Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Grant Acceptance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire Commission approves $636,363.64 FEMA grant to replace four mini pumpers and introduces new grant writer
Summary
The commission unanimously approved a FY2019 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant totaling $636,363.64 for replacement mini pumpers; the department introduced new grant writer Shiloh Cahill and discussed forming a more formal grants vetting process.
The San Francisco Fire Commission unanimously approved Resolution 2020-02 to accept $636,363.64 in fiscal-year-2019 Assistance to Firefighters Grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace four aging mini pumpers.
Mark Corso, finance and planning, told the commission the grant covers replacement of four mini pumpers — smaller, more maneuverable firefighting apparatus commonly used in wildland or tight-urban responses — and that the department will absorb a small matching requirement within its budget. Corso said the department currently has four mini pumpers in the fleet that are “quite old” and that the FEMA allocation makes the replacements possible.
Corso also introduced the department’s new grant writer, Shiloh Cahill, who began in January and will help identify and manage funding opportunities. Cahill said she is focused on maintaining current public funding and expanding relationships with community, family and corporate foundations to strengthen the department’s financial resiliency.
Commissioners praised the hire and recommended streamlining grant vetting. Commissioner Ken Cleveland moved to approve the resolution, and Commissioner Tony Rodriguez seconded; the motion passed unanimously. President Nancy Covington noted that mini pumpers are “like a $160,000 each,” underscoring why grant funds are valuable for smaller but important apparatus that are otherwise hard to fund through the regular capital budget.
Corso said the department is developing a more formal internal grants committee and vetting process to prepare a pipeline of projects for future opportunities and will work with Cahill to implement it. The commission asked staff to provide photographs and specifications of the mini pumpers for commissioners’ information.
