Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Department of Human Resources has been awarded funding from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene. This legislation authorizes the Human Resources Director to accept grant funds of $12,476.67 for the Safety Intervention Grant for Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements, and further authorizes the transfer of the required matching funds and the appropriation of funds.
The Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements grant funds a significant portion of the cost of purchasing 197 Gray 25 Particle Blocking Hoods by Innotex. Additional funding of $2,495.33 is required from the city and is budgeted in the Human Resources Department of the general fund. The grant was successfully applied for by the Occupational Safety and Health office in the Human Resources Department; the grant application number is 05-0073 and the grant number assigned by the City Auditor is G461800.
Firefighter protective equipment is exposed to a wide range of toxic chemicals. Firefighter protective hoods provide a safety interface between the helmet, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) face piece, and turnout coat - a vulnerable area due to the potential exposure of toxic chemicals to the skin. The Innotex GrayTM Hood 25, a barrier hood, provides an elevated level of protection using an air permeable, particulate blocking layer to better protect the skin from toxic chemicals. The hood is designed to block particulates 0.1 µm to 1.0 µm that are found in the combustion of structural fires by more than 98%. The Innotex GrayTM Hood 25 was developed to meet the proposed requirements of NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, 2018 Edition.
This ordinance is submitted as an emergency to allow for the purchase of the 197 gray 25 particle Blocking hoods funded primarily through the support the Safety Intervention Grant for Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Safety Intervention Grant for Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements grant funds $12,476.67 towards the cost of purchasing 197 Gray 25 Particle Blocking Hoods by Innotex. Additional match funding of $2,495.33 are available and budgeted in the general fund of the Human Resources Department. This represents a 5 to 1 match from the BWC. The total cost of the hoods is $14,972.00. Grant number is G461800.
Emergency Designation:
Emergency action is requested to allow the purchases to be made as soon as funding is received.
Title
To authorize the Human Resources Department Director to accept a grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene, in the amount of $12,476.67 for the funding of the Safety Intervention Grant for Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements; to authorize the transfer of matching funds in the amount of $2,495.33 from the general fund; to authorize the appropriation of total funds in the amount of $14,972.00; and to declare an emergency. ($14,972.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene, has awarded the City of Columbus, Human Resources Department, a grant in the amount of $12,476.67 to purchase 197 Gray 25 Particle Blocking Hoods by Innotex through the Safety Intervention-Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements program; and,
WHEREAS, the acceptance of the grant requires matching funds in the amount of $2,495.33, which is budgeted in the general fund in the Human Resources Department; and,
WHEREAS, the Human Resources Department wishes to accept said grant award; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of Department of Human Resources in that it is immediately necessary to accept and appropriate the grant award and to transfer and appropriate the matching funds in order that the purchase of particle hoods can commence as soon as funding is received and for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; Now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Human Resources Department Director is hereby authorized and directed to accept a grant award in the amount of $12,476.67 from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene, for the Safety Intervention Grant for Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements, Grant number G461800.
SECTION 2. That the transfer of appropriation of $2,495.33, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized, from object class 02 to object class 10 within the general fund, fund 1000,subfund 100010;
SECTION 3. That the transfer of $2,495.33, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from Fund 1000-100010 General Operating to Fund 2220 General Government Grants per the account codes to be determine by the Auditor and in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That from the unappropriated monies in the general Government Grant Fund 2220 and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the grant period, the sum of $14,972.00 is appropriated upon receipt of an executed grant agreement in Fund 2220, Division 4601, in Object Class 02 Supplies, Grant number G461800, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 6. That funds appropriated shall be paid upon order of the City Attorney and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 7. That at the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused city match monies may be transferred back to the city fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 8. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.