REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 9, 2026
FROM
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for Regional Urban Search and Rescue Training
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, approve Amendment No. 2 to Agreement No. 25-320 with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for reimbursement of costs incurred by San Bernardino County Fire Protection District employees attending Regional Urban Search and Rescue Training, which increases the total reimbursement amount by $77,250, from $247,200 to $324,450, updates the training courses, and extends the term by two years, for a total contract period of April 17, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
(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.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Enhance Readiness for Major Emergency Responses.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of Amendment No. 2 to Agreement No. 25-320 (Agreement) will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) will reimburse San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD) for the cost of employees attending training for Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) and Mobilization Exercises (MOBEX) related to the Regional US&R program. Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement with CalOES increases the reimbursement amount by $77,250, from $247,200 to $324,450. No budget adjustments are requested at this time but will be presented to the Board of Directors (Board) for approval at a future date, if necessary.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Urban search and rescue is a multi-hazard emergency response discipline used for a wide range of complex incidents and disasters, including earthquakes, severe storms, floods, dam failures, hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, technological accidents, terrorist incidents, hazardous materials releases, and other events involving collapsed structures, trapped victims, or specialized rescue needs. The National US&R Response System (System), established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1989, provides a framework for organizing federal, state and local emergency response partners into coordinated disaster response task forces.
California’s Regional US&R Task Force Program supports specialized rescue capabilities throughout the state. There are currently 12 Regional US&R Task Forces located throughout the state. Each Regional US&R Task Force is specially trained and equipped to respond to large or complex urban search and rescue incidents and is organized to provide multi-disciplinary and key functional elements, including supervision, search, rescue, medical, and logistics. SBCFPD’s Regional US&R Task Force is Regional Urban Search and Rescue Task Force Six (RTF-6).
On May 20, 2025 (Item No. 98), the Board ratified the Agreement with CalOES for reimbursement of costs related to RTF-6’s participation in Regional US&R Task Force Program, in a not-to-exceed amount of $169,950, for the period of April 17, 2024, through June 30, 2025. The Board also approved Amendment No. 1, which increased the reimbursement amount by $77,250, from $169,950 to $247,200, and extended the term through June 30, 2026.
Approval of Amendment No. 2 will increase the total reimbursement amount by an additional $77,250, from $247,200 to $324,450, allowing SBCFPD to request additional reimbursement up to $324,450 from CalOES for additional eligible training costs. These funds will support SBCFPD employees’ attendance at Regional US&R and MOBEX training to maintain competency and operational readiness necessary for RTF-6 to respond to complex US&R incidents. The amendment also updates the eligible training courses, clarifies provisions related to additional US&R and MOBEX-specific training, updates the agreement exhibits and attachments, confirms the agreement’s start date of April 17, 2024, and extends the term by two years, through June 30, 2028.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 8, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Jessica Trillo, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-4222) on May 19, 2026.