City Council Meeting: April 11, 2006

Agenda Item: 1 E

To: Mayor and City Council 

From: Jim Hone, Fire Chief

Subject: Acceptance and Appropriation of FY 2005 Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Funds

Recommended Action

It is recommended that City Council

1. Authorize the City Manager to accept the FY 2005 Urban Area Security Initiative Grant.
2. Authorize budget changes outlined in the Budget/Financial Impact section of this report.

Executive Summary

The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) provides no match grant funding for costs associated with updating and implementing each State's Homeland Security Strategy (SHSS) and to enhance the capability of local agencies to prevent and respond to threats and/or incidents of terrorism.  The City will receive $1,570,055 in 2005 UASI funds which will be used for equipment, supplies and training in direct support of overall regional security goals. 

Discussion

Background

As a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through the Office for Domestic Preparedness has been providing financial assistance to state and local governments through a variety on no-match grant programs.

The UASI grant program was created to support large “core” cities and those other cities with contiguous borders to the core city. The UASI grant program is 100% federally funded from the Department of Homeland Security to the State of California. The City of Los Angeles acts as the core city for the UASI grant and allots funds to Santa Monica.

The Santa Monica Fire Department serves as the point of contact for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and coordinates with other city departments to address the homeland security needs of the City of Santa Monica.

The City of Santa Monica has received approximately $1.7 million of Department of Homeland Security no-match grant funding since 2001.  These funds have purchased necessary 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.

Specifically these funds provided:

• Authorized training, tools and equipment to meet the minimum State and Regional requirements for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Personal Protective Equipment, Hazardous Material Response Team and Urban Search and Rescue Team for the Fire Department.

• Impact/shatter-resistant glass for areas of the Public Safety Facility and vehicle location and personnel notification hardware and software for the Police Department.

• Authorized training and personnel notification hardware and software, Geographical Information System (GIS) crisis information and mapping system, and equipment to improve emergency communications for Emergency Management.

• Traffic barricades and hand washing stations for the Environmental and Public Works Management Department.

The 2005 no match UASI grant funds will be used by the Fire Department to purchase interoperable radios and mobile data computers; hardware and software to connect all Santa Monica Fire Stations to the Los Angeles Fire Department Regional Communications Center; a testing device for air purifying respirators; various hazardous materials tools and equipment, and will fund specialized training in the areas of hazardous materials, urban search and rescue, weapons of mass destruction and unified command.

Budget/Financial Impact

The following 2005/06 budget changes will be necessary:

1) Establish budget for revenue account number 20312.406791 ($1,570,055).

2) Appropriate $1,090,000 to Capital Improvement Project account #C200582.589000 (Fire Department Interoperable Communications).

3) Appropriate $393,355 to Supplies/Expenses account number 20312.555390. ($306,600 Fire Department; $86,755 Police Department).

4) Appropriate $86,700 to Capital Outlay account 20312.588590 (Fire Equipment).

Prepared by:

Cindy Tomlinson, Sr. Administrative Analyst - Fire

Approved:	Forwarded to Council:
Jim Hone Fire Chief, Fire Department	P. Lamont Ewell City Manager