Committee recommends acceptance of ~$637,200 FEMA grant for Fire Department training facility

The Budget and Finance Committee on Nov. 19 voted unanimously to forward to the full Board a resolution authorizing the Fire Department to accept and expend approximately $637,200 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the California Office of Emergency Services for the department’s new training facility and associated emergency operations center.

Mark Horso, finance and planning at the Fire Department, said the funds are part of a FEMA Emergency Operations Center grant intended to bolster emergency‑operations capabilities. Horso said the resolution includes retroactive language as a technicality because the grant performance period began when the award issued; the department said it has not spent grant funds beyond planning activities. "In general, the department's grants have a lot of retroactive conditions from a technicality perspective... it's always cleaner to start retroactive approval given we've already started the period of performance," Horso said.

Horso told the committee the overall training‑facility project budget is $175 million, that 95% construction documents had been received, that demolition was tentatively scheduled for December, and that construction is expected to begin in early 2026 with completion in 2028. He thanked Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and her office for assistance in obtaining the funding. A supervisor asked why FEMA awarded $637,200 rather than the approximately $2 million requested; Horso said the program was intended to be multiyear and additional awards could follow, but $637,200 is the amount secured to date.

No members of the public spoke. Chair Connie Chan moved to forward the resolution with a positive recommendation; the committee approved the motion 3–0. The resolution will be considered by the full Board for final acceptance and expenditure of the grant.