Title
Resolution to approve and Appropriate the Regional Fire Service Training Facilitates Grant awarded to Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue by the Virginia Fire Services Board through the Virginia Department of Fire Programs
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
Hampton Division of Fire & Rescue (HDFR) requested funding to renovate and make repairs to the Division’s 5-story concrete training tower, located on the training grounds at Hampton Fire Station #9, 1590 Briarfield Road, Hampton, VA 23661. The training tower is one of the region’s critical training assets. It is used for training required by the Tidewater Regional Fire Academy (TRFA) and for completion of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs’ (VDFP) Firefighter I & II curriculum as well as other VDFP certificate courses. TRFA is a regional partnership between the City of Newport News, City of Hampton, County of York, County of James City, City of Poquoson, City of Williamsburg and the U.S. Army Transportation Center to provide basic firefighter training to career and volunteer firefighters. The TRFA curriculum and the VDFP certificate courses require the use of Hampton’s training tower to complete evolutions associated with high-rise hazards, standpipes, rope rescue, ladders and other fire-related training.
Discussion:
The benefit to the community will be in the unified training of the City of Hampton’s Fire & Rescue personnel; both career and volunteer. It will also benefit the other jurisdictions/partners which train at this facility and are on contracts of mutual aid with our city. Any possible additional costs over the grant’s allowable $50,000 will come from HDFR’s Aid to Locality-Fire Programs Funds so will not impact City funds.
Impact:
The impact of approving and appropriating the Regional Fire Service Training Facilities Grant is that there will be no uninterrupted training for the City of Hampton and other jurisdictions’ firefighters and the City will not have to find funding to make the renovations and repairs to the Division’s 5-story concrete training tower thus using the funds for other City projects. The request relates to the City Council’s policy initiatives in providing extraordinary Public Safety for its citizens, its visitors and those of other nearby jurisdictions.
Recommendation:
Rec
Approve.
Body
WHEREAS, the Virginia Fire Services Board has awarded a Regional Fire Service Training Facilities Grant to the City of Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue in the amount of $50,000; and
WHEREAS, the grant award covers the period July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia accepts and appropriates the Regional Fire Service Training Facilities Grant in the amount of $50,000, and any supplemental funding, awarded by the Virginia Fire Services Board in accordance with the grant agreement;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council authorizes the City Manager, or her designee, to take the necessary steps to implement this grant award.