County staff briefed commissioners on several fire-related agenda items, including grant applications and requests to establish budget authority for equipment replacement.

Staff said the county would consider a grant application for just under $30,000 from OxyChem for a first-responder donation program. The county also proposed establishing budget authority "in the amount of just less than a half a million dollars" into the Fire Special Equipment Fund to replace personal protective equipment identified in recent research and to meet NFPA standards, staff said. "This is to replace PPEs and cancer causing types of equipment that fire, historically has been using," staff said.

A separate budget authority item of "almost $226,000" was described for woodland/wildland firefighting gear. Staff said the woodland gear request has a matching grant of $225,000, producing roughly $450,000 in equipment funding when combined.

The chief was invited to attend the regular meeting to answer additional questions. Commissioners decided to pull the larger budget authority items from consent for discussion as new business so the chief could explain them in more detail.