Discuss and take appropriate action on the opportunity for the Sheriff's Office to apply for a grant through the Firehouse Subs Foundation that will provide Personal Flotation Devices for the Williamson County Sheriff's Office Patrol Division.

The Sheriff's Office is seeking permission to apply to receive 90 Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's) through the Firehouse Subs Foundation. We will submit the grant application by November 30, 2017 and be notified approximately six weeks later if we are awarded the grant. If the application is accepted, the PFD's will be ordered directly by the foundation. This grant requires no resolution or match and the value of the 90 personal flotation devices is $26,010.00.

The requested number of PFD's will allow each Patrol deputy to have one available to them at all times and the model we will request has been chosen because it can be worn continuously during flash flood situations and self-inflates when immersed in water. Both of these features greatly improve the probability of saving a deputy's life, especially in the event the deputy is unable to manually inflate the device.

The lifespan of this model of PFD's is seven years and the only accompanying maintenance cost is an $80.00 charge if they have been deployed. If this maintenance is necessary, the cost will be covered through funds already allocated for equipment repairs. The only other possible expense associated with this grant will be if there is an increase in the cost of the PFD's between the submission of the application and the purchase of the items. We have consulted with the vendor and no increase is expected. To ensure we have the most up-to-date pricing, a new quote will be secured immediately before submitting the grant application. If, despite our efforts, there is an increase in the cost it will be covered through funds already allocated for equipment  

Staff recommends the following action: Approve the Sheriff's Office to apply for a grant from the Firehouse Subs Foundation for personal flotation devices and authorize appropriate Sheriff's Office personnel to complete any documentation relevant to implementation of the grant.