#2 Accept grant for Fire Department communications equipment (File Res. #2010-676)
FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
February 3, 2010
TO: City Council
FROM: Jim Jensen, Deputy Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Action on a Proposed Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of an Assistance
to Firefighters Grant for the Purchase of Fire Department Communications
Equipment (File Res. 2010-676)
Summary
The Janesville Fire Department has applied for and received an Assistance to
Firefighters Operations and Safety Grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security. The purpose of the grant is to purchase communications equipment. The grant
award requires local matching funds of 20 percent. Proposed Resolution 2010-676
authorizes the acceptance of the grant for federal funding in an amount of $49,460, and
authorizes the borrowing of up to $12,364 to provide funding for the required local
match.
Background
This grant project would purchase and install vehicle intercom systems with headsets
for all personnel on 14 emergency response vehicles. The total project cost is $61,824.
Federal grant funding would provide $49,460, with a required local match of $12,364.
We believe this equipment would provide multiple benefits. However, current budget
funding has not allowed for this capital purchase.
With this new equipment the Fire Department hopes to alleviate several problems which
are compromising both our delivery of service and the safety of our firefighters:
1. Firefighters are encountering excessive noise levels on a regular basis.
Vehicle sirens, pumping operations, and radio transmissions during
emergency operations are several situations that have been identified as
potentially damaging to the hearing of our employees. While basic hearing
protection equipment is supplied, in some emergency situations this basic
equipment cannot be used. We recognize that in these situations we may be
non-compliant with safety standards relating to excessive noise levels.
2. Our officers and firefighters are missing important radio communications and
information from dispatch due to high noise levels and background noise.
Personnel often try to correct this problem by increasing the volume of radios
to maximum levels. This causes further distortion to radio transmissions and
places the employee in further danger of hearing damage.
Fire Grant Resolution
p. 2
3. Officers and firefighters are unable to communicate with each other in high
background noise situations, causing delays and leading to confusion.
This grant project would purchase vehicle intercom systems with headsets for all
personnel on 14 emergency response vehicles. This equipment would provide hearing
protection for all personnel on the vehicles, would enable private communication
between crew members, and would allow for greatly enhanced radio communications.
This project would provide three major benefits by improving firefighter safety, improving
communications, and improving crew operational effectiveness.
The total project cost is $61,824, for an average cost per vehicle of $4,416, including
installation.
Recommendation
The Fire Department recommends adoption of Resolution 2010-676, authorizing the
acceptance of the grant for federal funding in an amount of $49,460, and authorizing the
borrowing of up to $12,364 to provide funding for the required local match. We believe
that the addition of this equipment would be an effective method of addressing
community and department needs, and would allow for improvements in emergency
service delivery at minimal cost to the City of Janesville.
City Manager Recommendation
The City Manager concurs with the Fire Department recommendation.
cc: Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
Jay Winzenz, Director of Administrative Services/Assistant City Manager
RESOLUTION NO. 2010-676
A resolution authorizing the acceptance of an “Assistance to Firefighters Grant” for the
purchase of Fire Department communications equipment.
WHEREAS, the Fire Department previously submitted an Assistance to Firefighters
Grant request to the Department of Homeland Security; and
WHEREAS, the Fire Department has received notice that Forty-Nine Thousand Four
Hundred Sixty and 00/100 Dollars ($49,460.00) (“Grant”) has been reserved and
awarded for this grant purpose to the City of Janesville by the Department of Homeland
Security; and
WHEREAS, Twelve Thousand Three-Hundred Sixty-Four and 00/100 Dollars
($12,364.00) is the required Twenty Percent (20%) local match necessary from the City
of Janesville to secure the Grant; and
WHEREAS, the GRANT will be used to acquire communications equipment for the Fire
Department; and
WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Janesville, pursuant to Section
67.12(12) Wis. Stats., may and hereby fo express their intent to include the Twelve
Thousand Three-Hundred Sixty-Four Dollars ($12,364) required local match in a future
municipal promissory note borrowing to finance this and related public projects and
purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Common Council hereby find the acceptance and use of this
Assistance to Firefighters Grant by the City in the manner proposed by the Janesville
Fire Department to be in the best interest of the public, of benefit to the City, and in
furtherance of the health, welfare, safety, good order, peace and tranquility of the City’s
inhabitants and businesses.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of
Janesville that:
1. Each of the above recitals is hereby reiterated herein by reference as if fully
set forth verbatim.
2. The Common Council hereby authorizes acceptance of an Assistance to
Firefighters Grant in an amount of Forty-Nine Thousand Four Hundred Sixty
Dollars ($49,460) for the proposed purposes.
The City’s local matching share shall be included in a future City borrowing. No funds
from sources other than the Notes or the Available Funds identified above are, or are
expected to be, reserved, allocated on a long-term basis, or otherwise set aside by the
City for the project, except as permitted by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended. This declaration of official intent is consistent with the budgetary and
financial circumstances of the City. The purpose of this Resolution is to satisfy the
“official intent requirement” of Treasury Regulation Section 1.150-2.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Manager and his designee(s), on behalf of
the City of Janesville, is/are hereby jointly and severally authorized and empowered to
negotiate, draft, review, revise, modify, amend, execute, enter into, file and/or record
additional agreements, amendments, documents and letters of understanding
concerning this matter, and to take whatever additional other actions that the City
Manager may determine in his sole discretion, from time to time and at any time,
necessary and/or desirable in the public interest to effectuate the intent of this
Resolution.
ADOPTED:
Motion by:
Second by:
APPROVED:
Councilmember Aye Nay Pass Absent
Brunner
McDonald
Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
Perrotto
Rashkin
ATTEST:
Steeber
Truman
Voskuil
Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney
Proposed by: Fire Department
Prepared by: Fire Department