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Item 1.I.
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| City Council Regular | |
| Date: | 04/28/2025 |
| Title: | Acceptance of State Farm Grant |
| Presented by: | Sara Naylor |
| Department: | Fire |
| Presentation: | No |
| Legal Review: | Not Applicable |
| Project Number: | N/A |
RECOMMENDATION
Approve acceptance of grant funds.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
The Billings Fire Department requested and received $10,000 to provide rescue technician training. These funds will support a CMC Rope Rescue Technician 1 & 2 class hosted in Billings from July 21-25.
This is a continuation of this critical training capability that State Farm helped to support in 2023. Due to budgetary constraints, the Billings Fire Department has been unable to designate the training funds for this class since the early 2010s. Due to service retirements, the Billings Fire Department has an influx of new rescue technicians in dire need of this critical training. This class is necessary to maintain proficiency in rescue technician capabilities and changing threats. Additionally, the Billings Fire Department is one of six Regional Hazardous Materials Teams in Montana. Currently, it provides technician-level services in Hazardous Materials, Rescue, Collapse, Confined Space, and Trench Rescue to all cities and counties in eastern Montana. The grant funds will be exhausted in CY 2026 for collapse rescue training and personal protective equipment.
The Eastern Montana communities State Farm serves are in the Billings Fire Department response areas for technical rescue and regional response to hazardous materials, along with the current first-due response area of the City of Billings and the Billings Urban Fire Service Area. The Billings Fire Department is the only all-hazards agency in southeast Montana providing these services.
This is a continuation of this critical training capability that State Farm helped to support in 2023. Due to budgetary constraints, the Billings Fire Department has been unable to designate the training funds for this class since the early 2010s. Due to service retirements, the Billings Fire Department has an influx of new rescue technicians in dire need of this critical training. This class is necessary to maintain proficiency in rescue technician capabilities and changing threats. Additionally, the Billings Fire Department is one of six Regional Hazardous Materials Teams in Montana. Currently, it provides technician-level services in Hazardous Materials, Rescue, Collapse, Confined Space, and Trench Rescue to all cities and counties in eastern Montana. The grant funds will be exhausted in CY 2026 for collapse rescue training and personal protective equipment.
The Eastern Montana communities State Farm serves are in the Billings Fire Department response areas for technical rescue and regional response to hazardous materials, along with the current first-due response area of the City of Billings and the Billings Urban Fire Service Area. The Billings Fire Department is the only all-hazards agency in southeast Montana providing these services.
STAKEHOLDERS
All community members
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
- Approve; or,
- Not Approve
FISCAL EFFECTS
These funds will be used to enhance the capabilities of the Rescue Team.
SUMMARY
The Billings Fire Department is the only all-hazards agency in southeast Montana providing these services, and any additional funding to maintain this high level of response capability is greatly appreciated.