REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 14, 2025
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Fiscal Year 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant and Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Applications
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve and authorize the submission of grant application to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for the Fiscal Year 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant in the amount of $504,038 to strengthen emergency preparedness for all emergencies, for the period of July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026.
2. Approve and authorize the submission of grant application to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for the Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program in the amount of $1,913,858 to strengthen emergency preparedness related to terrorism, for the period of September 1, 2024 through May 31, 2027.
3. Adopt Resolution authorizing the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, the Chief Executive Officer, the County Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Emergency Management, or the Assistant Director of Emergency Management to proceed with the following actions on behalf of San Bernardino County for the purpose of obtaining federal financial assistance, as requested by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services:
a. Execute and file documents with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for the submission of the grant applications.
b. Act as signatories for grant reimbursement claims, performance reports, and other documents required to administer the grants.
c. Execute any non-substantive project modifications and grant amendments that extend the performance period of the grants, subject to review by County Counsel.
4. Authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, the Chief Executive Officer, the County Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Emergency Management, or the Assistant Director of Emergency Management to execute any non-substantive project modifications and amendments in relation to the Fiscal Year 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant and the Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program applications, subject to review by County Counsel.
5. Direct the Director of Emergency Management or the Assistant Director of Emergency Management to transmit the grant applications listed in Recommendation Nos. 1 and 2, and any future non-substantive amendments, to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Crisanta Gonzalez, Director, 356-3998)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
Focus on Recovery and Resiliency Following Major Emergency Responses such as the December 2, 2015 Terrorist Attack (SB Strong) and the Global COVID-19 Pandemic.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The grant applications pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant (FY24 EMPG) and the Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program (FY24 HSGP) are for federal financial assistance provided by the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). Implementation of the FY 2024 EMPG and the FY 2024 HSGP is contingent upon approval from Cal OES. San Bernardino County has been allocated $504,038 for the FY24 EMPG and $1,913,858 for the FY24 HSGP, as determined by Cal OES through a formula that includes a base amount and per capita calculation. There has been a decrease in overall federal funding for these programs, resulting in a 10% reduction in allocations from prior years for each grant program. Revenue and appropriations for both grants will be included in future budget reports.
FY24 EMPG
The State of California has been allocated a total of $24,465,792 to distribute to Counties and Operational Areas statewide as subrecipients for the FY24 EMPG. The allocation for the San Bernardino County Operational Area (OA) is $504,038. These funds will be distributed to the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services (OES) and participating cities and towns within the OA for projects that align with the goals of the FY24 EMPG program. The OA consists of San Bernardino County and all subdivisions within the county geographical area, including cities and towns within the county boundaries. Allocations to participating cities and towns are also based on a per capita formula. Five percent of grant funds ($25,202) will be allocated to OES, as the OA lead agency, for grant management and administration. This grant requires a dollar-for-dollar match, which can be accomplished through cash or in-kind services. OES will meet the match requirement through personnel costs for allowable emergency management program activities. Cities and towns will meet their own match requirements.
The FY24 EMPG funds will be distributed to the OA as reflected in the following table:
|
Subrecipients |
Allocation Amount |
|
County Departments |
|
|
Office of Emergency Services |
$119,007 |
|
Jurisdictions |
|
|
Cities |
$385,031 |
|
Total |
$504,038 |
FY24 HSGP
The State of California has been allocated a total of $51,332,060 for the FY24 HSGP to distribute to Counties and Operational Areas statewide as subrecipients for the FY24 HSGP. The allocation for the San Bernardino County OA is $1,913,858. These funds will be distributed to San Bernardino County OES, the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, other County departments and agencies, and participating cities and towns within the OA for projects that align with the goals of the FY24 HSGP program. Allocations to participating cities and towns are also based on a per capita formula. Five percent of the grant funds ($95,692) will be allocated to OES for grant management and administration. No matching funds are required for the FY24 HSGP.
The Fiscal Year 2024 HSGP funds will be distributed to the OA as reflected in the following table:
|
Subrecipients |
Allocation Amount |
|
County Departments |
|
|
Office of Emergency Services |
$95,692 |
|
Department of Public Health |
$294,286 |
|
Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator |
$553,431 |
|
Probation |
$42,500 |
|
Registrar of Voters |
$64,853 |
|
Jurisdictions |
|
|
Cities |
$588,039 |
|
Consolidated Fire Agencies |
$90,000 |
|
San Bernardino County Fire Protection District |
$185,057 |
|
Total |
$1,913,858 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The San Bernardino County OA was established as an intermediate level of the State’s emergency services organization to manage and coordinate emergency preparedness efforts within the County. OES is San Bernardino County OA’s lead agency and has been receiving and distributing these grant funds annually since the onset of each program.
EMPG
The EMPG, which is overseen by FEMA, provides funding to support comprehensive emergency management programs at the state, tribal, and local levels to encourage the improvement of mitigation, prevention, protection, preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities for all emergencies and disasters (natural or man-made). OES has been receiving EMPG funds since 2004 to assist with these efforts. Types of eligible funding include emergency preparedness and response equipment, emergency planning and organization, and emergency exercises and training for disaster preparedness. The FY24 EMPG performance period is July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026. This grant is retroactive annually. OES received notification of the OA’s allocation on October 28, 2024, and the application due date is February 10, 2025. Cal OES has changed the application process from prior years and is transitioning to an online application process, which has not yet been made available.
HSGP
The HSGP, which is also overseen by FEMA, was established to strengthen the nation’s homeland preparedness in relation to terrorism following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. This program allows the OA to continue its efforts in preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism. OES has been receiving HSGP funds annually since the onset of the program to assist with this purpose.
Proposed projects for the FY24 HSGP funding were collected by OES from participating OA jurisdictions and subsequently approved by the OA’s Approval Authority, on January 18, 2024. The Approval Authority is an Anti-Terrorism Approval Body that provides approval of the OA’s grant application for HSGP funds, as a requirement of the grant. The Approval Authority consists of the following representatives: County Public Health Officer, County Fire Chief, County Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator, a Municipal Fire Chief, and a Chief of Police. Eligible projects for grant funding include equipment, planning, organization, exercise, and training costs related to preparedness efforts. The FY24 HSGP performance period is from September 1, 2024 through May 31, 2027. This grant is retroactive annually. OES received notification of the OA’s allocation on October 28, 2024, and the application due date is February 10, 2025. Cal OES has changed the application process from prior years and is transitioning to an online application process, which has not yet been made available.
Pursuant to County Policy 05-13, Board approval is required because EMPG and HSGP applications require a Board Governed Resolution delegating the authority for management of the grant process. To streamline the application processes, Cal OES allows Operational Areas to combine both grants on one resolution for a period of three years. The resolution delegates authority for the FY24 EMPG and HSGP grants, as well as future EMPG and HSGP grants through 2026. Upon award/approval of each grant, future items will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for acceptance of grant funds in accordance with County Policy 05-13.
PROCUREMENT
N/A.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on January 8, 2025; Finance (Carl Lofton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5404) on December 3, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on December 26, 2024.