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Redmond Fire seeks council clearance to accept FEMA equipment, $400,000 WSDOT grant and Microsoft donation
Summary
Redmond Fire requested committee approval to accept structural-collapse equipment transferred under a FEMA subrecipient agreement, a $400,000 Washington State Department of Transportation grant to reimburse the cost of an electric fire engine, and a Microsoft donation; the committee agreed to place the items on the April 1 consent agenda.
Redmond — Redmond Fire on March 18 asked the Public Safety and Human Services Committee to approve three consent items: a FEMA subrecipient agreement with Seattle Fire to accept structural-collapse equipment, acceptance of a $400,000 Washington State Department of Transportation grant to reimburse the cost of an electric fire engine, and a donation from Microsoft toward the same vehicle. Committee members signaled no objections to placing the items on the April 1 consent agenda.
Fire Chief Adrian Shepherd introduced the package and Battalion Chief Caleb Freeman described the FEMA subrecipient agreement. Freeman said the equipment (structural collapse gear) was purchased under the 2022 State Homeland Security Program (SHSP); Seattle Fire currently holds the equipment and Redmond Fire is scheduled to take receipt in late April or early May. The equipment-only transfer is valued at about $17,000, Freeman said, and no funds will change hands as part of the agreement.
Deputy Chief Mike Despain described the separate WSDOT grant: the department was offered $400,000 to reimburse a portion of the cost of an electric fire engine that Redmond has already put into service. Despain said the grant carries no matching requirement and is limited to equipment reimbursement, not staff time, and staff confirmed the legislature appropriated $800,000 for the program with $400,000 allocated to Bellevue and $400,000 to Redmond in this instance.
Despain also presented a Microsoft donation that the department said is unrestricted and intended to support the electric fire engine program; staff described the gift as an additional reimbursement source with no matching funds or special restrictions.
Council members asked timing and compliance questions. Council Member Stewart asked whether the FEMA equipment is already in Redmond; staff clarified Seattle Fire currently has the gear and Redmond will take delivery once paperwork finishes. Council Member Fields asked whether any unusual reporting or matching requirements accompany the $400,000 grant; Despain said the grant has “the least restrictions” of the department’s recent awards.
All three items were presented as requests to move to the April 1 business meeting consent calendar. Committee members raised no objections at the March 18 session and staff said they would place the items on the April 1 consent agenda for final formal action by the full council.
Ending — Staff will transmit the required documents to place the FEMA subrecipient agreement, the WSDOT grant acceptance and the Microsoft donation on the April 1 consent calendar; Redmond Fire plans to take physical receipt of the FEMA equipment in late April or early May and expects to draw the WSDOT grant after council acceptance and contract signature.
