AGENDA #4g

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Memorandum of Agreement for Regional Response Urban Search and Rescue Team

 

DATE:             June 9, 2003

 

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide for the Council’s review and consideration the draft Memorandum of Agreement for the Regional Response Urban Search and Rescue Team as a cooperative effort of Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill.  (Please see Attachment 1.)

 

The attached resolution would authorize the Town Manager to execute the Memorandum in concert with the City of Raleigh, City of Durham and the Town of Cary.

 

BACKGROUND

 

In March of 2001, we provided Town Council information concerning the cooperative development by the fire departments of Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary and Durham of a special team capable of responding to catastrophic incidents in the Triangle region.  Last September, the Council made a $15,000 budget adjustment for the Fire Department to begin the training and equipping process.

 

The fire department staffs of the four municipalities are developing a shared special operations team that would provide us with capabilities not currently available in the region.  The federal Urban Search and Rescue team closest to our region that would have the types of capability we are developing is in Virginia Beach, VA with an anticipated response time of six hours.  With the risk potential of the Triangle area (major universities, significant transportation hub and corridors, Research Triangle Park, multiple large crowd venues, proximity to the coast, and high profile communities) a special operations capability needs to be developed locally to reduce our dependence on state and federal teams that would be hours away.

 

The local team will combine high-level technical proficiencies in heavy rescue, structural collapse, vertical rescue, weapons of mass destruction response, catastrophic incidents from any hazard, confined space and below grade rescue, weather disasters and major incident management.  It is designed to dovetail with the regional emergency preparedness efforts currently being developed through the Triangle J Council of Governments and also with State and federal efforts in these response disciplines.

 

We have initiated the training program necessary to make the team functional.  The Raleigh Fire Department is taking the lead and has acquired the initial expertise to provide the training to the other departments.  Raleigh has received an initial grant from the State to start this project as part of a State network of special response teams.  The first of three 10-day training sessions was hosted by the Raleigh Fire Department in May, with two other sessions scheduled for July and September of this year.

 

The development of this capability also could assist us in Chapel Hill with preparation for special events and provide additional resources needed to respond to unusual or dangerous incidents.  It would also give the Chapel Hill Fire Department the training to respond to a heavy rescue situation involving large construction projects such as those on the University campus.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The events of the last two years have made it necessary to expand local planning and capability to respond to a variety of threats and hazards.  The development of these special capabilities on a shared regional basis helps spread the costs among several jurisdictions and increases the resources available to any single jurisdiction.  No single jurisdiction (except a major metropolitan city) could afford to fully develop these resources.  All of the information we have received indicates that future federal grant programs will be prioritized to provide resources first to those jurisdictions already involved in regional planning efforts for all hazard response capability.  We have participated with the cities of Raleigh, Durham and Cary in the development of the Team, and the Councils in each city are anticipated to consider this more formal agreement during the month of June 2003.

 

The base budget recommended for 2003-04 includes funds in the Fire Department’s budget to meet the Town’s obligation under the Memorandum of Agreement.  We estimate that the cost in 2003-04 will be $27,000, including personal protective equipment, training and Chapel Hill’s per capita portion of the team maintenance budget.  Cost incurred by individual cities for team deployment outside of their own jurisdictions will be eligible for reimbursement from the state under the emergency management agreement with the City of Raleigh.

 

Key Points in the Proposed Memorandum of Agreement

 

The key points of the proposed Memorandum of Agreement for a Regional Response Urban Search and Rescue Team are summarized below.

 

Ÿ                    The parties (Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill) are all already signatories to the State-wide emergency management mutual aid agreement and therefore committed to joint cooperation in a major emergency.

 

Ÿ                    The parties agree to operate a regional Urban Search and Rescue Team with the Raleigh Fire Department designated as the lead agency.

 

Ÿ                    The four Fire Chiefs of the parties shall meet regularly to provide overall direction for the team.

 

Ÿ                    Team deployment shall be through the North Carolina Emergency Management Agency under established disaster procedures and a contract with the City of Raleigh or by the request of any one of the participating parties.

 

Ÿ                    Staffing commitment and budget participation in the team shall be established by proportion of total population among the four units using the most recent U.S. Census figures.  Under these criteria the Chapel Hill commitment for 2003-04 would be 7.93% of the total.

 

Ÿ                    The team shall cooperatively seek grants for operation, equipping and administration of the team through the Triangle J Council of Governments.  There is provision for division of property should the team be disbanded by agreement of the parties.

 

Ÿ                    The memorandum will be in effect until June of 2012.  A party can withdraw from participation upon 90 days notice to each of the other parties.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

The Manager recommends that the Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the Manager to execute a Memorandum of Agreement for a Regional Response Urban Search and Rescue Team with the City of Raleigh, City of Durham and the Town of Cary.

 

ATTACHMENT

 

1.      Memorandum of Agreement for a Regional Response Urban Search and Rescue Team (p. 5).

 

 

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT FOR A REGIONAL RESPONSE URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM WITH THE CITY OF RALEIGH, THE CITY OF DURHAM AND THE TOWN OF CARY (2003-06-09/R-7)

 

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill recognizes the need to plan and prepare response capabilities for major emergencies and special hazards; and

 

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill does not currently have a heavy rescue or urban search and rescue team capability; and

 

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill, the City of Raleigh, the City of Durham and the Town of Cary have worked together to plan and develop a regional specialized response team through cooperative efforts of their respective fire departments; and

 

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill supports the concept of regional response planning and mutual aid between public safety agencies to enhance resources, capabilities, expertise and support functions in disasters and threats to the community;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager is authorized to execute a Memorandum of Agreement for a Regional Response Urban Search and Rescue Team with the City of Raleigh, the City of Durham and the Town of Cary with the terms and conditions substantially as stated in the memorandum document presented at the Council’s meeting of June 9, 2003.

 

This the 9^th day of June, 2003.