REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 13, 2022
FROM
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement with the United States Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, approve Amendment No. 1 to Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement No. 21-747 with the United States Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest to provide for reciprocal fire protection, including mutual aid, reimbursable assistance, and coordination for the prevention, detection, management, and suppression of wildland fires on property within the protection areas or jurisdiction of the parties, which updates the contact information, amends Section IV.B. concerning reciprocal (mutual aid) fire protection requirements, adds a Direct Protection Areas Map, and reduces the term, such that the contract term is from October 5, 2021, through December 31, 2024.
(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.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this amendment will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). In accordance with this Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD) and the United States (U.S.) Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest (U.S. Forest Service) will provide the services on a contractual basis. On multi-jurisdictional incidents and incidents that threaten or burn across protection boundaries, SBCFPD and the U.S. Forest Service will jointly develop and execute a written cost share agreement which will describe a fair distribution of financial responsibilities. Individual cost share agreements will be brought to the Board of Directors (Board) for approval in the form of the Cost Share Agreement attached as Exhibit “D” to the Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
SBCFPD has numerous mutual aid/cooperative agreements with local, state and federal agencies. These agreements allow one party to assist the other party by providing personnel, equipment, materials/supplies, and other services, as needed, for fire and other emergency incidents. The purpose of these agreements is to provide the closest engine response within, adjacent, or proximate to each party’s designated boundaries and to provide the most expeditious response to suppress fires and render other emergency services to the community.
On October 5, 2021 (Item No. 55), the Board approved Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement No. 21-747 between SBCFPD and the U.S. Forest Service. Under this agreement, SBCFPD and U.S. Forest Service agree to provide for the reciprocal fire protection, including mutual aid, reimbursable assistance, and coordination for the prevention, detection, management, and suppression of wildland fires on property within the protection areas or jurisdiction of the parties. Reciprocal/Mutual Aid responses from either party shall include equipment, material, and supplies such as are usually and customarily used within the sending party’s jurisdiction. The original term of the agreement was for five years following the date of the last signature on the agreement, effectively from October 5, 2021 through October 5, 2026.
The recommended amendment updates the contact information, amends Section IV.B. Reciprocal (Mutual Aid) Fire Protection, adds an updated Direct Protection Areas Map, and reduces the term of the agreement, such that the contract term ends December 31, 2024. U.S. Forest Service adjusted the term of the agreement in an effort to align all of its cooperative agreements with other fire agencies. Section IV.B. Reciprocal (Mutual Aid) Fire Protection of the agreement is amended to add that the length of the mutual aid period is usually 24 hours, but no less than 12 hours and if the duration of the response exceeds 12 hours, SBCFPD will be reimbursed by the U.S. Forest Service beginning at the time of initial dispatch.
The U.S. Forest Service and SBCFPD will mutually benefit from this arrangement by allowing resources to cross jurisdictional boundaries and provide equipment and apparatus that are unavailable within the jurisdiction. The service to the communities will be enhanced by decreasing response times to emergencies, allocating specialized equipment to incidents and developing partnerships and a spirit of cooperation among agencies. In the event of multiple calls for service within a short time frame, the agreement identifies the closest, most appropriate resource and reduces travel delays from units located at a further distance. This provides for a more streamlined approach to addressing fire and other emergency incidents.
All other terms of the agreement shall remain the same. The agreement may be terminated by either party with 90 days written notice.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Scott Runyan, Assistant Principal Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 1, 2022; Finance (Tom Forster, Administrative Analyst, 387-4635) on August 19, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Diana Atkeson, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on August 22, 2022.