TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Mike Niblock, Fire Chief
SUBJECT:
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Intergovernmental Agreement with the State of Oregon, Office of the Fire Marshal for Regional Hazardous Materials Emergency Response.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Shall City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an Intergovernmental Agreement with the State of Oregon, Office of the Fire Marshal to provide regional hazardous materials emergency response for the State of Oregon 2017-2019 biennium?
RECOMMENDATION:
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Authorize the City Manager to execute an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the State of Oregon, Office of the Fire Marshal to provide regional hazardous materials emergency response for the State of Oregon 2017-2019 biennium.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
In January of 2004 the City of Salem and the State of Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) signed an IGA designating the Salem Fire Department as one of the state’s 13 regional hazardous materials emergency response teams. Salem’s Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team ensures that the environment, along with public health and safety, is protected from hazardous material releases. This is accomplished by identifying unknown substances, assessing threats, coordinating multi-agency responses and mitigating spills and releases.
Salem’s Region 13 Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team, which is funded through petroleum load fees, is currently comprised of 24 technicians from the Salem Fire Department and one technician from City of Salem Public Works Department. The team protects a population of approximately 456,675 within a region encompassing 6,319 square miles throughout portions of seven counties. Of the state’s 13 regions, Region 13 has the second highest demand for hazardous materials incident response.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team program is a partnership between local government and the Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM). Local governments participating in the program are responsible for providing sufficient, trained personnel to staff the team on a 24 hour per day, 7 day per week basis; housing and maintenance for state-owned equipment; and outreach training for local responders and conglomerates within the designated response region. In turn, OSFM provides funds for technical training, emergency response vehicles and specialized equipment, and cost recovery for response to incidents. Eligible cost recovery includes both expenses for technicians who respond to hazardous materials incidents and backfill pay for personnel covering the minimum staffing vacancies of activated team members. Reimbursement amounts for eligible costs is outlined in Exhibit J of the IGA (Attachment 1) and provides up to $98,610.34 for hazardous materials emergency response team activities for the 2017-2019 biennium.
The IGA will renew the hazardous materials emergency response team agreement between the OSFM and the City of Salem through June 30, 2019. The variations between the proposed agreement and the agreement currently in place are minor and pertain primarily to the new reimbursement wage rates for team members due to a new collective bargaining agreement.
The Agreement allows for modification by mutual agreement of the parties. The City Manager may execute amendments to the Agreement if the following requirements are met:
a. The amendments do not substantially expand the City’s obligations;
b. The amendments do not broaden the scope of the Agreement to other subject matters.
c. The amendments do not increase the City’s financial obligations; and,
d. The amendments may extend the term or renew the Agreement so long as any other changes to the Agreement do not substantially expand the City’s obligations.
The City of Salem’s Fire Department responded to 1047 in-district calls for Hazardous Material incidents during Fiscal Year(s) 2015/16-2016/17. Performing as the State Regional Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team, 28 calls were responded to in Fiscal Year(s) 2015/16-2016/17, most of which were in the Salem city limits. During Fiscal Year(s) 2015/16-2016/17, the City received reimbursements from the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office totaling $103,784 for expenses incurred to operate the hazardous materials program.
MIKE NIBLOCK
FIRE CHIEF
Attachments:
1. Intergovernmental Agreement for Regional Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Services.