TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: David Shew, Fire Administrator
REPORT BY: J.R. Rogers, Assistant Fire Administrator
SUBJECT: Agreement with Napa Communities Firewise Foundation
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Agreement No. 250339B with Napa Communities Firewise Foundation to implement the Defensible Space/Ignition Resistant Construction program under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. (Fiscal Impact: $3,229,600 Expense; Fire Fund; Budgeted; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
Napa County applied for a Building Resilience for Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2022. This grant was awarded to Napa County on March 26, 2024. The BRIC grant award was for $35 Million, with local matching funds from Napa County in the amount of $15 Million. The collective total of $50 Million is targeted for the Napa Community-Wide Comprehensive Wildfire Mitigation Program, which is designed for both hazardous fuels reduction and defensible space/ignition resistant construction projects. These projects will span a total of three years, with two potential extensions of twelve months each.
BRIC is designed into two primary phases. Phase 1 will extend through the initial twelve to fourteen months and serve as the Planning Phase. Phase 2 will then include the activities for hazardous fuels reduction and provide reimbursements for homeowners to improve defensible space around their property, as well as reduce wildfire ignition risk to structures. These efforts will ultimately create more fire resilient communities around the County and reduce the impacts from future wildfire events.
As part of Phase 1, a Request for Proposals was created to select a consultant to facilitate public outreach to promote a Defensible Space/Ignition Resistant Construction (DS/IRC) cost share programs to property owners and will obtain right-of-entry agreements and contracts as needed. Napa Commun...
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