SR 12-13-2022 5N
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: December 13, 2022
Agenda Item: 5.N
1 of 5
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Danny Alvarez, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Subject: Authorization to Accept the 2021 State Homeland Security Grant
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $185,000
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the 2021 State Homeland
Security Grant Program in the Fire Department, and to accept all grant renewals;
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents to accept the
grant, all grant renewals, and modifications. Authorize budget changes as
outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report.
Summary
Each year, the Federal government allocates grant funding to enhance regional
preparedness for disasters, emergencies, and other threats to homeland security. In
grant year 2021, $185,000 was awarded to the Santa Monica Fire Department as a part
of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management
Agency's (FEMA) State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) grant to fund a
contractor to serve as the Los Angeles Fire Chiefs’ Association Regional Training
Group’s Training Officer. Staff recommends that Council authorize acceptance of the
2021 SHSP grant funds and execution of a subrecipient agreement with the County of
Los Angeles for a performance period of September 1, 2021, to May 31, 2024. The
2021 SHSP grant funds are administered by the County of Los Angeles on behalf of the
Los Angeles-Long Beach Urban Area, which includes Santa Monica.
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Discussion
The SHSP program focus is on enhancing regional preparedness and capabilities in
major metropolitan areas. The Santa Monica Fire Department received funds to support
the Fire Department’s core public safety mission as well as regional homeland security
goals. The following are the ten major regional homeland security focus areas of the
SHSP grant program, known as Investment Justifications (IJ):
lJ # 1: Strengthen Capabilities of the State Threat Assessment System;
IJ # 2: Protect Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources;
IJ # 3: Enhance Cybersecurity;
IJ # 4: Strengthen Emergency Communications Capabilities Through Planning,
Governance, Technology and Equipment;
IJ # 5: Enhance Medical and Public Health Capabilities;
IJ # 6: Preventing Violent Extremism Through Multi-Jurisdictional/Inter-
Jurisdictional Collaboration and Coordination;
IJ # 7: Enhance Community Resilience, Including Partnerships With Volunteers
and Community Based Organizations and Programs;
IJ # 8: Strengthen Information Sharing and Collaboration;
IJ # 9: Enhance Multi-Jurisdictional/Inter-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Incident
Planning, Response & Recovery Capabilities; and
IJ #10: Homeland Security Exercise, Evaluation and Training Programs
The SHSP program directly supports the national priority of expanding regional
collaboration within the National Preparedness Goal, which defines what it means for
the whole community to be prepared for all types of disasters and emergencies. The
SHSP grant is intended to assist participating jurisdictions in developing integrated
regional systems for prevention, protection, response, and recovery from natural or
man-made disasters.
The 2021 SHSP program’s agreement was recently received by the City since it takes
the County of Los Angeles and the State the first year of the performance period to
negotiate the workbook and approve the numerous regional projects before subrecipient
agreements can be processed. The program will fund projects in 29 high-threat, high
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density areas selected by DHS. The County of Los Angeles is the region's grantor for
the SHSP grant and allocates funds to the City of Santa Monica. A regional working
group and approval authority, made up of SHSP stakeholders from throughout the Los
Angeles-Long Beach Urban Area, are the governing bodies that determine which
regional projects to submit to DHS for grant funding.
The SHSP grant program is 100% federally funded by DHS and managed through the
State of California's Office of Emergency Services. There is no requirement of a local
match. The City of Santa Monica has received over $20 million in federal homeland
security grant funding since 2003. These funds have been used to purchase necessary
interoperable communication and infrastructure equipment, supplies, and training in
direct support of overall regional goals to promote effective information gathering,
sharing, and response to threats and/or acts of terrorism. These funds can not be used
for general purposes and must be specified at the time of application. Homeland
security purchases must be pre-approved by the state and align with grant guidelines.
The Fire Department will use the 2021 SHSP grant funds to host the Los Angeles Area
Fire Chief’s Association Training Officer contractor. The Training Officer’s contract with
Fire Resources was awarded on November 15, 2022, but only the first year’s funds
were appropriated to Contract 11339 from SHSP 2020 grant funds. The Training
Officer will coordinate the facilitation of regional training opportunities. The Training
Officer also performs regional research, prepares reports, presentations, and briefings
for the regions’ Fire Chiefs, executive and other fire service audiences on relevant fire
service issues. Deploying these funds, as recommended by the Fire Department, helps
ensure response readiness for incidents of national significance including, but not
limited to acts of terrorism, natural disasters, public health threats and other large-scale
incidents that pose a threat to public or first-responder safety.
Past Council Action
Meeting Date Description
11/15/2022 Original Request for Proposal and award of professional services
agreement with Fire Resources to assist Los Angeles Area Fire
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Chief’s Association Regional Training Group hosted by Santa
Monica Fire Department using FEMA SHSP grant funds.
Environmental Review
This is not a project for the purpose of the California Environmental Quality Act.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to accept a grant from the 2021 State Homeland Security Grant
Program in the amount of $185,000 to fund LAAFCA’s Training Officer contract.
FY 2022-23 Grant Budget Changes
Establish Revenue Budget Appropriate Funds
Account Number Amount Account Number Amount
20190001.40429A $185,000 20190001.55517A $185,000
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Miscellaneous Grants Fund to
increase the professional services agreement with Fire Resources LLC to provide
professional services to assist the LAAFCA Regional Training Group.
Professional Services Agreement Modification Request
Agreement #
Current
Authorized
Amount
FY 2022-23 Budget
Modified Request
Amount
Dept Account #
Total Revised
Contract
Amount
11339 $185,000 $185,000 20190001.55517A $370,000
Prepared By: Terese Toomey, Principal Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
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Attachments:
A. Staff Report 5424 - Award RFP Training Professional Services on behalf
LAAFCA
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City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: November 15, 2022
Agenda Item: 5.J
1 of 6
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Danny Alvarez, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Subject: Award RFP to provide professional services to assist Los Angeles Area Fire
Chief’s Association Regional Training Group Fire Service Training Officer
hosted by Santa Monica Fire
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP #325 for professional services to Fire Resources LLC, to assist Los
Angeles Area Fire Chief’s Association Regional Training Group hosted by Santa
Monica Fire Department; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a professional service
agreement with Fire Resources LLC, in an amount not to exceed $370,000 for a
twenty-four month period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget
approval and state homeland security grant funding.
Summary
Each year, the Federal government allocates grant funding to enhance regional
preparedness for disasters, emergencies and other threats to homeland security. In
grant years 2020-2022, $370,000 was awarded to the Santa Monica Fire Department as
a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency
Management Agency's (FEMA) State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) grant.
The $370,000 has been awarded to Santa Monica Fire on behalf of the Los Angeles
Area Fire Chief’s Association (LAAFCA) to enter into an agreement with the training
officer consultant group Fire Resources to assist the Regional Training Group fulfill
LAAFCA’s regional training mission.
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The SHSP grant funds are administered by the County of Los Angeles on behalf of the
Los Angeles-Long Beach Urban Area, which includes Santa Monica. City Council has
already accepted the 2020 SHSP funds totaling $185,000, and the Fire Department has
a pending agreement to award the remaining funds from the 2021 SHSP grant in the
amount of $185,000. These funds have been granted to Santa Monica for the
engagement of professional services to assist the Los Angeles Area Fire Chief’s
Association Regional Training Group achieve its mission of fulfilling its homeland
security goals. The agreement with the selected consultant, Fire Resources, would be
for a term of two years.
Discussion
About the SHSP Grant Program
The focus of the SHSP program is to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in
major metropolitan areas. The Santa Monica Fire Department was asked to host funds
to assist the RTG with facilitating county-wide trainings that support Fire’s core public
safety missions as well as regional homeland security goals. The following are the ten
major regional homeland security focus areas of the SHSP grant program, known as
Investment Justifications (IJ):
lJ # 1: Strengthen Capabilities of the State Threat Assessment System;
IJ # 2: Protect Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources;
IJ # 3: Enhance Cybersecurity;
IJ # 4: Strengthen Emergency Communications Capabilities Through Planning,
Governance, Technology and Equipment;
IJ # 5: Enhance Medical and Public Health Capabilities;
IJ # 6: Preventing Violent Extremism Through Multi-Jurisdictional/Inter-
Jurisdictional Collaboration and Coordination;
IJ # 7: Enhance Community Resilience, Including Partnerships With Volunteers
and Community Based Organizations and Programs;
IJ # 8: Strengthen Information Sharing and Collaboration;
IJ # 9: Enhance Multi-Jurisdictional/Inter-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Incident
Planning, Response & Recovery Capabilities; and
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IJ #10: Homeland Security Exercise, Evaluation and Training Programs
The SHSP program directly supports the national priority of expanding regional
collaboration within the National Preparedness Goal, which defines what it means for
the whole community to be prepared for all types of disasters and emergencies. The
SHSP grant is intended to assist participating jurisdictions in developing integrated
regional systems for prevention, protection, response, and recovery from natural or
man-made disasters.
The County of Los Angeles is the region's grant administrator for the SHSP grant and
allocates funds to the City of Santa Monica. A regional working group and approval
authority, made up of SHSP stakeholders from throughout the Los Angeles-Long Beach
Urban Area, are the governance bodies that determine which regional projects to submit
to DHS for grant funding.
The SHSP grant program is 100% federally funded by DHS and managed through the
State of California's Office of Emergency Services. There is no requirement of a local
match. The City of Santa Monica has received close to $20 million in federal security
grant funding since 2003. These funds have been used to purchase necessary
interoperable communication and infrastructure equipment, supplies, and training in
direct support of overall regional goals to promote effective information gathering,
sharing, and response to threats and/or acts of terrorism.
Agreement with Fire Resources, LLC
The City of Santa Monica Fire Department has been awarded funding to host a
professional services contract with a subject matter expert to assist in fulfilling the Los
Angeles Fire Chiefs’ Association Regional Training Group’s mission to provide unified,
innovative, quality training to enhance firefighter safety and responder effectiveness.
The contractor will develop, direct, and execute strategies to ensure effective delivery of
training to and for Los Angeles area fire service agencies and stakeholders. The
contractor will assist with, support, and further develop the training and response
readiness of Los Angeles area fire agencies for incidents of national significance
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including, but not limited to: acts of terrorism, natural disasters, public health threats and
other large-scale incidents that pose a threat to public or first-responder safety. The
contractor will perform detailed and comprehensive research, collaborate on, develop,
and disseminate periodic and regular finished reports, advisories, bulletins,
presentations, and briefings for executive and other fire service audiences on relevant
fire service issues.
Consultant Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Person or
Firm and Only Bidder
Fire Resources, LLC
Evaluation Criteria The proposal, Fire Resources LLC, was evaluated based on the
criteria in SMMC 2.24.190, including experience, understanding of
scope of services to be provided, quality control, training,
references, and compliance with City specifications.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
RFP Data
Date
Posted Posted On
Advertise In
(City Charter &
SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
8/19/2022 City's Online Bidding Site Santa Monica
Daily Press
4 09/07/2022
Justification to Award
An interview panel consisting of one SMFD Deputy Chief and two Chiefs from other
local Fire agencies interviewed the three parties who submitted proposals. Based on
this criteria and criteria in SMMC 2.24.190, staff recommends Fire Resources LLC as
the best qualified vendor to provide professional services to assist the Los Angeles
Area Fire Chief’s Association Regional Training Group based on their extensive
RFPs Received
Fire Resources, LLC Cisneros Business Services, LLC The Safe Community Project
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subject matter expertise in the Fire service, experience with similar projects, the
results of their reference checks, and their ability to provide the services within the
project budget.
Environmental Review
This is not a project for the purpose of the California Environmental Quality Act.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Miscellaneous Grants Fund to award a
professional services agreement with Fire Resources LLC to provide professional
services to assist the LAAFCA Regional Training Group.
Professional Service Agreement
FY 2022-23 Budget
Request Amount Department Account # Total Contract Amount
$185,000 20190001.555179 $370,000
Future funding in the amount of $185,000 will be appropriated to the 2021 State
Homeland Security Grant Fund account 20190001.55517A when the 2021 Grant
Agreement is accepted by City Council at a date in the near future. These funds have
been allocated by the State; the City is waiting for the formal contract agreement from
Los Angeles County. Future contract funding is contingent on Council budget approval
and future homeland security grant funds.
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Prepared By:Terese Toomey, Principal Administrative Analyst
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Fire Resources Oaks exp 9.27.23
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