Title
Interlocal Agreement with Pierce County Fire District 21 for Haz-Mat Team Services
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the Interlocal Agreement with Pierce County Fire District 21 for Haz-Mat team services for the Mayor's signature.
Report
Issue:
This agreement records the process to be used and financial considerations when the City of Olympia needs specialized Hazardous Materials control assistance at a level higher than any Olympia or other Thurston County firefighters are trained to provide.
Staff Contact:
Greg Wright, Deputy Fire Chief, 360.753.8466
Presenter(s):
Greg Wright, Deputy Fire Chief
Background and Analysis:
The Olympia Fire Department does not have a high enough level hazardous material training and/or capabilities to stop a hazardous material incident, nor does any other Thurston County Fire agency. Local capabilities are limited to recognition and exclusion work only. The cost of training and maintaining a team capable of a more inclusive response in the City of Olympia or in Thurston County is prohibitive based on the few times that such intervention is needed.
Pierce County has a multi-agency hazardous material team that will come and perform those specialized, high level of training and equipment, duties on the rare occasions when they are needed. Pierce County Fire District 21 is the lead agency for this team therefore the agreement presented is between the City of Olympia and the District. The District is the point of contact should Olympia need the resource; they coordinate the team's response and any subsequent follow-up actions including billing. The City will attempt to assign the costs incurred by calling out the team to the spiller or the Washington State Patrol if/when the State Patrol becomes the Incident Commander for the event. Having this agreement ahead of time allows a faster response to a potentially unstable situation so that valuable time is not lost in agreeing to terms at the time of an incident.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
N/A
Options:
1. Approve the Interlocal Agreement with Pierce County Fire District 21 for Haz-Mat team services for the mayor's signature. Including all associated documents.
2. Deny the agreement. Without this agreement, the City has no options for quick intervention in a hazardous materials release or spill other than excluding people from the danger area. In such a situation a private clean-up company will eventually respond to clean the area but the damage will have already been done or continue while outside arrangements are made.
Financial Impact:
Due to the nature of such calls, a cost per incident is not something that can be calculated. There are not annual costs to this agreement.