Agenda

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C.2

To:	Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors
From:	Lewis T. Broschard III, Chief, Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Date:	February 7, 2023

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

FY 2023 California Office of Traffic Safety Grant Program - Truck-Mounted Attenuator

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 02/07/2023

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, Director
Candace Andersen, Director
Diane Burgis, Director
Ken Carlson, Director
Federal D. Glover, Director

Contact:

Deputy Chief Brian Helmick, (925) 941-3300

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 7, 2023
,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and RATIFY the Fire District's application for grant funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety Grant Program, in an amount not to exceed $216,898, for the purchase of a truck-mounted attenuator. (100% Federal)

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) could receive up to $216,898 in federal funds if awarded. There is no local agency cost sharing requirement. The grant award may be lower than the amount requested and will be for a period of one year from the effective date of the award.

BACKGROUND:

The goal of the Office of Traffic Safety Grant Program is to prevent serious injury and death resulting from motor vehicle crashes so that all roadway users arrive at their destinations safely. One of the explicit focus areas is Emergency Medical Services.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

Currently, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District utilizes a fire truck blocking unit when separating the public from a crash, fire, or other emergency site. These blocking units are meant to attract the attention of drivers in order to avoid a collision, with the truck(s) or emergency personnel, and interference with the emergency scene. Unfortunately, there have been multiple instances of drivers not seeing the blocking unit and crashing directly into the unit. This results in severe injury to the driver and has resulted in death more than once. Additionally, there have been many instances of drivers putting District personnel in danger when a fire truck blocking unit is deployed.

This danger to the District's personnel, as well as area drivers, can easily be avoided with the purchase of a truck-mounted attenuator (TMA). The TMA will act as a crash cushion, lessening the impact and damage to a vehicle while still protecting the firefighters and other emergency personnel. Fire departments throughout the country have begun utilizing these blocking units to better protect their firefighters and other emergency personnel, protect citizens and drivers, and protect a working fire engine from being damaged while serving as a blocking unit. When a front-line vehicle is hit while serving as a blocking unit, it can be out of service for more than a year, and the cost to repair them is in the hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of dollars. Having vehicles out of operation puts emergency personnel and the population they serve at risk.

In order to meet the application deadline, the Fire District submitted this grant application by January 31, 2023. This action is to approve and ratify that grant application and to authorize the accpetance of the grant if awarded.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The District would not be able to accept this grant if awarded; and in order to more effectively protect the public and Fire District personnel, alternative funding would have to be identified for the purpose of purchasing a truck-mounted attenuator.