MOTION--The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) mission is to support United States citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards. In order to meet FEMA's mission, grant programs are offered to first responder agencies, such as the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER).SAFER was created to provide funding directly to fire departments to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments' abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The SAFER Grants are offered to support projects to hire new, additional firefighters to improve staffing levels.
The objective of the SAFER grant program is to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities in order to respond to emergencies, and assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Ultimately, SAFER recipients should achieve more efficient responses; thereby ensuring communities have improved protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was awarded the FY 2016 SAFER grant for firefighter hiring in an amount up to $15,468,782, which was the largest amount awarded to FY 2016 SAFER grantees. The grant performance period originally covered three years, from January 22, 2018 through January 21, 2021. During the COVID-19, pandemic, FEMA offered the opportunity for the FY16 SAFER award recipients to request an extension to continue expending funds. The LAFD applied for and was granted for an extension of the FY16 SAFER grant through September 1, 2021. With the extension, the LAFD will be reimbursed for approximately $1.5 million.
I THEREFORE MOVE that the Council, authorize the LAFD to receive the grant extension and expend the remaining grant funds.