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DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS: The Department of Emergency Services, Division of Emergency Management, presented the FY 96/97 Emergency Management, Preparedness and Assistance (EMPA) Agreement to the Board in November, 1996, and received approval to expend the funds consistent with the County/State agreement and in accordance with the prior approved 001-238 budget for this fiscal year. Since the 001-238 budget is approved by the Board prior to receiving final funding notice from the Florida Department of Community Affairs, staff routinely submits a very conservative budget request. The balance of funds are placed in a contingency account for capital improvements as governed by the grant and approved by the Board. The grant rules are explicit in that the eligible funding is to improve and expand the County's Emergency Management program. It is a direct violation of the grant to use any funding to supplant local revenues, in fact the County must annually send a financial spreadsheet validating that the local emergency management funding level has not declined as a requisite for future funding. As a condition of the grant, staff submits biannual progress reports relating to the Five -Year Strategic Plan (scope of work) found within the EMPA Agreement contract. Any EMPA monies not spent by Indian River County to improve the Emergency Management program have to be returned to the State and are pooled by the State and reallocated to other counties to enhance their programs. It is our goal to expend the available funds in lieu of returning them to the State for other jurisdictions to benefit from our portion of the funds. Staff is respectfully requesting the Board to authorize staff to utilize $17,875 in available 001- 238 contingency funds (current fiscal year funds) to improve and expand the Emergency Management Program in accordance with Rule 9G-19 on the following projects: 1. Upgrade/expand the telephone system used by the Department of Emergency Services, to include purchasing/replacing handsets, additional telephone locations, central office line cards, and required installation charges. This is consistent with Goal 7, Task 1, and Goal 10, Task 1, of the Five -Year Strategic Plan. 'Anticipated expense for the phone system upgrade is $2,275. 2. Continue with Phase II of computerizing the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Last year, staff received Board approval to begin the process of purchasing laptop computers for the purpose of automating the internal messaging of the EOC. This request is to continue developing the EOC network by purchasing four (4) additional laptop computers. This is consistent with Goal 10, Task 1, of the Five -Year Strategic Plan. Anticipated expense for the four (4) laptop computers at $1,800 each is $7,200. 3. Purchase of three (3) 800 MHz portable radios to be utilized in the event of a local emergency. Present funding of the 800 MHz equipment did not afford staff any spare radios, radios for county staff who do not have assigned radios, or radios for volunteers or mutual aid personnel. This is consistent with Goal 3, Task 3, of the Five -Year Strategic Plan. Anticipated expense of the three (3) portable radios at $2,800 each is $8,400. TOTAL ANTICIPATE) GRANT EXPENDITURES $17,875 71 August 12, 1997 BOOK x.02 PAGE s";'J