H-2 - Resolution 2023-036 - Policies and Procedures for SAFER Grant

WHEREAS, FEMA, in offering the City the SAFER grant award, modified or changed some grant activities, including modifying or reducing the funding for certain grant activities, including stipends and PPE for new recruits; and, WHEREAS, it is anticipated that some grant activities may need supplemental funding from the City due to unforeseen and uncontrollable increases in costs, inflation, and supply chain and manufacturing issues, including products being unavailable; and, WHEREAS, since the 2021 SAFER application was submitted to FEMA, the City has grown and continued to evolve, including in the fire department, rendering the intended plan with grant activities as obsolete; and, WHEREAS, after the 2021 SAFER application was submitted to FEMA the City hired Bill Erb as the Fire Marshal/Code Enforcement Officer (hereinafter “Fire Marshal”), who started on or about January 3, 2023; and, WHEREAS, the Fire Marshal has experience in recruiting volunteer firefighters, including advertising and marketing for volunteers, pre-employment physicals (medical evaluations), onboarding, orientation, budget and finances, purchasing, documentation, training, and managing volunteer applicants, recruits, and firefighters; and, WHEREAS, the Fire Marshal has the education, training, and certifications, including Instructor II and Fire Officer II, to serve as the Program Manager; and, WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend the Fire Marshal’s job description to add additional duties and responsibilities as a result of the 2021 SAFER grant award; and, WHEREAS, it is anticipated that a variety of factors will contribute to the fire department’s performance under the 2021 SAFER grant award, including changed circumstances since the grant application was submitted in 2021, and that changes, modifications, and amendments to the attached policies, guidelines, or procedures, or adoption of new policies, guidelines, or procedures, or amendments to the grant, may be needed from time to time, and some trial and error will occur; and, WHEREAS, flexibility with changes, modifications, and amendments to policies, guidelines, and procedures is appropriate and in the interest of efficiency and innovation; and, WHEREAS, trained fire department members who are on call, on standby, on special assignment including department business or training, and who staff the station or apparatus, benefit the public by improving the fire department’s deployment capabilities and reduce turnout or response times to fire, rescue, hazmat, and emergency medical calls; and, WHEREAS, the Tiffin Emergency Responders Association (TERA) purchased car wash supplies and has agreed to periodically donate additional supplies to enable the 2