This request is for the City Council to approve a Memorandum of Understanding with fifteen Fire Departments and Districts to apply for a regional grant. This will allow the Peoria Fire-Medical Department to participate in Command Officer training at the Virtual Incident Command Center (VICC) at Mesa Community College and the Fire-Medical Department will be the administrator of the grant.

As part of a regional grant application for training of Command Officers at the VICC, the Peoria Fire-Medical Department will apply for funds to cover costs of class tuition fees and overtime backfill dollars. There is a 15% match for this grant that will come out of existing overtime training budget dollars.

• The City of Peoria shall serve as the primary grant recipient and administrative agent for the grant.

• The City of Peoria, City of Maricopa, City of Mesa, Town of Queen Creek, Sun
  Lakes Fire District, Gila River Indian Community Fire
  Department, City of Goodyear, Gilbert Fire & Rescue Department, Glendale Fire
  Department, Sun City Fire and Medical District, Chandler Fire Health & Medical
  Department, Rio Verde Fire District, Salt River Fire Department, City of Scottsdale, 
  Superstition Fire and Medical District, and City of Surprise Fire-Medical Department will be
  the participating entities and sub-recipients in the grant.

• All Parties shall train command officers as specified in the grant through the Mesa Community
  College Virtual Incident Command Center located at 145 N. Centennial Way, Mesa, AZ
  85201.  This training shall consist of quarterly training for a period of one year.
  
• The Parties shall adhere to the 15% cost sharing requirements as contained in the grant and all
  other grant requirements.

In June of 2016, City Council approved a similar regional grant and the Fire-Medical department has been able to send a large number of members to training at the VICC.

A: The council could approve the MOU to apply and participate in the regional grant.

B: The council could not approve the MOU and decline the request to participate in the regional grant.

Discussion and possible action to approve a Memorandum of Understanding with fifteen other Fire Departments and Districts through a regional grant allowing the Fire-Medical Department to apply and administer the grant and participate in Command Officer training at the Virtual Incident Command Center.

No fiscal impact at this time.

The Virtual Incident Command Center is a facility we currently use for command officer training and Command Officer promotional exams when funds are available. With the grant funds, we will be able to train more personnel and we be reimbursed for associated costs (class fees and backfill overtime).