Title
Report regarding a resolution authorizing acceptance of a grant from the Urban Area Security Initiative in the amount of $205,000 for the purchase of specialized firefighting equipment and transport vehicle designed to address electrical vehicle fires, amending the Fire Department’s operating budget for fiscal year 2026-27 via Budget Amendment Number 27.005, and authorizing the City Manager or authorized designee to enter into an agreement with the City and County of San Francisco Urban Area Security Initiative to accept fiscal year 2024 grant funds. (Devin Flannery, Deputy Fire Chief)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting a grant from the Urban Area Security Initiative in the amount of $205,000 for the purchase of specialized firefighting equipment and transport vehicle designed to address electrical vehicle fires, amending the Fire Department’s operating budget for fiscal year 2026-27 via Budget Amendment Number 27.005, and authorizing the City Manager or authorized designee to enter into an agreement with the City and County of San Francisco Urban Area Security Initiative to accept fiscal year 2024 grant funds.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In 2025, Fire Department personnel applied for specialized firefighting equipment and a transport vehicle, designed to address fires in electrical vehicles, through the Urban Area Security Initiatives Grant Program (UASI) focusing on the program’s priorities of addressing emerging public safety threats.
Fires occurring in electrical vehicles have become more prominent as the vehicles themselves increase as part of the overall car volume within San Mateo County and South San Francisco. These fires have proven to be more difficult to suppress due to their design and unique hazard, including large lithium-ion battery components encased in hardened steel. Traditional firefighting methods, using current firefighting equipment, are not effective, as they are unable to penetrate the hardened steel battery case and unable to apply water directly on the involved internal battery components. This results in copious amounts of water needed to stabilize and then suppress these types of fires. For comparison, a traditional passenger vehicle fire requires, on average, 500 gallons of water to suppress. A lithium-ion battery fire in that same classification of vehicle requires upwards of 15,000 gallons of water.
Fire Department staff have identified specialized equipment that can penetrate the hardened steel cases found in electric vehicles and introduce water directly into the battery compartment, significantly reducing the water needed for full suppression efforts. Recent case studies in California show that this equipment can reduce water needs by more than 12,000 gallons when utilized on fully-involved vehicle fires. The reduction in water usage provides numerous other benefits, including reduced hazardous water runoff, toxic smoke exposure to both the first responders and public, and time when infrastructure remains impacted.
Grant funds were requested and approved to purchase specialized equipment and an accompanying transport vehicle needed to deliver the equipment to emergency scenes. The equipment will be housed within a South San Francisco Fire Station, but made available to the surrounding communities as a regional resource.
FISCAL IMPACT
Acceptance of grant funds does not require City matching funds. Approval of Budget Amendment Number 27.005 will increase the Fire Department operating budget in the amount of $205,000. Expenses associated with this grant will be fully reimbursed to the City and it is expected that there will not be an impact to the General Fund.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES ACTION PLAN
This request is in alignment with the Modern and Sustainable Organization and Infrastructure and the Environment major focus areas, as the grant empowers the City to acquire modern fire equipment to address electric vehicle fires and reduction of water use, respectively.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that City Council adopt a resolution accepting a grant from the Urban Area Security Initiative in the amount of $205,000 for the purchase of specialized firefighting equipment and transport vehicle designed to address electrical vehicle fires, amending the Fire Department’s operating budget for fiscal year 2026-27 via Budget Amendment Number 27.005, and authorizing the City Manager or authorized designee to enter into an agreement with the City and County of San Francisco Urban Area Security Initiative to accept fiscal year 2024 grant funds.