HomeMy WebLinkAbout34- Mayor's Office CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO - REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
From: Mayor Tom Minor Subject: Participation in a joint powers
authority to provide an Aircraft
Dept: Mayor's Office Fire Training Center at the San
Bernardino International Airport.
Date: September 24, 1997 Authorization to expend $10,000 as
Cethe City of San Bernardino's
If ,J—U `'t i portion for the costs of preparation
of a feasibility study and a
management plan.
Synopsis of Previous Council Action:
None
Recommended Motion: MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL
That the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San Bernardino approve in concept the participation
in a joint powers authority to provide an Aircraft Fire Training Center on the San Bernardino International
Airport, and authorize the expenditure of $10,000 as the City of San Bernardino's portion for the costs of
preparation of a feasibility study and a management plan.
That the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San Bernardino authorize the Director of Finance to
amend the Fiscal Year 1997-1998 Budget to reflect the cost of funding the formation of the joint powers
authority for development and operation of the ARFF training facility from anticipated Fire Department
salary savings, and the authorization to expend $10,000 for funding the consultant contracts.
Signature
Contact person: Mayor Tom Minor Phone 5133
Supporting data attached: Background Ward: City Wide
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Amount: $10,000
Source:(Acct. No.) 001-202-5011
(Acct. Description) Fire Suppression Salaries
Finance:
Council Notes:
Agenda Item No.
is/� 97
CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO - REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
STAFF REPORT
Background:
A presentation has been made to members of the San Bernardino International Airport Authority ("SBIAA")
regarding the possibility of locating a regional Aircraft Fire Training Center at the former Norton Air Force
Base to service the aircraft fire fighting training needs throughout the southwestern United States. The
nearest similar aircraft fire training facilities are located in Astoria, Oregon, and Dallas, Texas. The City is
presently providing Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting ("ARFF") services by contract to the SBIAA with City
firefighters who are trained and certified for ARFF duties at the San Bernardino International Airport.
Such proposed ARFF training center would be operated by a joint powers authority comprised of the City
of San Bernardino, the County of San Bernardino, the SBIAA and Crafton Hills Community College with
the San Bernardino County Fire Chiefs Association serving in some form of advisory capacity to this joint
powers authority. The content of the JPA agreement and the rights and duties of the members would be
determined in the JPA agreement as may be negotiated and approved only upon the successful completion
and acceptance of the feasibility study and the eventual approval of a management plan for this ARFF
training facility.
The JPA would be responsible for the establishment of training policies, development of the programs to be
implemented at the ARFF training facility and the administration of the facility. The ARFF training facility
will be built upon suitable property of the SBIAA located on the former aviation areas of NAFB. The Fire
Technology Department of Crafton Hills Community College would be managing the daily operational and
training activities, establishing the course curriculum and scheduling the training for the fire department
personnel sent to this facility from airports and communities throughout the southwestern United States.
It is expected that an approximately 15 acre site will be required for the ARFF training facility on a ground
lease basis from the SBIAA. Several tentative sites have been identified as suitable for the training purposes
of this JPA. The JPA may require as much as $6M in capital improvement funds from the Airport
Improvement Program ("AIP") as administered by the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA"). Such AIP
funds will fund 90% of the project improvement costs with the applicant having the responsibility to obtain
the remaining 10% of the project funds from other sources.
It has been proposed that the City, the County of San Bernardino and the Crafton Hills Community College
each contribute $10,000 for a total of $30,000 which will be utilized for retaining a consultant experienced
in preparing a management plan as implemented in other ARFF training facilities. It will be necessary for
the SBIAA to obtain the services of a consultant experienced in the establishment and operation of other
similar ARFF training facilities throughout the country. After such time as a satisfactory management plan
has been accepted and approved, it is expected that a JPA agreement will be prepared by the SBIAA for final
approval of the Mayor and Common Council of the City, the Board of Supervisors of the County, the Board
of Trustees of the Crafton Hills Community College and the Board of SBIAA.
The JPA will enter into a lease agreement with the SBIAA and submit the requisite application to the FAA
for the AIP funding and subsequently undertake the architectural design, engineering, construction and
operation of the ARFF training facility. The completed facility will provide for year-round operations for
60 students at a single time for ARFF training levels to include Index E. The ARFF training facilities will
include administrative buildings, classrooms and staff office space. An ARFF crash vehicle will be stored on
the site for use in daily training activities. The fuel spill burn area will include the necessary fuel delivery
systems and the effluent recovery system, a control center and specialized aircraft training models.
Halkground, Continued
The ARFF training facility as envisioned for the SBIAA properties will not require any EPA burn permits
due to the clean burning nature of the propane fuel. No black hydrocarbons will be released into the
atmosphere by the ARFF training activities, and only water and bio-degradable materials will be used for fire
suppression purposes. Fourteen other propane fueled ARFF training facilities are presently in use elsewhere
in the United States.
Funding for this program will come from Fire Suppression salary savings.