REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 20, 2026
FROM
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Acceptance of 2026 Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Grant
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District:
1. Approve Restricted Grant Agreement, in the amount of $450,000, with Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, including non-standard terms, for assistance with the purchase of a Quadruped Robot System, with a term of October 20, 2026, through September 30, 2027.
2. Authorize the Fire Chief/Fire Warden or the Deputy Fire Chief to proceed with the following actions, on behalf of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, regarding the grant award:
a. Act as signatories for grant performance reports and other documents required to administer the grant.
b. Execute any non-substantive grant amendments to the Restricted Grant Agreement, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Direct the Fire Chief/Fire Warden or the Deputy Fire Chief to transmit any non-substantive grant amendments identified in Recommendation No. 2.b. to the Secretary of the Board of Directors within 30 days of execution.
4. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the necessary budget adjustments to the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District’s 2026-27 budget, as detailed in the Financial Impact section (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Dan Munsey, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, 387-5779)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Enhance Readiness for Major Emergency Responses.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended actions will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The grant award of $450,000 will be used to purchase a Quadruped Robot System for the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD). The following budget adjustments are requested:
|
Fund Center |
Commitment Item |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
1067782410 |
54404040 |
Equipment |
Increase |
$450,000 |
|
1067782410 |
40809945 |
Contributions/Donations Private |
Increase |
$450,000 |
No matching funds are required with this grant.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD) is an all-risk emergency and fire protection agency serving more than 60 communities and unincorporated areas across approximately 20,160 square miles. The County’s large geographic area and diverse terrain present unique emergency response challenges, including urban search and rescue, hazardous materials incidents, structural failures, wildfires, and potential chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents. These emergencies may require firefighters to operate in unstable, contaminated, confined, or otherwise hazardous environments where visibility and situational awareness are limited.
SBCFPD is seeking to acquire a quadruped robot system to enhance emergency response capabilities and firefighter and public safety. The system will provide remote visual, thermal, and environmental information, allowing firefighters to conduct reconnaissance and assess conditions in areas that may be unsafe or inaccessible to personnel. Potential uses include locating victims and assessing damaged structures during urban search and rescue operations; remotely assessing conditions during hazardous materials and CBRN incidents; and identifying hazards, hot spots, and potential victims within fire-damaged or structurally compromised buildings. The system will reduce the need to expose firefighters to potentially hazardous conditions while improving situational awareness and supporting safer and more effective emergency operations.
SBCFPD submitted an application through the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (Tribe) grant system on March 15, 2026, to request funding for the purchase of a Quadruped Robot System to enhance SBCFPD’s ability to safely respond to complex emergency incidents throughout San Bernardino County.
On August 10, 2026, the Tribe notified SBCFPD that the request had been approved and a grant in the amount of $450,000 would be awarded to fund the purchase of a Quadruped Robot System. This grant supports the Tribe’s philanthropic program by providing support in the local region and by reinforcing healthy and resilient communities. SBCFPD will utilize the Quadruped Robot System to enhance firefighting and public safety by providing situational awareness during complex and hazardous emergency incidents, reducing the need to expose firefighters to potentially dangerous conditions. The system will also enhance SBCFPD’s ability to provide mutual aid to the Tribe during emergency incidents.
Board approval is required to accept this grant and approve the Restricted Grant Agreement (Agreement) in accordance with County Policy No. 05-13. The Agreement contains certain non-standard terms and conditions that differ from SBCFPD’s standard contract language, including:
1. SBCFPD waives any and all claims and recourse against the Tribe, including the right of contribution for loss or damages to persons or property arising from, growing out of, or in any way connected with or incidental to fulfillment of the terms and conditions specified in the Agreement. SBCFPD further waives any and all claims to the extent resulting from, relating to or arising out of the negligent acts or omissions or willful misconduct of SBCFPD or its agents, subcontractors (if any), or employees in connection with the subject matter of the Agreement, except to the extent those claims are directly caused by the negligence or willful misconduct of Tribe or its agents or employees.
• SBCFPD’s standard contract language does not waive any claims SBCFPD may have against another party.
• Potential Impact: SBCFPD could be unable to pursue certain claims or recover certain losses from the Tribe arising from or related to the Agreement, except to the extent expressly preserved by the Agreement.
2. SBCFPD shall indemnify, defend, protect and hold Tribe and its officers, managers, members, employees, agents and representatives, harmless from any cost, expense, claim, demand, liability and/or damage, including reasonable attorney's fees and costs, arising out of or in connection with, in whole or in part, of various items identified in Section VI.q. of the Agreement.
• SBCFPD’s standard contract language requires its contractors to agree to its standard indemnity provision.
• Potential Impact: The provision places indemnification obligations on SBCFPD that are broader than SBCFPD’s standard contract language and may require SBCFPD to defend or reimburse the Tribe for certain claims and related costs arising from the Agreement.
3. The Agreement does not require the Tribe to maintain insurance or otherwise include SBCFPD’s standard insurance requirements.
• County Standard: County Policy provides that insurance terms must include the insurance provisions set forth in County Policy No. 11-07 and standard practice.
• Potential Impact: SBCFPD does not have contractual assurance that the Tribe will maintain insurance meeting County standards or that insurance coverage will be available to protect SBCFPD from claims arising out of the Agreement. However, the Tribe is providing grant funding rather than performing operational services for SBCFPD, which limits the circumstances in which the absence of insurance requirements is likely to create additional exposure.
4. Governing Law, Venue, and Tribal Sovereign Immunity. The Agreement is governed by applicable tribal, federal, and California law, in that order, and expressly provides that the Tribe does not waive its sovereign immunity from unconsented suit.
• SBCFPD’s standard contract language generally requires governing law be California law and court venue for disputes to be in the San Bernardino County Superior Court.
• Potential Impact: If a dispute arises, SBCFPD may not be able to pursue judicial remedies against the Tribe without the Tribe’s consent, and the Agreement does not guarantee that a dispute could be adjudicated in San Bernardino County Superior Court
5. The Agreement states that its terms and the Grant are confidential and requires SBCFPD to obtain the Tribe’s prior written approval before disclosing the terms to third parties who do not have a need to know for purposes of the Grant Project.
• County Standard: SBCFPD, as a public agency, is subject to applicable public records and open-government requirements and cannot contractually restrict disclosure where disclosure is required by law.
• Potential Impact: The confidentiality provision could limit SBCFPD’s voluntary disclosure of information concerning the Grant; however, SBCFPD must continue to comply with applicable public records and other disclosure laws. To the extent the Agreement conflicts with a legally required disclosure, SBCFPD would be required to comply with applicable law.
SBCFPD recommends approval of the Agreement, including the non-standard terms, because the $450,000 grant will provide substantial funding toward acquisition of the Quadruped Robot System without the use of Discretionary General Funding. The equipment will enhance SBCFPD’s ability to assess hazardous or inaccessible environments remotely, improve situational awareness during complex emergency incidents, and reduce unnecessary exposure of firefighters to potentially dangerous conditions. Although the Agreement contains the non-standard waiver, indemnification, governing law and sovereign immunity, confidentiality, and insurance provisions described above, SBCFPD believes the operational and financial benefits of accepting the grant outweigh the associated contractual risks. The Tribe's role under the Agreement is principally to provide grant funding rather than operational services to SBCFPD, which reduces the potential exposure associated with certain non-standard provisions, including the absence of standard insurance requirements. SBCFPD will administer and use the grant funds in accordance with the Agreement and applicable law.
SBCFPD is also requesting delegated authority for the Fire Chief/Fire Warden or Deputy Fire Chief to execute documents necessary to administer the grant, including required performance reports, and to execute non-substantive amendments to the Agreement, subject to County Counsel review. Any such amendments will be transmitted to the Secretary of the Board of Directors within 30 days of execution.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 16, 2026; Purchasing (Joni Yang, Buyer III, 387-2463) on September 29, 2026; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, Auditor-Controller Manager, 382-7022) on October 5, 2026; Risk Management (Rebecca Suarez, Director, 386-8723) on October 1, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Dalton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5005) on October 8, 2026.