REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Budget Modification No. 34 to Appropriate $59,691 of Department of Homeland Security Grant Funds to Equip and Train a Regionally Deployable Public Safety Canine (K9) and Handler as an Arson/Accelerant Detection Team
Report
GRANT SUMMARY
The City Manager applied for, and on August 20, 2014, the City was awarded Department of Homeland Security grant funds in the amount of $59,691 for the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to equip and train a public safety K9 and its handler as an arson/accelerant detection team. The K9 will be cross-trained in protection and arson/accelerant detection. The K9 team will be a regionally deployable asset.
DPS requested this DHS State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) funding to enhance the region's capabilities to investigate arson-related fires and explosions. A K9 accelerant detection/protection K9 team is a critical resource that the Bay Area as a region currently does not have. The nearest trained teams are located in Oroville, CA to the north and Rancho Cucamonga, CA to the south. Both of these resources are owned by private companies; there are no public teams in this geographic area. This asset is critical to perform complete fire cause investigations and would enhance the Operational Area by providing Santa Clara County a much needed and unique tool to investigate acts of terrorism and related crimes. This resource will allow a faster, more efficient response, rather than waiting for such a resource to arrive at an event involving incendiary devices or fire.
The K9 arson/accelerant detection team will benefit the communities of Sunnyvale, Gilroy, Milpitas, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Mountain View, and Palo Alto, as well as the cities and unincorporated communities covered by the Santa Clara County Fire Department, the South Santa Clara County Fire District, and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department. Sunnyvale DPS plans to deploy the resource, as needed, to jurisdictions within Santa Clara County free of charge.
The total funding included here will provide the initial accelerant training and maintenance costs for the first year. Specifically:
Accelerant Training Course (6 weeks) - Tuition |
$4,500 |
Accelerant Training Course (6 weeks) - Overtime and backfill |
$46,691 |
Equipment / Training Aids |
$3,000 |
Flammable Liquids Storage Cabinet |
$1,000 |
Maintenance Costs |
$4,500 |
Total: |
$59,691 |
DHS/SHSGP grants are used to address the Santa Clara County operational area's identified needs for responding to acts of terrorism or catastrophic events. Funded activities include planning, organization, equipment, training, and field exercises. Grant guidelines require each operational area to appoint an Anti-Terrorism Approval Body (known as the Approval Authority). This body makes the final determination on the operational area's allocation of SHSGP grant funds. The Approval Authority consists of the County Sheriff, County Public Health Officer or designee responsible for Emergency Medical Services, County Fire Chief or Chief Fire Authority, a Municipal Fire Chief, and a Chief of Police. The Santa Clara County Fire Chief's Association selects the municipal fire chief representative, and the Santa Clara County Police Chief's Association selects the Chief of Police representative.
The Approval Authority is assisted by the Santa Clara County Homeland Security Training & Exercise Grant Program Advisory Group (known as the Advisory Group). This group administers and allocates the training and field exercise grants. DPS annually submits requests for training, equipment, and field exercises. All requests are considered within the context of the operational area's assessed needs.
DPS' Bureau of Police Services will oversee the operational portion of the grant. The Bureau of Special Operations, Division of Strategic Services will oversee the financial management of the grant.
Granting Agency
Department of Homeland Security funds through the Santa Clara County State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) Approval Authority
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 7.1.5 Donations, Contributions and Sponsorships:
The City Manager may apply for grants of any dollar amount, but shall notify the Council when grants are being pursued. Council approval of a budget modification to appropriate grant monies is required before funds can be expended by staff. Such a budget modification shall include the use to which the grant would be placed; the objectives or goals of the City which will be achieved through use of the grant; the local match required, if any, plus the source of the local match; any increased cost to be locally funded upon termination of the grant; and the ability of the City to administer the grant. For grants under the amount of $5,000 that do not have any external reporting requirements or any local match requirement, Council approval of a budget modification is not required. The City Manager is authorized to accept and administratively appropriate the grant funds.
This grant does not meet all of the criteria to be administratively appropriated by the City Manager; therefore a budget modification is required. Grant funds from DHS have external reporting requirements and fall under the federal single audit guidelines.
General Plan, Safety and Noise
Goal SN-2: Effective Disaster Preparedness - Ensure a safe and secure environment for people and property in the community by providing effective public safety response and prevention and education services.
Goal SN-3: Safe and Secure City - Ensure a safe and secure environment for people and property in the community by providing effective public safety response, prevention, and education services.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity does not require environmental review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that it may have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).
FISCAL IMPACT
Expenditures for the arson/accelerant detecting training, equipment, and supplies, a SHSGP-approved project, are reimbursable up to a cumulative total of $59,691. The grant covers the cost of the training tuition for the K9 and its handler, the handler's overtime and associated backfill, training equipment, and supplies.
K9s have a working life of approximately 5 years. DPS currently has four (4) K9s, with one (1) retiring in early 2015. DPS will seek other funding sources, including donations, to replace the K9. The replacement cost includes the cost of the K9 and all associated training for it and its handler to become a protection K9 team. This same K9 team will be cross-trained as an arson/accelerant detection team. The grant covers this supplemental arson/accelerant training and associated costs.
Required Local Match
None
Increased Cost To City Upon Grant Termination
Because this K9 will replace an existing K9, ongoing costs are already included in the Department of Public Safety's operating budget.
Budget Modification No. 18 has been prepared to appropriate $59,691 of Department of Homeland Security Grant Funds to equip and train a Public Safety K9 and its handler as an arson/accelerant detecting team as a regionally deployable asset to a new project, FFY 2014 State Homeland Security Grant - Training - Arson K9.
Budget Modification No. 34
FY 2014/15
|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
General Fund |
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
Homeland Security Grants - Training |
$4,228 |
$59,691 |
$63,919 |
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
New Project - FFY 2014 State Homeland Security Grant - Training - Arson K9 |
$0 |
$59,691 |
$59,691 |
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve Budget Modification No.34 prepared to appropriate $59,691 of Department of Homeland Security Grant Funds to equip and train a Public Safety K9 and its handler as an arson/accelerant detection team as a regionally deployable asset to a new project, FFY 2014 State Homeland Security Grant - Training - Arson K9.
Staff
Prepared by: Ann Durkes, Manager / BA II
Reviewed by: Frank J. Grgurina, Chief of Public Safety
Reviewed by: Grace K. Leung, Director, Department of Finance
Reviewed by: Robert A. Walker, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager