REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
March 26, 2015
FROM: KERRI DONIS, Fire Chief
City of Fresno Fire Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a loan agreement between City of Fresno Fire Department (Fire Department) and Fire Investigative Strike Team ("FIST") for City use of a vehicle specially equipped to accommodate a canine unit
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council approve the use loan agreement between FIST and the Fire Department to provide a vehicle specially equipped to accommodate a canine unit.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As the regional representative for the FIST program, the Fire Department has been authorized to use a vehicle customized to accommodate a canine unit. The vehicle title is held by FIST, but under the loan agreement, the vehicle is operated and maintained by the Fire Department.
BACKGROUND
The FIST program is a regionalized non-profit organization made up of fire investigators from Clovis, Coalinga, Fresno City, Kingsburg, Sanger and Selma Fire Departments as well as Fresno County Fire Protection District. Its purpose is to provide fire investigation services to member agencies when needed. Circumstances requiring a FIST activation include, but are not limited to, instances when the requesting agency does not have a fire investigator due to limited resources and/or availability, fire scenes which are complex in nature, fires resulting in a large property/dollar loss, high profile fires, fire deaths and other fire investigations that are outside the scope of the requesting agency. There is one canine unit to assist all territories in the organization.
As the former canine team handler was approaching retirement, Fire Department staff began exploring the possibility of adding an ignitable liquid detection canine to the investigations division as most responses by the FIST canine unit were located in Fresno. To assist in the canine handler transition, FIST applied for a grant through State Farm Insurance and was awarded a grant which provided a Fire Department arson investigator to be assigned a canine and sent to specialized training and a handler certification program. The program also provides for annual recertification for the career of the canine.
The grant covered all costs associated with obtaining the canine and training for the canine and handler. Veterinary needs are provided free of charge by a local veterinarian. FIST provides other needs such as food, miscellaneous care products, and use of a customized transportation vehicle.
In addition to standard City contract provisions, the loan agreement specifies that ownership and title of the vehicle remains with FIST and that the City is responsible for maintenance and repair during the period of time it is using the vehicle. The canine, "Tessa", is a law enforcement ignitable-liquid detection canine; she is one of only four specially-trained canines in the entire state of California, and approximately 350 canines within the United States and Canada. In the first two months Tessa was with the Fire Department, she assisted with 20 fire investigations, 19 of which were within the City. The Fire Department has, and will continue to benefit from, not only its participation in the FIST program, but from the addition of Tessa to its arson investigation program.
The City Attorney and Risk Management have approved the agreement as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a "project" for the purposes of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15378(b)(5), as it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local Preference was not considered because this canine vehicle does not include a bid or award of a construction or service contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
Fiscal impact to the General Fund includes routine maintenance costs of operating a passenger vehicle and any non-subrogated repairs should the vehicle be involved in an accident at any time during the term of the agreement. Routine maintenance costs are anticipated to be immaterial to the departmental operating budget and will be absorbed within existing appropriations.
Attachment: Loan Agreement between Fresno Fire Department and FIST