PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to request City Council authorization for the Fire Department to accept a $157,218 Fireman�s Fund Heritage Grant and amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006-07 Budget by appropriating funds.

BACKGROUD:

Fireman�s Fund Insurance Company has a philanthropic mission to support firefighters for safer communities through the Fireman�s Fund Heritage program.  Through this program, Fireman�s Fund and its network of independent agents provide grants and volunteer support to local fire departments, national firefighter organizations and non-profit fire and burn prevention organizations.  Since the inception of this program in 2004, Fireman�s Fund has awarded over six million dollars in grants to fire service organizations and fire departments.  These grants have provided funds for equipment, fire prevention tools, firefighter training, fire safety education and community emergency response programs throughout the United States.

Across the country, agencies that sell Fireman�s Fund products can direct grants to local fire departments based on the size and growth of their business with Fireman�s Fund.  In this particular case, the DeWitt Stern Group of Van Nuys, California identified the Burbank Fire Department as a candidate for this grant program. The Department submitted a proposal to the Fireman�s Fund Heritage program and was selected by a committee to receive a one-time grant in the amount of $157,218.  The funds will be allocated for the purchase of a Flashover Fire Survival Training System, which will provide training to Fire Department personnel in the area of interior structural firefighting.

DISCUSSION:

Flashover Fire Survival Training is state of the art training technology which goes to heart of firefighter safety and training in the most dangerous activity they face: interior structural firefighting.   Many firefighters are killed each year in extreme fire conditions because they lack the knowledge and skills to recognize and mitigate the conditions leading up to a phenomenon known as �flashover�.  This is a fire behavior that results in the entire interior space exploding into flames engulfing firefighters in conditions that are not survivable.

In recent years, with ever improving simulation and live fire technology, the Swedish Rescue Service has developed a system of live fire flashover training called the Swede Survival System, which aims to instill the knowledge of fire behavior and the provide firefighters with effective weapons to battle this type of fire.  The Swede Survival System has the greatest acceptance within the fire service as the best fire simulation, live fire training.  Over 120 agencies throughout the United States have adopted the Swede Survival System, and it was been highly recommended by all the agencies contacted.  

In preparation for the grant application process, the Burbank Fire Department has obtained detailed quotations and specifications outlining the costs of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Swede Survival Systems and the anticipated costs are as follows:

• Phase 1, Burn Chamber and Observation Chamber:                                  $34,690

• Phase 2, Interior Attack System                                                                     $34,690

• Phase 3, Backdraft Container (not seen as a priority at this time)                     N/A

• Phase 4, �The Garage� for specialized search and rescue and fire suppression training                                                                                                               $57,218

• Additional Equipment Costs:

• Storage Containers for Fire fighting equipment                    

• Storage containers for Personal Protective Equipment

• Outdoor tables/bench seats for classroom presentations

• Overhead Canopies for weather protection

• Dedicated Personal Protective Equipment for flashover training, such as helmets, turnouts, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).       $30, 620

                                                                                                Total                           $157,218

Delivery costs are included in the quotation, however, set up will require a large fork lift or crane.  We anticipate that the City of Burbank will be able to provide this equipment to us and that we will therefore be able to absorb these costs.   

While the Burbank Fire Department has excellent training systems in place, there has not been an opportunity to propose this type of specialized training before.  Due to the success of this application, the Department plans to make flashover training available as a training resource for suppression personnel in the other ten Area C cities in our region for an even broader and more valuable application.   Area C consists of eleven cities with a population of 803,000, and over a 126 square mile area.  The eleven Area C cities are: Alhambra, Arcadia, Burbank, Glendale, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena. 

We would like to convey our thanks to the Fireman�s Fund Heritage Program and the DeWitt Stern Group for providing us the opportunity to obtain this valuable survival system and institute a training program that will be beneficial to the City of Burbank and its surrounding communities for years to come. 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The regulations of this grant state that all funds be expended within six months of receipt.  The Fire Department will be required to submit invoices to Fireman�s fund within 30 days of purchases.  Recurring expenses are expected to be minimal, and all materials needed in relation to the use of this system would be eligible for funding though the California Fire Fighters Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC).

At this time, Staff is requesting that City Council accept the grant and appropriate $157,218 from revenue account 001.FD000.48010.1999 (Grants - Miscellaneous) to Fire Department account number 001.FD02A.70011.0000.16973 to facilitate grant expenditures.  This grant will not require any matching funds on the part of the City.

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the resolution accepting the grant and amending the Fiscal Year 2006-2007 Budget by appropriating funds in the amount of $157,218.

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