER-funded activities.
In the FY 2008 program year, applicants seeking funding under the Recruitment
and Retention Activity will be able to apply for regional initiatives as well as
activities targeting internal needs. Applicants seeking funding for both regional
and internal needs must combine their request on one application and clearly
identify the activities as regional or internal.
2
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant
Introduction
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants are
managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to
Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program Office. SAFER grants provide financial
assistance to help fire departments increase their cadre of frontline firefighters.
The goal is to assist the local fire departments' staffing and deployment
capabilities, in order to respond to emergencies whenever they occur, assuring
that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related
hazards. The SAFER grants have two activities that will help grantees in this
endeavor: (1) hiring of firefighters and (2) recruitment and retention of volunteer
firefighters.
In Fiscal Year 2008, Congress appropriated a total of$190 million to the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for SAFER grants. The authority for
SAFER is derived from the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15
U.S.C. 2201 et seq.), as amended. Appropriated funds are available for award
until September 30, 2009. Once awarded, the funds are available for
expenditure by the grantee for the full period of grant performance.
A. Federal Investment Strategy
The SAFER grants are an important part of the Administration's larger,
coordinated effort to strengthen homeland security preparedness. Of particular
significance are the National Preparedness Guidelines and its associated work
products. The National Preparedness Guidelines is an all-hazards guide for
meeting the Nation's four core preparedness objectives: to prevent, protect
against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks and catastrophic natural
disasters.
The National Preparedness Guidelines defines a vision for what should be
achieved in order to strengthen the security of the Nation and provides guidance
designed to forge a unified national consensus about what to do and how to work
together at all levels of government. First responder participation is integral to
the Guidelines' success. DHS expects its first responder partners to be familiar
with this national preparedness architecture and to practically incorporate
elements of this architecture into their planning, operations, and investments.
B. Funding Priorities
The goal of the SAFER grants is to enhance the local fire departments' abilities
to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards established by the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA). Specifically, the program focuses on standards
included in the deployment and assembly sections of NFPA 1710 and/or NFPA
3
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant
1720, and the respiratory protection section of OSHA 1910.134 (see
www.nfpa.org/SAFERActGrant for more details).
SAFER funds should assist local fire departments in staffing and deployment
capabilities, in order to respond to emergencies whenever they may occur. As a
result of the enhanced staffing, a SAFER grantee's response time should be
sufficiently reduced with an appropriate number of trained personnel assembled
at the incident scene. Additionally, the enhanced staffing should provide that all
frontline/first-due apparatus of SAFER grantees have a minimum of four trained
personnel to meet the OSHA standards referenced above. Ultimately, SAFER
grantees should realize more efficient response and a safer incident scene,
ensuring that communities have more adequate protection from fire and fire-
related hazards.
Each year, the AFG program office holds a criteria development meeting to
develop the funding priorities for SAFER and its other grant opportunities for the
coming year. To do this, a panel is convened of fire service professionals,
representing the nine major fire service organizations. The organizations that are
represented include:
• Congressional Fire Service Institute (CFSI)
• International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
• International Association of Firefighters (IAFF)
• International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI)
• National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)
• North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD)
The criteria development panel is charged with making recommendations to the
AFG program office, regarding the creation and/or modification of previously
established funding priorities, as well as developing criteria for awarding grants
and proposing any necessary changes to the administration of the SAFER
grants. The content of this Program Guidance reflects implementation of the
criteria development panel's recommendations, with respect to the priorities,
direction, and criteria for awarding SAFER grants.
SAFER grants are comprised of two primary activities: (1) hiring of firefighters
and (2) the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Additional
information regarding both of these activities is provided below.
4
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant
Part I.
Eligible Program Activities
A. Hiring of Firefighters Activity
The Hiring of Firefighters Activity involves a grant with a five-year period of
performance that provides fire departments with funding to pay a portion of the
salaries and benefits of newly hired firefighters. These grants are awarded
directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help the
departments increase their number of frontline firefighters. Having more
firefighters on staff should enhance the local fire department's abilities to comply
with staffing, response, and operational standards established by NFPA and
OSHA.
A.1. Funding Priorities
Meeting National Standards: The highest priority under this activity is to
provide funding to departments: that are not in compliance with national
standards promulgated by the NFPA and OSHA and adopted by DHS; and, that
can be brought into compliance with the standards in the most economical
manner.
Applications that, if awarded, would result in the largest percentage increase in
compliance with the relevant section of NFPA 1710 and 1720 will receive greater
consideration than applications that would result in smaller percentage increases
in compliance.
• NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire
Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special
Operations to the Public by Career Fire Department (Section 5.2.4.2 —
Initial Full Alarm Assignment Capability). This standard applies
primarily to all-career fire departments and combination departments at
the combination department's election.
• NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire
Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special
Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments (Section 4.3 —
Staffing and Deployment). This standard applies primarily to all-
volunteer fire departments, but may also apply to combination
departments if the combination department does not elect to comply
with the NFPA 1710 standard.
Note: SAFER grants are focused only on the "Deployment" or "Staffing and
Deployment" sections of these two standards (respectively). Information about
these standards is available on the on the NFPA website at www.nfpa.orq. The
National Fire Protection Association has established a special link that provides
S
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant
information about these two standards. For more information on the standards,
contact NFPA at 1-800-344-3555, or e-mail questions to stds admin(a�nfpa.orq.
The specific OSHA Respiratory Protection standards to be addressed under
SAFER are:
• 1910.134(g)(4) Procedures for interior structural firefighting, which
provides for employer assurances, most notably the two-in two-out
rule.
• 1910.134(g)(4)(i) This standard requires that at least two employees
enter the IDLH (immediate danger to life and health) atmosphere and
remain in visual or voice contact with one another at all times.
• 1910.134(g)(4)(ii) This standard requires that at least two employees
are located outside the IDLH atmosphere.
Training Requirements: As a condition of this grant, applicants must provide
assurance that their newly hired firefighters will be certified at the Firefighter I
level within the first six months of employment AND that their new recruits will be
trained to Firefighter II level or equivalent within the first two years of their
employment. Applicants who fail to do so will not be considered for award.
Awardees are required to submit documentation of training and certification
fulfillment within the stated program deadlines. Awardees who fail to follow
through on these requirements may be required to return all or a portion of all of
the Federal funds disbursed under the grant, and may be disqualified from
participation in future AFG and SAFER award cycles. The relevant NFPA
standard is as follows:
• NFPA 1001 Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications
(Firefighter-I and Firefighter-ll). This standard identifies the minimum job
performance requirements for career and volunteer firefighters whose
duties are primarily structural in nature. The purpose of this standard is to
specify the minimum job performance requirements for firefighters. It is
not the intent of the standard to restrict any jurisdiction from exceeding
these requirements.
Applicants that will have trained their new recruits to have EMS certification to
the minimum level established by the local agency having jurisdiction will receive
higher consideration.
Call Volume and Population Served: Department call volume and the
population serviced will both be factored into the initial evaluation. Departments
that respond to a high number of incidents and protect higher numbers of people
will receive higher consideration than departments that respond to fewer
incidents or protect a smaller jurisdiction.
6
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant
Firefighter Health Measures: The criteria development panel also
recommended that, because the health and wellbeing of firefighters is of
paramount importance, applicants who indicate that their newly recruited
firefighters will undergo an entry-level physical and receive immunizations will
receive higher consideration than applications that do not specify that these
benefits will be provided.
Meeting the Four-Firefighter Standard: The criteria development panel
recommended and DHS concurs that, for the purposes of the SAFER grants, a
safe and efficient initial attack requires a minimum of four firefighters. Therefore,
applicants who come into compliance with the minimum four firefighter standard
for the first arriving engine (or vehicle capable of initiating suppression activities),
with the fewest number of additional personnel, will receive higher consideration
than applicants seeking a higher number of additional personnel.
Other Priorities: Fire departments that have formal automatic and/or mutual aid
agreements and applicants whose request is based on a staffing needs
assessment will also receive higher consideration.
A.2. Allowable Expenses
The only eligible costs under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity are the salary and
associated benefits for the new firefighter positions. Overtime costs are not
eligible. However, costs for overtime, in order to comply with the Fair Labor
Standards Act (FLSA) requirements, which fire departments routinely pay as a
part of the base salary or the firefighter's regularly scheduled and contracted shift
hours, are eligible. Costs to apply for the grant (such as grant-writer fees),
administrative costs, and indirect costs associated with hiring of the firefighters
are not eligible. Costs of training and equipping firefighters are not eligible.
However, the salaries and benefits of firefighters hired under the SAFER grants
while they are engaged in training are eligible. Costs for uniforms and physicals
are not eligible. In addition, funds to support additional hired positions shall not
be used to supplant normal operating budgets or funds received from Federal,
State, or local sources for these purposes.
Other Considerations: No changes in scope will be considered once an
application is submitted. Applicants may NOT reduce the number of positions
requested in their application, nor may they change or modify the grant's period
of performance. Failure to fully fund awarded positions will be considered as
defaulting on the grant agreement, and may require the return of all the Federal
funds disbursed under the grant.
Only full-time positions will be funded. However, recognizing that many
departments have shifts that exceed a 40-hour workweek, a full-time position is
one that is funded for at least 2,080 hours per year (i.e., 40 hours per week, 52
7
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant
weeks per year). DHS will also consider funding the job-sharing of a full-time
position with sufficient justification. A job-share position is a full-time position that
is occupied by more than one person. Example: A department may hire two
part-time staff persons at 28 hours each to fulfill the scheduled work hours of one
56-hour shift position. Please note, however, that since the number of scheduled
shifts that a department typically uses is three or four, the number of individuals
that may share in a SAFER-funded position will be limited to four. Part-time
positions will not be funded unless they are combined to equal a full-time
position.
B. Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
The purpose of these grants is to assist fire departments with the recruitment and
retention of volunteer firefighters. The grants are intended to create a net
increase in the number of trained, certified, and competent firefighters capable of
safely responding to emergencies likely to occur within the grantee's geographic
response area. The primary focus of this activity is the recruitment and retention
of volunteer firefighters who are involved with, or trained in, the operations of
firefighting and emergency response.
B.1. Priorities
Meeting Staffing Standards: The highest priority under this SAFER activity is
to assist departments that are experiencing a high rate of turnover and
departments whose staffing levels are significantly below the ideal staffing level
required to comply with NFPA standards 1710 or 1720 (see page 5 of this
document for details regarding these NFPA standards or contact NFPA directly
at 1-800-344-3555, or e-mail questions to stds adminCcDnfpa.o ) and OSHA
Respiratory Protection standards (see page 6 of this document for details
regarding applicable OSHA standards). Departments with the lowest retention
rates and those with the highest vacancy rates will be a high priority for funding.
Volunteer Membership: DHS concurs with the recommendation of the criteria
development panel that departments with the highest percentage of volunteers
and departments or organizations with large numbers of volunteers will benefit
the most from the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Therefore,
applicants whose membership is mostly volunteer, or departments with a
significant number of volunteer firefighters, will receive higher consideration than
departments with a low percentage of volunteers or a smaller number of
volunteer members.
Recruitment/Retention Plan: It is critical to have a plan to direct any
recruitment and/or retention activities. Accordingly, applications requesting
funding for recruitment and/or retention programs that are based on formal plans
will receive higher consideration than applications that are not. Applicants who
claim to have a recruitment and retention plan should summarize the plan in their
8
O F C City Council
�0 Meeting Date: June 24, 2008
(� 1 XL 0 From: Todd Parton
Subject: Resolution-SAFER Grant Application
M"Ngry7lttttltll!
T e X 5 Attached is a resolution from the City Council authorizing the submission
of a SAFER Grant application to fund a total of 12 full-time firefighter positions.
The submission and subsequent award of this application will not obligate the City
Cibolo financially. If the application is successful, the City Council will then need to
Administration consider whether to accept or reject it.
The SAFER Grant program provides funding to help departments increase
Todd Parton staffing levels to meet the fire protection standards of the National Fire Protection
City Manager Association.
citvmanaaer(acibolotx net
Twelve (12) firefighters will allow the City to establish 3 separate shifts of 4
people. These shifts would need to be scheduled to meet peak demands and
would also need to be supplemented by volunteers to cover employee leaves
and those periods that these regular shifts would not cover.
SAFER Grants provide funding assistance for the annual payroll
requirements for the firefighters on a sliding scale over a 4-year period. The
funding assistance and the City's anticipated share of employee costs are as
follows:
Year Cost city City Share
1 $ 677,040.00 $ 67,704.00 10%
2 $ 710,892.00 $ 142,178.40 20%
3 $ 746,436.60 $373,218.30 50%
4 $ 783,758.43 $548,630.90 70%
5 822,946.35 822,946.35 100%
Please note that these cost estimates include salary and the City's typical
salary matching costs - i.e. FICA, TMRS, Workers' Comp, etc. The City will incur
additional expenses as well for annual operating functions like training,
operations,facility maintenance and equipment maintenance.
OPTIONS:
City of Cibolo 1. Approve the resolution and authorize the grant application.
P.O. Box 826 2. Reject the resolution and do not authorize the grant application.
200 South Main
Cibolo,Texas 78108 RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council award the bid to the lowest
Main 210.658.9900 responsible bidder as recommended by the City Engineer.
Fax 210.658.1687
htto://www.cibolotx.net
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