DEPARTMENT: SAFD
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Charles N. Hood
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
2019 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP)
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the City of San Antonio Office of Emergency Management (SAOEM) to apply and accept upon award, up to $1,500,000.00 from the 2019 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) and authorizes a personnel complement of 2 positions. This action also authorizes the City of San Antonio to execute any and all documents related to the application and acceptance of this grant.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The purpose of the RCPGP is to build state and local capacity to manage catastrophic incidents by improving and expanding regional collaboration for catastrophic incident preparedness. A catastrophic incident is any natural or manmade incident, including terrorism that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, or government functions. The objective of 2019 RCPGP is to close known housing capability gaps, encouraging innovative regional solutions to issues related to catastrophic incidents, and building on existing regional efforts for sheltering, and short-term and long-term housing.
ISSUE:
The City’s Office of Emergency Management (SAOEM) has identified housing and sheltering capability gaps through multiple post disaster After Action Reports, including most recently the Hurricane Harvey After Action Report. Additional gaps were identified in strategic plans, shelter plans, and recent exercises, specifically the 2018 Family Reunification Exercise. SAOEM has also identified a need for planning for housing to support those with functional and access needs during catastrophic disasters and for short-term and long term housing for a catastrophic disaster similar to Hurricane Harvey, to include an analysis of the City’s capability to respond and recover during a rain event of up to 5 inches. This grant, if awarded, would provide the resources to develop a regional sheltering and housing plan and to develop exercises to test this plan.
ALTERNATIVES:
Both the State of Texas and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have identified housing as a nation-wide core capability gap in the wake of recent incidents such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and the 2018 California Wildfires. This grant application provides an opportunity to potentially expand the Office of Emergency Management capabilities of planning and training in response to evolving local and national capability gaps.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes submission, acceptance, and appropriation of a 2019 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program in an amount up to $1,500,000.00 and authorizes a personnel complement of 2 positions. These funds will be utilized for planning, training, and expanding exercise capabilities to address response gaps in the event of a catastrophic event. This grant does not require matching funds.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance to apply for and accept grant funds from the 2019 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program.