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C.6

To:	Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors
From:	Lewis T. Broschard III, Chief, Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Date:	May 16, 2023

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

FY 2023 Assistance to Firefighters Grant - KnoxBox Lockboxes

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 05/16/2023

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:

Chris Bachman, Assistant Fire Chief / Fire Marshal (925) 941-3300 x1520

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: May 16, 2023
,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

RATIFY the Fire District's grant application; and APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to accept grant funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program in an amount not to exceed $423,564 for the replacement of KnoxBox lockboxes and associated costs. (95% Federal; 5% District match)

FISCAL IMPACT:

This grant application is for an amount up to $423,564 with a 5% local agency cost sharing requirement. If awarded, the maximum grant award would be $403,394, and the District’s share would be $20,170. The grant award may be lower than the amount requested.

BACKGROUND:

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program objectives are to provide critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel, enhance efficiencies and support community resilience.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

The District currently utilizes a Knox Box lockbox program which provides immediate access into structures. The Knox Box program allows rapid entry into a building and eliminates the need to wait for a building owner or representative to arrive with a physical key. The program also reduces the need for emergency personnel to force entry into an occupancy or business that is unattended.

The District’s current system is no longer adequate to properly serve our jurisdiction due to the many key systems in use as a result of 30 years of consolidations and annexations. Our firefighters identified and brought forward the vulnerabilities associated with the District's current use of six different Knox keys throughout our jurisdiction as well as the growing need for new Knox boxes at many business locations. It was determined that making the change to a universal key system would significantly improve response times, streamline department-wide systems, and prevent confusion.

The proposed project will replace the District’s Knox box key cores, emergency gate override switches, and padlocks to reduce the six Knox keys currently in use to one physical key to be used in the central part of the District and electronic key cores in the eastern and western portions of the District. The funds requested in this grant includes all necessary hardware, software, and equipment upgrades required to support these changes. The performance period for this grant would be twelve (12) months from the effective date of the award.

The grant application deadline was March 31, 2023, which required the District to submit the application before gaining Board approval.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If this action is not approved the District will rescind it's grant application with FEMA. The District's firefighters will continue operating with six different physical Knox keys which is inefficient and may cause delays in entering an unattended building.