REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Budget Modification No. 25 to Appropriate $93,500 of Department of Homeland Security, State Homeland Security Grant Program Funds for Training
Report
GRANT SUMMARY
In December 2013, the City Manager signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to accept Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2013 grant funds from the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP). SHSGP is the program through which funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is provided to Santa Clara County as one of DHS' designated operational areas. This $93,500 grant will allow DPS to participate in the Blue Card Command On-line Training Program ($30,000) and Santa Clara County's Emergency Volunteer Program (EVP) ($63,500).
The Blue Card Command On-line Training Program is designed to train attendees to manage local incidents classified as Type 4 or Type 5 under the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS incident type categories are based on complexity, with Type 1 being the most complex and Type 5 being the least complex. More than 99% of public safety agencies' incident activities are categorized as either Type 4 or Type 5. This training will enhance all sworn personnel's ability to respond to these types of incidents.
The Santa Clara County Emergency Managers Association (SCCEMA) is working to strengthen the ability of all jurisdictions within the county to coordinate spontaneous volunteers. SCCEMA recognizes that people respond "en masse" and without being requested to help in a catastrophic event. In response, SCCEMA created and developed innovative tools for jurisdictions to effectively coordinate spontaneous volunteer resources countywide. The core of the program is the Emergency Volunteer Center (EVC); it brings together a community's needs with the people who want to help during and following a disaster. The EVC also serves as the community's clearinghouse for emergency plans, policies, and tools to manage disaster volunteers. This program, as developed in Santa Clara County, has become a model and is used throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and across the State.
The SCCEMA continues to develop the county-wide EVC model. As part of the development, it identified training necessary for each city's/jurisdiction's emergency operations manager and emergency operations center. As such, $63,500 was awarded to Sunnyvale DPS. The training will focus on the long-term development of the following key concepts:
• Using the county-wide call center and virtual system for registering and matching
spontaneous volunteers.
• Training existing community emergency operations volunteer groups (Sunnyvale's
SNAP) to support the volunteer coordination function in the City's emergency
operations center (EOC).
• Develop and train on supporting operations by EVCs to medical points of distribution.
• Build public and private partnerships for long term sustainability
• Increase the City's capabilities to easily train staff and volunteers to establish and
operate EVCs.
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.
The Bureau of Special Operations (Training Unit and Emergency Operations Center) will be responsible for managing the operational functions of the grant. The Bureau of Special Operations, Division of Strategic Services will manage the financial aspects.
Granting Agency
Santa Clara County 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 Department of Homeland Security, State Homeland Security Grant Program have external reporting requirements and fall under the federal single audit guidelines.
Sunnyvale General Plan
Goal SN-2, Effective Disaster Preparedness
Ensure that the City, its community members, businesses, faith-based organizations, community organizations and special needs populations are prepared to effectively respond and recover from major disasters and emergencies.
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. [Add additional policy here.]
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no net impact to the General Fund by appropriating these grant funds. Expenditures for SHSGP approved training are reimbursable up to a cumulative total of the $93,500 appropriation, including $30,000 for Blue Card Command and $63,500 for EVP. No overtime or backfill are authorized for either training opportunity. The grant funds will be used for instructor costs and course materials. Both training opportunities will be presented multiple times on shift-friendly schedules.
Required Local Match
NONE
Increased Cost To City Upon Grant Termination
NONE
Budget Modification No. 25 has been prepared to appropriate Department of Homeland Security, State Homeland Security Grant Program Funds for Training in the amount of $93,600 to two new projects, FFY 2013 SHSGP - Training - Blue Card Command and FFY 2013 SHSGP - Training - Emergency Volunteer Program.
Budget Modification No. 25
FY 2013/14
|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
General Fund |
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
Homeland Security Grants - Training |
$0 |
$93,500 |
$93,500 |
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
New Project - FFY 2013 State Homeland Security Grant - Training -Blue Card Command |
$0 |
$30,000 |
$30,000 |
|
|
|
|
New Project - FFY 2013 State Homeland Security Grant - Training - Emergency Volunteer Program |
$0 |
$63,500 |
$63,500 |
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. 25 to appropriate $93,500 of Department of Homeland Security, State Homeland Security Grant Program Funds for Training to two new projects, FFY 2013 SHSGP - Training - Blue Card Command and FFY 2013 SHSGP - Training - Emergency Volunteer Program.
Staff
Prepared by: Ann Durkes, Manager / BA II
Reviewed by: Frank J. Grgurina, Chief of Public Safety
Reviewed by: Grace Leung, Director of Finance
Approved by: Robert A. Walker, Interim City Manager
Attachments