To: Board of Directors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Authorization of Cooperative Agreement with Dominican University of California for Mental Performance Internship Program
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute a cooperative agreement with Dominican University of California to allow Sport Performance graduate students to complete internship hours with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District in support of the Operations Division’s Mental Performance Program, for the period April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFPD) is expanding its Mental Performance Program within the Operations Division to support the cognitive readiness, resilience, and performance of its personnel. As part of this effort, CCCFPD proposes entering into a cooperative agreement with Dominican University of California to allow graduate students from the University’s Sport Performance program to complete required internship hours by working with the District’s training academy and personnel.
This cooperative agreement represents one of the first programs of its kind in the country to integrate master’s-level sport performance students into a fire service training environment. The collaboration is intended to complement CCCFPD’s instructors' operational expertise with professional-level sport performance support, while providing students with real-world, applied experience. The program is designed to enhance training outcomes for District personnel while supporting workforce development and experiential learning opportunities.
This agreement includes indemnification and limitation of liability language.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this item is not approved, the Fire District will be unable to implement the proposed Mental Performance Program partnership, limiting access to professional-level sport performance support for personnel.