To: Board of Supervisors
From: Aaron J. McAlister, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: FY 25 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, RATIFY the Fire District’s grant application; and APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to apply, accept, and execute a grant agreement, including amendments, with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, in an amount not to exceed $975,000, for the purchase of a decontamination system.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total grant application is for an amount of up to $975,000, which includes a 10% local agency cost sharing requirement. FEMA develops the mathematical formula to support grant recipients in determining the appropriate minimum amount of cost share required for the awarded items they receive. The District’s share would be $88,636, and the federal share would be $886,364.
The grant award may be lower than the amount requested. Due to changing conditions in manufacturing, supply, and tariffs, the total cost of the project is currently an estimate. If awarded, a subsequent approval will be requested of the Board for purchasing authority with the actual costs of the decontamination system.
BACKGROUND:
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is requesting Assistance to Firefighters Grant funding in the amount of $975,000 to purchase and implement a Liquid Carbon Dioxide (LCO₂) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Decontamination System as part of a comprehensive firefighter cancer prevention initiative. The requested system will serve approximately 450 firefighters assigned to 35 fire stations and 42 fire companies operating throughout Contra Costa County. The District is currently repurposing an existing fire station into a centralized PPE cleaning and decontamination center that will serve as the hub for turnout gear cleaning, inspection, drying, storage, and advanced decontamination operations. The proposed LCO₂ system will become the cornerstone of this facility and provide a level of turnout gear decontamination currently unavailable within the region.
Contra Costa County firefighters routinely respond to structure fires, vehicle fires, vegetation fires, hazardous materials incidents, technical rescues, and emergency medical incidents. During these operations, turnout gear becomes contaminated with products of combustion, carcinogens, toxic particulates, heavy metals, biological contaminants, and other hazardous substances that can remain embedded within protective equipment long after an incident has been concluded. While the District currently utilizes industry-standard extraction and drying practices, research continues to demonstrate that traditional aqueous cleaning methods may not fully remove deeply embedded contaminants located within turnout gear moisture barriers and inner protective layers. The requested LCO₂ system will provide advanced decontamination capabilities designed to remove contaminants not effectively addressed through conventional cleaning processes.
To the best of the District’s knowledge, no comparable firefighter-specific LCO₂ turnout gear decontamination system currently exists within Northern California. The District is committed to implementing emerging technologies that reduce occupational cancer risk and improve firefighter health outcomes. This project directly supports firefighter health and safety by reducing occupational exposure to known carcinogens and other hazardous contaminants. The system will be utilized year-round and will support a comprehensive Districtwide effort to improve firefighter health outcomes, reduce occupational cancer risk, and provide cleaner, safer PPE for the firefighters who protect the residents of Contra Costa County.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without this grant funding, the District will continue to rely on traditional PPE extraction and decontamination methods and will be unable to implement advanced LCO₂ decontamination technology designed to further reduce firefighter exposure to carcinogens and other hazardous contaminants.