HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2009-75Me CI y of
KENAI, ALASKA
CITY OF KENAI
RESOLUTION NO. 2009-75
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, APPROVING AN
APPLICATION FOR A STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY
RESPONSE S.A.F.E.R.) GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY.
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Department) continues to offer
S.A.F.E.R. Grants; and,
WHEREAS, the purpose of the grants is to provide 100% of the funding required for a
period of two years to pay for the salaries and benefits for newly created fire and
emergency response personnel; and,
WHEREAS, there is a requirement that grant recipients must fund the position(s) for a
period of one year following the grant; and,
WHEREAS, the call volume at the Fire Department has increased by eight to ten
percent (8% -10 in each of the previous five years; and,
WHEREAS, there has been no increase to the Fire Department staffing level since
1995; and,
WHEREAS, budgetary limitations for the next two years make it difficult to increase
staffing levels to meet service demands in accordance with OSHA and NFPA
requirements; and,
WHEREAS, a S.A.F.E.R. Grant will provide the funding to support an increase in the
staffing level of the Fire Department by three positions; and,
WHEREAS, the S.A.F.E.R. Grant will provide funding of approximately
two years to support three new positions; and,
WHEREAS, the City budget will be able to support the salaries and benefits of the
three additional positions beginning in Fiscal Year 2013; and,
WHEREAS, the grant application deadline is December 18, 2009.
Suggested by: Administration
540,000 over
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI,
ALASKA, the City Council approves the application for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response (S.A.F.E.R.) Grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security.
Resolution No. 2009 -75
Page 2 of 2
PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA this 16th day of
December, 2009.
ATTEST:
Carol Freas, City Clerk
AT POR'1 ER, MAYOR
Date: December 2, 2009
To: City Manager
From: Fire Chief Tilly
Subject: S.A.F.E.R Grant
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
KENAI FIRE
DEPARTMENT
The purpose of this memo is to outline the attached grant request. Yearly, the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security has offered grants to fire departments for equipment, vehicles, training aids and
the like. This particular grant is known as a S.A.F.E.R Grant. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response program has been offered in years past but with recent changes to the
program, we feel it is a well suited grant for our Department and the City. Funds made available
under this grant to fire departments are for salaries and benefits to hire new, additional firefighters
The goal of the SAFER Grants is to enhance local fire departments' abilities to comply with
staffing, response, and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Specifically, the grants focus on standards included in the deployment and assembly sections of
NFPA 1710 and/or NFPA 1720, and the respiratory protection section of OSHA 1910.134.
Grants for the hiring of new firefighters have a two -year period of performance that provides fire
departments with funding to pay 100 percent of the salaries and benefits of newly -hired firefighters
(exclusive of overtime). Departments awarded grants for hiring new firefighters are required to
commit to retaining the SAFER funded firefighters for one full year after the two -year period of
performance.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) waived the prescribed cost -share
for the SAFER grantees receiving awards from the FY 2009 appropriations. Therefore, there is no
required cost sharing, matching, or cost participation for the Hiring of Firefighters Activity of the
2009 SAFER Grants. One hundred percent of the actual salary and benefits' for the SAFER funded
firefighters will be fully funded for the 2 -year period of performance.
Award decisions will be made on a rolling basis over the entire period the funding is available. The
bulk of the awards will be announced as decisions are made within six months of the panel review.
For the FY2009 funding cycle, the final awards will be made prior to September 30, 2010. Awards
will not be made in any specified order, i.e., not by State, program, or any other characteristic.