PURPOSE:

To request City Council authorization for the City Manager to accept a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Firefighter Assistance Grant for the Fire Department, and amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 2004-05 budget by appropriating funds.

BACKGROUND:

The Burbank Fire Department has been awarded a federal grant from the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate of FEMA for the FY 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. This grant program provides financial assistance to local fire departments in urban, rural or suburban jurisdictions for the purpose of enhancing the safety of firefighters and the public with respect to fire hazards. This particular grant for the Burbank Fire Department has been awarded in the area of Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety. The total amount of the grant is $39,480, which represents FEMA�s seventy percent share of the grant.  The program requires a thirty percent match from the local agency to meet eligibility standards.

DISCUSSION:

The subject grant will be used to purchase and install a crisis information management system (software) for the City�s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The software will provide the City of Burbank with the ability to more effectively manage a response to major emergency such as an earthquake or terrorist incident.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The estimated total project cost is $56,400, of which $42,015 is for the actual application. The remaining $14,385 will be used to cover training costs and software maintenance.  This grant requires a thirty percent match (or $16,920) of local funds for the project.  The Fire department will use existing funds from the FY 2004-05 Budget to cover this expense.  Recurring costs are estimated at $8,700 annually to cover software licensing and maintenance and will be administered by the Information Technology Department.  To utilize the grant monies, the Fire Department is requesting that the budget be amended to appropriate $39,480 from account 001.FD000.48010.1999 (Fire Department - Miscellaneous Grants) to account number 001.FD04A.62316 (Disaster Preparedness � Software and Hardware).

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the resolution accepting the grant and amending the FY 2004-2005 budget by appropriating the funds in the amount of $39,480.

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