REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 5, 2025
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Revenue Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Los Angeles for Reimbursement of Costs During the January 2025 Wildfire Event
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve a revenue Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Los Angeles authorizing reimbursement of costs associated with animal care mutual aid assistance provided during multiple wildfires in January 2025, in the amount of $4,285.71 for the period of January 16, 2025 through January 31, 2025.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The revenue Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is in the amount of $4,285.74 from the City of Los Angeles to reimburse the County for costs incurred when providing emergency management mutual aid assistance in January 2025. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Public Health’s (DPH’s) 2025-26 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In January 2025, multiple wildfires within the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles metropolitan area (Los Angeles) caused severe destruction, prompting numerous evacuation orders and road closures, and severely impacting the provision of services, including animal control services. Pursuant to the State of California’s Emergency Management Mutual Aid (EMMA) Plan, Los Angeles requested the mutual aid assistance of San Bernardino County in responding to the wildfires.
DPH’s Animal Care Division provided mutual aid, consisting of personnel and equipment, during the period of January 16, 2025 through January 31, 2025 to assist with the search and rescue of household pets. Reimbursement includes costs incurred for staff overtime, lodging, and transportation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires an executed MOU between the City of Los Angeles and responding agencies in order to issue reimbursement.
Approval of the recommended MOU will allow Los Angeles to reimburse DPH for the costs incurred when providing mutual aid.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Daniel Pasek, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 7, 2025; County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4205) on July 17, 2025.