DATE: December 18, 2018
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Fire Chief
SUBJECT
Title
Authorization for the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute an Agreement with the City of Oakland Fire Department to Formalize Participation in the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System
End
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That Council approves the attached resolution authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with the City of Oakland Fire Department to formalize participation in the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System.
SUMMARY
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established the National Urban Search and Rescue Response (USAR) System in 1989. FEMA has certified 28 USAR taskforces in the nation with eight in California. California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4) is sponsored by the City of Oakland Fire Department. The City of Hayward Fire Department has been providing personnel to participate as part of the CA-TF4 training roster since 2015. The purpose of this staff report is to formalize Hayward’s participation in CA-TF4 through a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Oakland Fire Department. Hayward benefits from being a participating agency because its firefighters receive additional technical training at no cost to the City. In addition, the Hayward community benefits by having a FEMA-supported USAR taskforce nearby.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report
Attachment II Resolution
Attachment III Sample MOU
Attachment IV FEMA FAQ on USAR