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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 18-225RESOLUTION NO. 18-225 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT: THAT the Mayor, City Manager, and Emergency Management Coordinator be and they are hereby authorized to execute a Mutual Aid Agreement (MAA) with the Chambers County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) to provide the necessary mutual aid as may be requested by each governmental agency signatory to the agreement for emergency or disaster conditions as defined by the Texas Government Code, Chapter 418. Said Mutual Aid Agreement is substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and made a part hereof for all purposes. The meeting at which this resolution was approved was in all things conducted in strict compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this the 18th day of September, 2018. -` - MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF BEAUMONT AND CHAMBERS COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE State of Texas § County of Jefferson § This Mutual Aid Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into by and between the City of Beaumont (City) and the Chambers County Sheriff Office (CCSO) that by their signatures on duplicate original copies of this Agreement have consented to the terms of this Agreement (individually, a "Party", and collectively, the "Parties"). WHEREAS, the Parties recognize the vulnerability of the people and the community to damage, injury, and loss of life and property resulting from Emergencies and recognize that Emergencies may present equipment and manpower requirements beyond the capacity of each individual Party; and, WHEREAS, the Parties to this Agreement recognize that in the past Mutual Aid has been provided between or among the Parties in the form of personnel, equipment, and other resources during Emergencies and to help with recovery; and, WHEREAS, the governing officials of the Parties desire to secure for each Party the benefits of Mutual Aid and protection of life and property in the event of an Emergency; and, WHEREAS, the Parties wish to make suitable arrangements for furnishing Mutual Aid in coping with Emergencies and are so authorized and make this Agreement pursuant to Chapter 791 of the Texas Government Code (Interlocal Cooperation Act), Chapter 418 of the Texas Government Code (Texas Disaster Act of 1975), Chapter 421 of the Texas Government Code (Homeland Security), and Chapter 362 of the Local Government Code; and, WHEREAS, the Parties recognize that a formal agreement for Mutual Aid would allow for better coordination of effort, provide that adequate equipment is available, and help ensure that Mutual Aid is accomplished in the minimum time possible and desire to enter into this Agreement to provide Mutual Aid consistent with the mutual aid plans developed by the respective jurisdictions and approved by the governing bodies of the jurisdictions. EXHIBIT "A" NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows: Terms 1. RECITALS The recitals set forth above are true and correct. `A For purposes of this Agreement, the terms listed below shall have the following meanings: a. Agreement — this Mutual Aid Agreement between the City of Beaumont and the CCSO. b. Emergency — Any incident, whether natural or human -caused, that requires responsive action to protect life and property. c. Mutual Aid — a homeland security activity, such -as an activity related to the prevention or discovery of, response to, or recovery from a terrorist attach,. natural or man-made disaster, hostile military or paramilitary action, or extraordinary law enforcement emergency and also includes personnel, equipment, and other resources. d. NIMS — the National Incident Management System. e. Point of Contact — the individual or individuals authorized by the goveiuing body of each Party to request or respond to a request for Mutual Aid on behalf of the Party. A Party's Emergency Management Director or Chief Executive Officer is always a Point of Contact, in addition to those designated as the Point of Contact. f. Requesting Party— the Party requesting Mutual Aid under this Agreement. g. RespondingPaity-- the Party providing Mutual Aid assistance under this Agreement. 3. POINT OF CONTACT DESIGNATION Each party shall provide to the other written protocol by which its' designated Point of Contact may be contacted twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This protocol shall designate, by name or position, the person or persons authorized to request or respond to a request for Mutual Aid on behalf of a Party under this Agreement. Each Party must notify the other party in writing of any change in its Point of Contact protocol as soon as practicable. 4. ACTIVATION OF AGREEMENT This Agreement is activated when a request is made for mutual aid assistance. Mutual Aid Agreement Page 2 of 10 5. INITIATION OF REQUEST A request under this Agreement may be made by a Point of Contact after one of the following occurs: 1. After a declaration of a local state of Disaster pursuant to Chapter 418 of the Texas Government Code, as amended; or, 2. After a funding of an Emergency as defined in this Agreement. 6. PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTS Subject to the conditions in this Section, a Point of Contact may request Mutual Aid assistance by: (1) submitting a written request for assistance to a Point of Contact of a Responding Party, or (2) orally communicating a request for Mutual Aid assistance to a Point of Contact of a Responding Party, which shall be followed up by written documentation within thirty days. a. The written request shall state that the request is made pursuant to this Agreement. b. Mutual Aid shall not be requested by a Party unless it is directly related to the Emergency and resources available from the normal response to the stricken area are deemed to be inadequate, or are predicted to be expended prior to the resolution of the Emergency. c. All requests for Mutual Aid shall be transmitted by a Point of Contact of the Requesting Party to a Point of Contact of the Responding Party or in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. d. Each request for assistance shall be accompanied by the following information, to the extent known: i. A general description of the Emergency and the damage or injury sustained or threatened; ii. Identification of the general emergency service function or functions for which assistance is needed (e.g. fire, law enforcement, emergency medical, search and rescue, transportation, communications, public works and engineering, building, inspection, planning and information assistance, mass care, resource support, health and other medical services, etc.) and the particular type of assistance needed; iii. The amount and type of personnel, equipment, and other resources needed and a reasonable estimate of the length of time that each will be needed; iv. The location(s) to which the resources are to be dispatched and the specific time by which the resources are needed; and, Mutual Aid Agreement Page 3 of 10 V. The name and contact information of a representative of the Requesting Party, if available, to meet the personnel and equipment of any Responding Party at each location to which resources are dispatched. 7. THE PROVISION OF MUTUAL AID Subject to the conditions of this Section, upon request of the Requesting Party, the assisting Party hereto shall furnish Mutual Aid in coping with an Emergency. a. Assessment of Availability of Resources and Ability to Render Assistance. When contacted by a Requesting Party, a Point of Contact of the Party from which aid is requested agrees to assess local resources to determine availability of personnel, equipment and other assistance to respond to the request. A Responding Party is not required to provide Mutual Aid assistance unless the Responding Party determines that the Responding Party has sufficient resources to provide assistance, based on current or anticipated events in its jurisdiction. b. Information Required of the RespondingParty. A Point of Contact who determines that the Responding Party has available personnel, equipment, and other resources, shall so notify the Requesting Party and provide the following information, to the extent known: i. A complete description of the personnel and their expertise and capabilities, equipment and other resources to be furnished to the Requesting Party; ii. The estimated length of time that the personnel, equipment, and other resources will be available; iii. The name of the person or persons to be designated as supervisory personnel; and, iv. The estimated time of arrival for provided assistance to arrive at the designated location(s). G. Supervision and Control. When providing assistance under the terms of this Agreement, the response effort must be organized and function in accordance with NIMS guidelines. Direct supervision and control of personnel, equipment and resources, as well as personnel accountability, shall remain the responsibility of the designated supervisory personnel of the Responding Party. Emergency Medical Services organizations providing assistance under this Agreement will utilize medical protocols authorized by their medical director. The designated supervisory personnel of the Responding Party shall: maintain daily personnel time records, material records and a log of equipment hours; be responsible for the operation and maintenance Mutual Aid Agreement Page 4 of 10 of the equipment and other resources furnished by the Responding Party; and, report work progress to the Requesting Party. d. Food, Housing, and Self -Sufficiency. The Requesting Party shall have the responsibility of providing food and housing for the personnel of the Responding Party from the time of their arrival at the designated location(s) to the time of their departure. However, Responding Party personnel and equipment should be, to the greatest extent possible, self-sufficient while working in the Emergency area. The Requesting Party may limit its request for assistance to only self-sufficient personnel and resources in its request for assistance. e. Rights and Privileges. Personnel who are assigned, designated or ordered by their Party's governing body to perform duties pursuant to this Agreement shall continue to receive the same wages, salary, . pension and other compensation including injury or death benefits, disability payments, and workers' compensation benefits, for the performance of those duties as though the services had been rendered for the Party employing the personnel. The Responding Party employing the person is responsible for the payment of wages, salary, pension, and other compensation and benefits associated with the performance of duties under this Agreement. f. License Portability. If the assistance of a person who holds a license, certificate, permit, or other document evidencing qualification in a professional, mechanical, or other skill is requested by a Party under this Agreement, the person is considered licensed, certified, permitted, or otherwise documented in the Requesting Party's jurisdiction in which the service is provided as long as the service is required, subject to any limitations imposed by the chief executive officer or governing body of the Requesting Party. g. The Duration of Aid. The provision of Mutual Aid under this Agreement may continue until the services of the Responding Party are no longer required, or the Responding Party determines that further Mutual Aid should not be provided. Resources of the Responding Party shall remain subject to recall by the Responding Party at any time, subject to reasonable notice to the Requesting Party. h. Training. An appointed public officer whose position description, job duties, or assignment includes emergency management responsibilities or who plays a role in emergency preparedness, response, or recovery shall complete a course of training provided or approved by the division of emergency management in the office of the governor of not less than three hours Mutual Aid Agreement Page 5 of 10 regarding the responsibilities of state and Iocal governments in accordance with Government Code Chapter 418. S. COSTS All costs associated with the provision of Mutual Aid exceeding twelve consecutive hours shall be paid by the Responding Party and reimbursed by the Requesting Party at actual cost, to the extent permitted by law. Such costs include but are not limited to: compensation for personnel; operation and maintenance of equipment; damage to equipment; and food, lodging and transportation expenses. a. Requests for reimbursement must be submitted as soon as practicable but no later than sixty days after the return of all personnel deployed under this Agreement. Submission will follow the standard billing practices as pre -established by each jurisdiction. Failure to submit a request for reimbursement within the specified time frame will result in the Responding Party not being reimbursed for the Mutual Aid provided unless the Requesting Party extends the deadline, for filing requests for reimbursement or the Federal or State Government extends the deadline for filing request for reimbursement. Such requests shall specifically identify all personnel, equipment, and resources provided; dates of issuance or duration of deployment, and the unit cost and total costs associated with each. b. The Responding Party shall be responsible for creating and maintaining a record of all costs incurred, both reimbursed and unreimbursed costs, in providing Mutual Aid under this Agreement. The record shall be kept for a period of three years from the date the incident is closed. c. In the event federal funds are available for costs associated with the provision of Mutual Aid, the Parties agree that the Requesting Party may make the claim for the eligible costs of the Responding Party on its subgrant application and will disburse the federal share of funds to the Responding Party. d. Reimbursement under this Section will be made by the Requesting Party no later than: (1) one -hundred eighty days after receipt of the request for reimbursement; or (2) ninety days after the Requesting Party receives reimbursement from the federal or state government, whichever is sooner. e. The provision of Mutual Aid will be considered non -reimbursable if the Responding Party does not request reimbursement within the time specified in this Section. 9. INSURANCE a. Workers' Compensation Coverage. Each Party shall be responsible for complying with the Texas Workers' Compensation Act. Mutual Aid Agreement Page 6 of 10 b. Automobile Liability Coverage. Each Party shall be responsible for complying with the Texas motor vehicle financial responsibility laws. c. General Liability, Public Officials Liability and Law Enforcement LiabilitE Each Party agrees to obtain or continue its general liability, public official's liability and law enforcement liability insurance, if applicable, or maintain a comparable self-insurance program. d. Other Coverage, The Responding Party shall provide and maintain its standard packages of medical and death benefit insurance coverage while its personnel are assisting the Requesting Party. 10. EXPENDING FUNDS a. Each Responding Party which performs services or furnishes aid pursuant to this Agreement shall do so with appropriated funds from current revenues available to the Responding Party, to the extent permitted by law. No Party shall have any liability for the failure to expend funds to provide aid hereunder. b. Each Requesting Party which reimburses costs of a Responding Party shall do so with appropriated funds from current revenues available to the Requesting Party, to the extent permitted by law. 11. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE Notwithstanding any other provisions herein, any Party hereto may provide emergency assistance or law enforcement assistance .to another Party as provided in Section 791.027 of the Texas Government Code or Section 362.002 of the Texas Local Government Code., 12. TERM This Agreement shall become effective as to each Party when approved and executed by that Party and shall be binding on each Party through December 31 of the year signed. This Agreement shall automatically renew for a period of one year upon the completion of the initial term and each subsequent term unless and until such time as the governing body of a Party terminates its participation in this Agreement pursuant to Section 21 of this Agreement. 13. LIABILITY IN FIRE PROTECTION CONTRACT OR PROVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES To the extent that this Agreement is considered an Agreement under Section 791.006 of the Texas Government Code, the Responding Party under this Agreement is not responsible for any civil liability that arises fiom the furnishing of services described in Section 791.006. 14. LIABILITY UNDER INTERLOCAL CONTRACT A Party that furnishes a service related to a homeland security activity, as defined in Chapter 421 of the Texas Government Code, under this Agreement is immune Mutual Aid Agreement Page 7 of 10 fiom civil liability for any act or omission resulting in death, damage, or injury while acting under this Agreement if the act or omission was in good faith and in the course and scope of its functions to provide a service related to a homeland security activity. To the extent that any service is not considered to be a homeland security activity, as defined in Chapter 421 of the Texas Government Code, the Requesting Party assumes all risk of and responsibility for any claims against the Responding Party that arise out of the Responding Party's furnishing of Mutual Aid under this Agreement, so long as, the, act or omission was in good faith and in the course and scope of its functions to provide Mutual Aid under this Agreement. 15. ENTIRETY This, Agreement contains all commitments and agreements of the Parties regarding Mutual Aid to be rendered during or in connection with an Emergency. No other oral or written commitments of the parties shall have any force or effect if not contained herein- Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, it is understood and agreed that the Parties may have heretofore contracted or hereafter contract with other entities for Mutual Aid in Emergencies or the provision of other government services and functions, and it is agreed that this Agreement shall be of no effect to any such individual agreement. 16. INTERLOCAL COOPERATION ACT The Parties agree that Mutual Aid in the context contemplated herein is a "governmental function and service" and that the Parties are "local governments" as those terms are defined in the Interlocal Cooperation Act. 17. CONFIDENTIALITY The Parties recognize that the provision of Mutual Aid under this Agreement may result in the transfer of confidential medical information between them. The Parties shall guard the confidentiality of such information as required by the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Texas Medical Practice Act, and other state privacy laws pertaining to the confidentiality of medical records. 18. SEVERABILITY If a provision contained in this Agreement is held invalid for any , reason, the invalidity does not affect other provisions of this Agreement that can be given effect without the invalid provision, and to this end the provisions of this Agreement are severable. 19. VALIDITY AND ENFORCEABILITY If any current or future legal limitations affect the validity or enforceability of a provision of this Agreement, then the legal limitations are made a part of this Agreement and shall operate to amend this Agreement to the minimum extent necessary to bring this Agreement into conformity with the requirements of the limitations, and so modified, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect. Mutual Aid Agreement Page 8 of 10 20. AMENDMENT This Agreement is effective immediately upon signature by all parties and will only be terminated after one party notifies the other party 30 days in advance of its intent to terminate. The Agreement will be reviewed every year from the effective date. by the designated points of contact. The parties agree that this agreement may be amended with the mutual consent and approval of the parties in writing, but may require Council or Commissioner's Court approval if applicable. 21.. TERMINATION The governing body of a Party which is a signatory hereto, shall, by order, ordinance, or resolution, give notice as provided herein of termination of participation in this Agreement and submit a certified copy of such order, ordinance, or, resolution to the other Party. Such termination shall become effective not earlier than 30 days after providing such notice. 22. THIRD PARTIES This Agreement is intended to inure only to the benefit of the Parties hereto. This Agreement is not intended to create, nor shall be deemed or construed to create, any rights in third patties. 23. NOTICES Any notice required or permitted between the Parties must be in writing, addressed to the attention of the respective Point of Contact, and shall be delivered in person, or mailed certified mail, return receipt requested, or may be transmitted by facsimile transmission. 24. AUTHORIZATION The Agreement has been officially authorized by the governing or controlling body of each Party hereto by order, ordinance or resolution and each signatory to this Agreement represents that the signatory has full authority to execute this Agreement on behalf of and to legally bind the respective Party to this Agreement. 25. IMMUNITY RETAINED The Parties to this Agreement do not waive or relinquish any immunity or defense on behalf of itself, officers, employers, agents, and volunteers as a result of its execution of this Agreement and the performance of the covenants contained herein. 26. GOVERNING LAW AND VENUE The laws of the State of Texas shall govern this Agreement. Mandatory and exclusive venue of any dispute between the Parties to this Agreement shall be in Jefferson County, Texas. EXECUTED by the Parties hereto, each respective entity acting by and through its duly authorized official as required by law, on multiple counterparts each of which shall be Mutual Aid Agreement Page 9 of 10 deemed to be an original, effective among the parties who sign it at the time of their signature, on the date specified on the multiple counterpart executed by such entity. ATTEST/SEAL: City or County Clerk APPROVED: City Manager APPROVED AS TO FORM: City Attorney L.D. File No. ATTEST/SEAL: City of Beaumont, TEXAS Signed by: Mayor COUNTERSIGNED BY: Emergency Management Coordinator County Clerk Sheriff DATE COUNTERSIGNED: APPROVED AS TO FORM: DATE COUNTERSIGNED: CCSO Attorney Mutual Aid Agreement Page 10 of 10