Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Shruti Dhapodkar, Director, Department of Emergency Management
Subject: Amendment to the agreement with San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department for the provision of a Countywide Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team.
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the agreement with the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department to continue providing a Countywide Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team, extending the term by two years through June 30, 2028, and increasing the amount by $2,023,592 for a new total not-to-exceed amount of $4,596,992.
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BACKGROUND:
The California Health and Safety Code requires the 20 cities in the County and the County to have an emergency response protocol to mitigate and clean up hazardous material events. The Department of Emergency Management manages a countywide contract with the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department (SMCFD) Hazardous Materials Team on behalf of the San Mateo County Operational Area Emergency Services Council Joint Powers Agreement (ESC-JPA) that delivers hazardous materials response capabilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Trained firefighters and hazardous materials technicians/specialists from the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department Hazmat Team work in coordination with an on-call team of Hazmat Specialists from the County’s Environmental Health Division, who provide scientific analysis to identify hazardous materials and determine appropriate safety and mitigation measures.
The SMCFD Hazardous Materials Team is comprised of professionals who have been trained to the level of Technician/Specialist and respond through a fee for service agreement that is due to expire on June 30, 2026.
DISCUSSION:
The Emergency Services Council and the Department of Emergency Management have reviewed hazardous materials response capabilities and determined that an amended agreement with SMCFD ensures continued hazardous materials response capabilities and compliance with state law.
The amended agreement continues to ensure the highest level and stability of services, through June 30, 2028, and incorporates the same elements as the existing agreement with the Hazardous Materials Team. The proposed amendment includes 10% cost increases for personnel and training expenses in FY 2026-27 and 6% increases in FY 2027-28. All services remain the same.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
The amendment of this agreement ensures timely, professional hazardous materials response to all areas of the County. If there were no countywide hazardous materials response agreement, many communities would have no access to professional hazardous materials incident advice or response, and incident response would be more complex and likely more costly.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The revised agreement with San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department is for a term through June 30, 2028, in an amount not to exceed $4,596,992. This agreement is funded through the ESC-JPA member agencies, to which the County contributes 50 percent of total funding. Funding for this agreement will be included in the ESC-JPA FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget and there is no other impact to Net County Cost.