December 14, 2004

SUBJECT:       Acceptance of Fiscal Year 2003 Part II and Fiscal Year 2004/2005 Homeland Security Grant Funding and Budget Modification No. 14

REPORT IN BRIEF

As a Sub-grantee of Santa Clara County, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is eligible to receive Homeland Security Grant funds from the Santa Clara County Approval Authority.   The funds are available in three programs and can be used to:

·         coordinate approved training for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP)classes

·         enhance Office of Emergency Services (OES) management training and activities

·         provide training supplies for the Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Acceptance of this grant funding will supplement DPS Homeland Security training efforts.  Staff recommends Council appropriate the full amount awarded from Santa Clara County’s Homeland Security program to three special projects and approve Budget Modification No. 14

BACKGROUND
Santa Clara County is the grant recipient of federal funds from the Office of Homeland Security and the City of Sunnyvale is a Sub-grantee.  The Santa Clara County Approval Authority has authorized funds from both FY2003 Part II and FY2004 Homeland Security Grants.  The first group of funds is to be used for Weapons of Mass Destruction/Office of Domestic Preparedness classes.   A total of $1 million was allocated for training first responders and senior command staff in Santa Clara County.  Phase one of the training plan will offer exercise participants and special teams, WMD/Terrorism Awareness and Performance Level training.  Funds are distributed per capita and Sunnyvale’s share is up to $77,375. The funds may be used only for ODP approved training on a reimbursement basis for costs associated with approved training, tuition, travel, per diem, overtime and associated backfill staffing costs.      

Santa Clara County may release additional WMD training funds to Sunnyvale DPS in the near future if funds are available.  Additional classes have been identified that meet the training requirements should funds be released.

The second group of funds is from the Emergency Management Planning Grants (EMPG) program for FY2003 Supplemental and FY2004.  This grant is also distributed on a per capita basis and Sunnyvale’s share is $23,239.  The State of California guidance of the grant states, “The purpose of the Fiscal Year 2004 Emergency Management Performance Grant (FY04 EMPG) is to support comprehensive emergency management at the state, tribal and local levels and to encourage the improvement of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery capabilities for all hazards.  Funds provided under the EMPG may, and should, be used to support activities that contribute to the grant recipient’s capability to prevent, prepare for, mitigate against, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters, whether natural or man-made”.

The grant guidance also states, (awardee) “Agrees that funds awarded under this grant will be used to supplement existing funds for program activities, and will not supplant (replace) funds that have been appropriated for the same purpose”.  These funds may be used for a wide range of emergency management activities and training. This project would fund training of selected City employees assigned to the City’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO).  The funds will be used to pay tuition, lodging, and per diem for attendance at the California Specialized Training Institute Earthquake, An introduction to Emergency Management in California.   This class is the core course for personnel who work in an Emergency Operations Center and would fulfill one of the goals listed in the grant guidance: ”provide professional development training to OES staff and essential emergency services training to OES staff, state and local agencies, as well as other segments of the emergency management community”.

The final grant is for the FY2003 Citizen Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and FY2004 Citizens Corp.  These funds are also distributed per capita and Sunnyvale’s share is $8,636.  Funds may be used for training and supplies to support CERT teams and Citizens Corp activities.

Both EMPG and CERT/Citizens Corp grant funds are immediately available for release once a memorandum of understanding (Attachment A) between the Grantee and Sub-grantee is approved.

EXISTING POLICY

Law Enforcement Sub-Element

4.1B Provide community oriented services that are responsive to citizen’s needs in traditionally non-criminal areas.

Department of Public Safety FY 2004/2005 Approved Budget Service Delivery Plan 48302-Office of Emergency Services Outcome Statement Provide emergency preparedness services and training, in partnership with the community, to ensure an appropriate civic and community response to major disasters and emergencies.

DISCUSSION

The WMD training project will provide training of personnel who will respond to WMD and terrorism incidents.  The county-wide training is designed to create a pool of trained responders prepared to assist in their own jurisdiction as well as other jurisdictions in the county.  The goal of the Santa Clara County Approval Authority is to provide funds for a regional response in the event of a WMD/Terrorism event.  Grant award recipients of the training must participate in scheduled WMD drills to be held in March of 2005.

The proposed plan is to send two staff to a 240-hour Hazardous Materials Response class; sixteen to eighteen staff to a 16-hour Trench Rescue Class, and one person to a WMD instructor’s course. The Hazardous Materials response classes are given over a period of several months and staff would not receive the instruction in one block of time. If these courses are unavailable or disapproved for reimbursement, similar courses dealing with WMD will be substituted.

The EMPG project will allow EMO members to receive 40 hours of training specific to functioning in an emergency operations center.  While DPS provides annual training to all EMO members, this additional training will better prepare EMO staff to respond to an actual EOC activation. The program would also fund additional emergency management training for OES staff.

The CERT project will fund supplies to allow safer fire safety training for citizen volunteers.

FISCAL IMPACT

The WMD training program is a reimbursement program and if costs for classes and training exceed the grant amount, existing departmental training funds will be used as a supplement.

The EMPG program will fund additional training for participants in the EMO group.  The CERT grant program will fund the purchase of a safe and clean propane-fueled fire extinguisher training device.  Costs related to both of these grants will not exceed the funds allocated to Sunnyvale.

In conjunction with the Department of Finance, DPS staff will establish a budget neutral project to track these three grant programs and grant-related costs.

BUDGET MODIFICATION NO. 14

FISCAL YEAR 2004-2005

Conclusion

The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is eligible to receive the grants described in this report and the acceptance of the grant funding will enhance department training and community preparation for emergency response.  Use of the grant funds as outlined will be budget neutral and will not require any modification to the DPS Council-approved funding for FY 2004/2005.

PUBLIC CONTACT

Public contact was made through posting of the Council agenda on the city's official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the city's web page, publication of the Council agenda in the San Jose Mercury News, and the availability of the report in the Library and the City Clerk's Office.

ALTERNATIVES

#1.     Authorize DPS to accept the WMD, EMPG and 

          CERT grant funding from the Santa Clara County

          Approval Authority as allocated to the Department   

          of Public Safety and approve Budget Modification No.

          14.

#2.     Do not accept the grant funding from the Santa Clara County Approval Authority as allocated to the Department of Public Safety.         

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends Alternative #1.

Reviewed by:

Patrick Dwyer, Interim Director of Public Safety

Prepared by: Craig Farley, Public Safety Lieutenant

Reviewed by:

Mary J. Bradley, Director of Finance

Approved by:

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Amy Chan

City Manager

Attachment

A.       Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara County to accept EMPG and CERT funds