TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute all necessary documents and all necessary amendments, including term extensions, with the State of California Office of Emergency Services to receive and expend grant funding for the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant; and increase appropriations in the CUPA Fund (SR 131) in the Fire Department (FD) by $55,000. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The State of California Office of Emergency Services (OES) has awarded the City of Long Beach a Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) Grant in the amount of $44,000. Under this agreement, the Fire Department and Health Department will work together to update the City's Hazardous Materials Written Area Plan. Additionally, these funds will be utilized to support consultant costs to develop and implement a comprehensive electronic system for gathering hazardous materials business plans, underground storage tank (UST) plans, and other information from the business community, storing that information in a database and eventually providing access to the first responders using a map-based interface.
The purpose of the Long Beach HMEP Area Plan is to assist agencies and businesses in their pre-emergency planning and emergency response roles related to chemical releases. It also enhances the capability of first responders to protect the public by providing them with additional information about facilities that pose a threat or potential hazard to the community's health and safety. The HMEP Area Plan is designed to assist in the prevention or mitigation of the damage to the health and safety of persons and the environment from the release or threatened release of hazardous materials into the workplace or environment.
The HMEP Area Plan will provide procedures for the effective and economical allocation of resources during a hazardous materials emergency. The plan will focus on four phases of emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.
It will also establish an emergency organization, assign tasks, specify policy and general procedures and provide coordination of planning for all phases of emergency planning for a hazardous materials incident or emergency. The plan will coordinate input from all agencies, facility operators and personnel associated with the Long Beach Certified Unified Program Area for hazardous materials, including representatives from the City of Long Beach, the Long Beach Unified School District, and businesses that generate hazardous waste.
This item was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Gary Anderson on April 29, 2009 and Budget and Performance Management Bureau Manager David Wodynski on April 29, 2009.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on May 19, 2009 in order to expend the grant by September 30,2009
FISCAL IMPACT
The total amount of the project is $55,000, which is comprised of a $44,000 grant award and $11 ,000 in matching General Fund monies and is to be expended by September 30, 2009. An appropriation increase of $55,000 is requested in the CUPA Fund (SR 131) in the Fire Department (FD), as these funds are unbudgeted. The $11,000 match will be met by allocating existing budgeted resources toward completion of the plan.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
Alan M. Patalano
Acting Fire Chief
NAME |
APPROVED: |
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PATRICK H. WEST |
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CITY MANAGER |