Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2022-10:  A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council, approving the 2022 Cooperative Fire rate agreement (CFRA) Intergovernmental Agreement between the Arizona Department of Forestry & Fire management and the City of Flagstaff

The Cooperative Fire Rate Agreement (CFRA) is a recurring agreement between the State and any/all Fire Departments in Arizona, renewed every two years. The Agreement is the basis for reimbursements to Fire Departments when any Department is requested by the State to assist in an emergency fire response outside their own jurisdiction. The Agreement contains a set of General Provisions describing standards and processes, equipment rates for vehicles, apparatus, and other specialty equipment. The City has participated in this effort, and has had a CFRA in-place since the early 1980's. The last agreement was in March 2020, so Spring 2022 is the renewal date for all CFRA's statewide.

The CFRA allows full reimbursement to the City for any-and-all costs associated with requested equipment, to include all personnel costs for those engaged in the operation, use of that equipment, and any required backfill and/or recall. Acceptance of emergency assignments is cost-neutral to allocated budgets.

Public Safety: Involvement with the State through the CFRA allows Fire Department personnel and other qualified city employees to work in a dynamic and fluid interagency environment, developing relationships, practicing skills, attaining qualifications, and gaining experience. All at no-cost, that better positions us to respond to, manage, and recover from emergency events when they occur here at-home.

Priority Based Budget Key Community Priorities and Objectives:

Environment and natural resource:
Vision for the Future: The long-term health and viability of our natural resource environment is maintained through strategic planning for resource conservation and protection

Carbon Neutrality Plan:
Protect forest ecosystems so they may continue to provide their ecological function in the face of various change-agents such as climate change.
Water Conservation: preserve water sources and prevent long-term damage to critical watersheds.

Regional Plan:

Environmental Planning & Conservation - Vision for the Future: The long-term health and viability of our natural resource environment is maintained through strategic planning for resource conservation and protection.
Policy E&C.3.3 - Invest in forest health and watershed protection measures.
Policy E&C.6.1- Encourage public awareness that the region's ponderosa pine forest is a fire-dependent ecosystem and strive to restore more natural and sustainable forest composition, structure, and processes.
Policy E&C.6.3 - Promote protection, conservation, and ecological restoration of the region's diverse ecosystem type and associated animals.
Policy E&C.6.6 - Support collaborative efforts for forest health initiatives or practices that support healthy forests and protect our water system.
Policy E&C.10.2 - Protect, conserve, and when possible, enhance and restore wildlife habitat on public land.

Previous City Councils have approved the CFRA every two years since the State first initiated this process. The last renewal/approval was in March 2020. After the agreement in 2022, the next will be slated to occur in 2024.

The CFRA is a standard State-wide Agreement for any Fire Department/Fire District that elects to participate. The City has been involved in this effort since the 1980's. In addition to full-cost recovery, relationship establishment and enhancement, and free training and skill development, it also provides a mechanism whereby we can more easily request outside assistance if/when we experience a serious wildfire within the community.

Historically, on average, Flagstaff Fire Department personnel respond to roughly 40 out-of-area incidents, recovering
$4.2M. Annually, we typically generate in excess of $1OOK over-and-above personnel and equipment operational expenses while on assignment. The intent of this excess to recover a proportionate share of the replacement cost of the equipment used on assignment and, if approved through the budget  process, a portion be made available to the Fire Department to cover operational needs.

The CFRA is a mechanism whereby we are fully able to recover any costs associated with out-of-City responses at the request of the State or Federal government. It allows us to better provide quality service to our residents and visitors due to the relationships, skills, and experiences obtained due to our involvement in this effort.

Our personnel receive the highest level of training and experience related to wildland fire response, and recovery. Interacting with personnel from other local, state, and federal agencies from around the country gives City of Flagstaff employees a unique perspective on the reciprocal relationship that is large incident response.