TITLE
The Mayor and City Council shall discuss and possibly take action to provide consent to submit an application to the Arizona Department of Homeland Security Grant Program for the Maricopa Fire Department in an amount not to exceed $60,000 for the purchase of dual band radios. Consent to submit an application includes completion of all necessary paperwork for the application process and designates the City Manager to sign all contracts. There is no matching requirement. Discussion and Action.
AGENDA ITEM DESCRIPTION
The City of Maricopa has submitted grant applications to the Arizona Department of Homeland Security in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 with council consent. The Maricopa Fire Department has been awarded funding for three years for various projects that include, radios, Sirius monitor for hazmat identification and overtime for training additional haz mat technicians. However, the Maricopa Fire Department was not funded in 2011.
The State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) is a core homeland security assistance program. SHSP provides funds to build capacities at the State and local levels through planning, equipment, training and exercise activities and to implement the goals and objectives included in State Homeland Security Strategies and initiatives in the Program and Capability Enhancement Plan. SHSP funding also supports the four
mission areas of homeland security- prevent, protect, respond and recover- and addresses all of the National Priorities and 37 Target Capabilities, as they relate to terrorism.
Authorized program expenditures include:
· Planning
· Organization
· Equipment
· Training
· Exercises
A sample contract is provided for City Council's review to designate the City Manager to sign the grant contract if the grant is awarded.
If the grant is awarded, the funds will be used to purchase mobile and/or portable dual band radios which will help the Fire Department to expand interoperable communications regionally. This project is on-going and is part of the City's Capital Improvement Plan.
The Homeland Security Grant Program provides funds to help build and strengthen capacities at the local level. Reliable radio communications equipment is essential to fire department operations. It is an authorized program expenditure and the purchase is consistent with the City's Capital Improvement Plan. Staff recommends submitting an application to the Arizona Department of Homeland Security Grant Program for an amount not to exceed $55,000 to be used for the purchase of end-user radio equipment.
In addition to the radios the Maricopa Fire Department will be submitting an application in the amount of $5,000 to assist with implementing the Citizen Corp Program through the recently formed For Our City. Citizen Corp Program is an organization of volunteer emergency workers who have received specific training in basic disaster response skills, and who agree to supplement existing emergency responders in the event of a major disaster. A local government agency, often a fire department or emergency management agency, agrees to sponsor CERT within its jurisdiction. The sponsoring agency liaises with, deploys and may train or supervise the training of CERT members. The sponsoring agency receives and disburses federal and state Citizen Corps grant funds allocated to its CERT program.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends submitting an application to the Arizona Department of Homeland Security Grant Program.