Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Ratifying The Submission Of An Application To The Federal Emergency Management Agency And The Department Of Homeland Security For The FY2020 Staffing For Adequate Fire And Emergency Response Grant; Authorizing The Appropriate City Officials To Accept Said Grant In An Approximate Amount Of $9,732,150.96 For The Staffing Of 21 Firefighters Over A Three Year Period; Authorizing The Appropriate City Officials To Execute All Applicable Grant Documents; Amending The Fiscal Year 2022 Operating Budget.
Strategic Plan Focus
Public Safety
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the attached Resolution.
Explanation:
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program (“SAFER”) intends to improve or restore local fire departments' staffing and deployment capabilities so they may more effectively respond to emergencies. With the restored or enhanced staffing, the Department should see a reduction in response times and an increase in the number of trained personnel assembled at the incident scene.
The Hollywood Fire Rescue Department has conducted a risk assessment which indicates the need to hire 21 firefighters to enable a minimum of four firefighters on all six engines 365 days per year. These 21 firefighters will reduce the risk of loss of life and property throughout the Southeast Broward County area and improve compliance with the National Fire Prevention Association (“NFPA”) 1710 and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 1910.134. This grant is anticipated to pay for the costs of the additional 21 positions for the first three years.
NFPA 1710 is the Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. This standard contains minimum requirements relating to the organization and deployment of fire suppression operations, emergency medical operations, and special operations to the public by career fire departments.
The SAFER grant will greatly enhance the public safety services we provide to our residents, businesses, and visitors in our City.
Fiscal Impact:
The SAFER grant award of $9,732,150.96 will cover the salary/wages and benefit costs of the 21 certified firefighter positions beginning February 2022 and ending February 2025. Recognition and allocation of the grant award will be made available in Fiscal Year 2022 Operating Budget as detailed in Exhibit 1, subject to approval of this resolution.
Upon completion of the three-year grant period, the City will be responsible for absorbing the full cost of the new 21 positions. To provide approximations of the impact to revenues, if the fire-rescue assessment is used to cover the estimated cost when it is no longer grant funded, with all other conditions being equal, the fire assessment rate would need to be increased by approximately 10% or $29 (for example, from the current rate of $299 per residential unit to $328 per residential unit). Other funding options to cover the cost of the 21 positions would also be explored as part of subsequent fiscal years’ annual budget process, as always subject to the approval and adoption of the City Commission.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Dan Booker, Fire Chief
George R. Keller, Jr., CPPT, Deputy City Manager