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C. 10

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Jeff Carman, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Date:	February 27, 2018

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 02/27/2018

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor

ABSENT:

Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Lewis Broschard, Deputy Chief 925-941-300 ext 1101

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: February 27, 2018
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

Acting as the Governing Board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to apply for and accept grant funding from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, in an amount not to exceed $35,000, for the purchase of helicopter equipment.

FISCAL IMPACT:

100% Grant funded

BACKGROUND:

A portion of purchases made in 2018 at all United States Firehouse Subs locations goes to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The Foundation was founded in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Firehouse Subs co-founders, Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, traveled to Mississippi where they fed first responders as well as survivors. Since the Foundation started, it has granted over $31 million to provide life-saving equipment, prevention education, scholarships and continued education, disaster relief and military support.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) partners with the Office of the Sheriff to provide helicopter rescue and firefighting support. This funding will allow the District to purchase helicopter equipment (Bambi bucket, helicopter attachment bars, and helmets) to support the program.

1. Bambi Bucket: The Bambi Bucket is a water carrying and dropping device that attaches to the bottom of the helicopter. It is used to collect water from remote waterways, rivers or lakes and drop it on wildland fires. This device allows the Sheriff’s helicopter to become a force multiplier to the fire crews on the ground. The Office of the Sheriff has their pilot and helicopters carded for aerial firefighting by CALFire and USFS. The Air Unit currently has only one Bambi Bucket for one helicopter for aerial firefighting. We would like to obtain a second Bambi Bucket for the second helicopter to increase the mission profile of the air unit and allow both helicopters to perform aerial water drops on wildland fires.

2. Spotter bar: This allows the rescuer to stand on the skid facing out from the helicopter and still be connected by their safety harness. This gives the rescuer a much greater field of view outside of the aircraft and greatly increases the chances of the rescuer locating the victim. This bar will allow the rescuer to do their job more safely and efficiently while greatly increasing the effectiveness of the rescuer position.

3. Helicopter helmet: As our helicopter program is expanding, we are bringing on more rescue personnel. One of the largest expenses in outfitting our rescuers is the helmet. One unique feature of the helmet we have chosen is the active noise canceling hearing protection and the Bluetooth connectivity. The active noise reduction is vital in preserving the hearing of the rescuers and making communication between the crew clear. This assures the safest and most reliable communications between crews during rescue operations.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The District will not be able to take advantage of this funding opportunity.