The Houston Fire Department requests City Council approve an ordinance authorizing the application and acceptance of award for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FY 2014 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The budget and project period is for one year from date of award and is anticipated to run from April 2015 to April 2016 with funding in the amount of $915,120.40 and a cash match of $137,267.00 (15%) for a total program cost of $1,052,387.40.
HFD also requests City Council to authorize the Director or his designee to act as the City’s representative with the authority to accept and expend all subsequent supplemental awards, if any, and to sign and extend the term, not to exceed five years, of subsequent awards, if extended.
This grant will allow HFD to train classified Emergency Operations personnel on the Fire Ground Survival (“FGS”) program. The FGS training program is an instructor led, hands-on program designed to train firefighters to perform life-saving actions should they become lost, disoriented, or injured in a fire by addressing situational awareness and self-surviving skills to be utilized in the event of a mayday situation. This program will be delivered to every member assigned to HFD Emergency Operations, from firefighter trainees to commanding officers. The grant award will purchase:
1 FGS Mobile Training Apparatus- This is a 10,000 pound mobile prop measuring 24’ X 9’ X 10’. It is used to train and test firefighters to prevent mayday situations on the fire ground. This trailer will provide the hands-on training and skills assessment that accompanies the classroom instruction. The prop will be permanently assigned to the HFD training academy. The cost of this prop will be $43,655.00.
3 Sets of Safety Training Equipment- specific to the course, to include harnesses, carabineers, rope, webbing, belay devices, pulleys, and rappel gloves @ $8,100 each for a total cost of $24,300.00.
Train the Trainer Curriculum- Currently HFD has 30 trained instructors. HFD will need to train an additional 30 instructors @ $1,500.00 per instructor for a total of $45,000.00.
Total equipment costs = $112,965.00
Personnel Costs- A Senior Captain from a suppression field assignment will be transferred to the academy for one year to function as the Program Manager (PM). The PM will serve as the quality assurance officer and oversee the delivery of the FGS training. Instructor Personnel Costs will be incurred to deliver the hands-on instruction to all personnel assigned to Emergency Operations. The average overtime rate is $53.62. Total personnel costs = $939,422.40.
| |
UNITS |
COST PER UNIT |
TOTAL COST |
|
FGS Mobile
Training Prop
|
1 |
$43,665.00 |
$43,665.00 |
|
Safety Training
Equipment
|
3 |
$8,100.00 |
$24,300.00 |
|
Train the Trainer
Curriculum
|
30 |
$1,500.00 |
$45,000.00 |
| Personnel Costs |
|
|
$939,422.40 |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
$1,052,387.40 |
Hire Houston First:
This procurement is exempt from the City’s Hire Houston First Ordinance. Bids/proposals were not solicited because the Department is utilizing a sole source contractor for this purchase.