TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Robert D. Espinosa, Fire Chief
SUBJECT:Title
Approve an Amendment to the 2007 Personnel Cooperative Agreement Between the Cities of Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach to Include the Rank of Fire Captain and Other Specified Resources (Fire Chief Espinosa).
APPROVE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council approve the First Amendment to the 2007 Personnel Cooperative Agreement, and authorize the City Manager to expand the 2007 Personnel Cooperative Agreement between Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach to include the ability of both Fire Departments to request personnel and resources from each other to help ensure satisfactory staffing levels for each agency.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The cost of these services is fully reimbursed by the requesting agency. Each City is protected by an indemnification clause that holds each city harmless from negligent or wrongful performance of the other's employees. Each City is responsible for costs associated with workers' compensation claims of their own employees that are the result of duties performed for the host city.
BACKGROUND:
Since 2007, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach have operated under an agreement that allows either city to request the services of a Firefighter/Paramedic when necessary to maintain established staffing levels in the event personnel from the respective fire departments are not available. Since 2007, both cities have used the agreement for staffing Firefighter/Paramedic positions.
DISCUSSION:
For many years, the Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach Fire Departments have used resource sharing, automatic and mutual aid agreements, and personnel cooperative agreements between the cities to maintain effective fire services. The Fire Chiefs periodically review these agreements to discuss additional methods to efficiently manage our public safety resources.
The requested approval of an amendment to our current Personnel Cooperative Agreement will improve our ability to maintain adequate supervisory positions and resource levels in times of staffing shortages due to wildland emergencies, vacancies due to training requirements, unexpected position vacancies and other needs.
Expanding the Personnel Cooperative agreement to include Fire Captains and other staffed resources such as fire engines or paramedic rescue vehicles improves safety in emergency working environments, and enhances goodwill. The expansion of this agreement creates a more seamless and consistent operational service environment.
CONCLUSION:
Amending the 2007 Personnel Cooperative Agreement to include the ability to share Fire Captains and other fully-staffed resources will increase the Manhattan Beach Fire Department's staffing and operational efficiencies.
Attachments:
1. MB HB Personnel Coop Agreement
2. MB HB Amendment No. 1 - Personnel Cooperative Agreement