REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Travis Hopkins, City Manager
VIA: Eric McCoy, Fire Chief
PREPARED BY: Kevin Justen, Senior Management Analyst
Subject:
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Approve and accept the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant; Authorize the Fire Chief and Chief Financial Officer to Execute documents; and Approve appropriation of funds
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Statement of Issue:
The Huntington Beach Fire Department applied for the FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant and was awarded $294,621.09 for ten (10) automatic chest compression devices, one for each of Department’s eight (8) frontline ambulances and two (2) for surge ambulances. City Council is requested to approve and accept the FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant and authorize the Fire Chief and Chief Financial Officer to execute the FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant documents.
Financial Impact:
The FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant award totals $294,621.09 and includes a matching requirement of $29,462.11, for a total project budget of $324,083.20. There are sufficient funds available within the current Fire Department budget to meet the matching requirement, and no additional appropriations are requested.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
A) Approve and accept the FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant awarded to the City of Huntington Beach; and,
B) Authorize the Fire Chief and Chief Financial Officer as the officials to execute and sign for the FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant award, agreement, amendments, and extensions; and,
C) Approve the appropriation of grant revenues and expenditures in the amount of $324,083.20.
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve recommended action and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
The Huntington Beach Fire Department applied for and was awarded the FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (“AFG 2025 Grant”). As stated in the AFG 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity, the objectives of the AFG Program are to provide critically needed resources that equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operational efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience.
The Fire Department received an award letter on September 21, 2026, stating that the grant application for ten (10) automatic chest compression devices was approved with a federal award amount of $294,621.09. There are sufficient funds available in the FY 2026/27 Huntington Beach Fire Department operating budget to cover the 10% non-federal matching requirement of $29,462.11. The total project amount is $324,083.20. The AFG 2025 Grant notification included a requirement for the City to accept the Grant, otherwise the grantor will retract its notification.
The Huntington Beach Fire Department’s project objective for the AFG 2025 Grant is to enhance the Department’s overall effectiveness by placing automatic chest compression devices on each of the Department’s eight (8) frontline ambulances and two (2) surge ambulances. This will bring the entire emergency transport fleet into compliance with the Orange County Emergency Medical Services (OCEMS) Policy #325 for minimum Advance Life Support (ALS) inventory standards.
The devices will be deployed on cardiac arrest responses and any resuscitation requiring patient movement or transport. Over the past year, the Department responded to 18,248 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls, of which 1,865 were cardiac arrest responses requiring resuscitation. Cardiac arrest demands continuous, high-quality chest compressions, but manual compressions are difficult or unsafe to sustain at the same level that the chest compression devices will provide.
Environmental Status:
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment do not constitute a project.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non Applicable - Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Notice of Award Letter
2. PowerPoint Presentation