Brief

The Board of Fire Commissioners has submitted a proposal to secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for urban search-and-rescue response training coordinated through California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and regional task force teams. The file, introduced July 8, 2026, is currently pending review in the Budget and Finance Committee and Public Safety Committee. The agreement is aimed at supporting the Los Angeles Fire Department's regional rescue capabilities over a three-year period.

Full summary

This file asks the City Council to accept a $519,000 agreement between the Los Angeles Fire Department and CalOES to fund a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Mobilization Exercise (MOBEX) for California Task Force 1 (CA-TF1), the LAFD's FEMA-sponsored urban search-and-rescue team. CA-TF1 is one of 28 such task forces nationwide and is composed of two teams totaling 190 members. The agreement, signed by Fire Chief Jaime E. Moore on April 6, 2026, and approved by the California Department of General Services on April 30, 2026, covers the period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with an option to extend for one additional year. The core activity funded by the agreement is a 36-hour mobilization exercise, expanded to 48 hours total with mobilization and demobilization phases, that simulates a full disaster response: transporting personnel and equipment, establishing a base of operations, conducting search-and-rescue scenarios, and breaking down the site. The $519,000 budget covers personnel backfill and overtime ($402,000), consumables such as lumber, concrete, and tools ($60,000), support fees for transportation and equipment cache rehabilitation ($12,000), exercise evaluation ($30,000), and administrative fees ($15,000). The city will advance the costs from the LAFD General Fund and be reimbursed in full by CalOES. There is no net impact on the General Fund. Beyond the main MOBEX, funds may also support modular exercises targeting specific task force components and a range of certified training courses, including structural collapse, rope rescue, confined space rescue, and FEMA instructor-led courses covering roles such as task force leader, canine search specialist, and hazmat specialist. The LAFD is required to submit a training exercise plan, conduct site surveys, provide evaluators, and deliver an after-action report within 60 days of each exercise. The Board of Fire Commissioners approved and transmitted the report on July 7, 2026. The file was referred the following day to both the Budget and Finance Committee and the Public Safety Committee, where it currently awaits scheduling. Council approval is needed to formally accept the agreement and authorize the necessary fund transfers.

Activity (2)

• 2026-07-08 Board of Fire Commissioners document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Public Safety Committee.
• 2026-07-08 Document submitted by Board of Fire Commissioners, dated July 7, 2026.

Documents (1)

• 2026-07-07 Report from Board of Fire Commissioners · report