Actions pertaining to the Fresno Fire Department Regional Training Center (County) 1. Certify that the City of Fresno, in its capacity as a Responsible Agency, has reviewed and considered the Addendum to the EIR prepared for the State Center Community College District First Responders Campus (State Clearinghouse No. 2020039018) as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 2. Approve the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between the City of Fresno and State Center Community College District to allow the parties to jointly design, construct, and operate a Fire Regional Training Center

REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: BILLY P. ALCORN, Fire Chief Fire Department NICHOLAS D. MASCIA, PE, Assistant City Manager Interim Director, Capital Projects Department SUBJECT ..Title Actions pertaining to the Fresno Fire Department Regional Training Center (County) Certify that the City of Fresno, in its capacity as a Responsible Agency, has reviewed and considered the Addendum to the EIR prepared for the State Center Community College District First Responders Campus (State Clearinghouse No. 2020039018) as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Approve the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between the City of Fresno and State Center Community College District to allow the parties to jointly design, construct, and operate a Fire Regional Training Center ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that City Council 1) Certify that the City of Fresno, in its capacity as a Responsible Agency, has reviewed and considered the Addendum to the EIR prepared for the State Center Community College District First Responders Campus (State Clearinghouse No. 2020039018); 2) Approve the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City of Fresno and SCCCD, to allow the parties to jointly design, construct, and operate a Fire Regional Center (Project), and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all agreements on behalf of the City. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In late 2022, the City of Fresno Fire Department and State Center Community College District (SCCCD) began collaborating to expand regional fire service training capacity and support workforce development. The proposed Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) establishes a long-term partnership to design, construct, and operate a regional fire training center at the Fresno City College First Responder Campus located at 3300 North Avenue. The City will fund and manage design, construction, maintenance, and operations of the Project, while SCCCD will retain ownership of the land and improvements. The agreement provides guaranteed training access for both Fresno Fire Department personnel and SCCCD students and establishes a formal governance structure for ongoing coordination. The design and future construction of the Project is funded through a $25 million California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) grant pursuant to SB 129, a $7 million contribution from SCCCD per this agreement and $1.5 million in City General Fund support. BACKGROUND In January 2022, the City of Fresno entered into an agreement with RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture (RDC), Inc., to develop 30% schematic design documents, site plans, and cost estimates for a Fresno Fire Department Regional Training Center. By September 2022, City staff, the Fresno Fire Department, and RDC completed the initial facility program, master plan, and schematic design based on a proposed site adjacent to the Fresno Police Department Regional Training Center at 6375 Central Avenue. However, cost estimates for development at that location exceeded the project’s $26.5 million budget at that time. In response, the Fresno Fire Department explored alternative options and began discussions with SCCCD to develop a shared training facility at the Fresno City College First Responders Campus, located at 3300 North Avenue. This alternative site provided opportunities for shared use, training collaboration, and reduced site development costs. Due to the change in project location and existing site conditions, the original design documents required additional site analysis and redesign. In September 2023, the City Council approved a First Amendment to the RDC agreement to support redesign efforts at the SCCCD site. The Project has since progressed to complete construction documents, which have received approval through the Division of the State Architect (DSA). The Capital Projects Department also worked concurrently with an environmental consultant to complete all required environmental updates to the existing Environmental Impact Report (EIR), approved in 2021 by SCCCD as the Lead Agency for their First Responders Campus project. The proposed Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) establishes a long-term partnership between the City and SCCCD to design, construct, and operate the regional fire training center on SCCCD-owned property through a 50-year ground lease. The City will be responsible for capital development, construction, utilities, maintenance, and operations, while SCCCD will retain ownership of the land and improvements. Joint-use provisions provide access for Fresno Fire Department personnel and SCCCD students, supported by a formal governance structure for coordination and oversight. The Fire Regional Training Facility will be constructed with multiple structures. The primary structure would consist of a 14,031-square-foot classroom/apparatus building containing offices, a 40-seat classroom, locker room and turnout storage, restrooms, a break room, and three drive-through apparatus bays for training vehicles that would typically be housed and maintained on-site. The outdoor training grounds would include several specialized training features, consisting of a single-story, approximately 1,722-square-foot residential home prop with a basement designed for Class A fire training exercises involving ordinary combustible materials (e.g., wood, paper, or similar materials), a three-story, 2,560-square-foot premanufactured training prop, and a 9,172-square-foot, six-story commercial structure prop (Fire Training Tower) designed to support live-fire training for Class B fires using clean-burning natural gas. Additional outdoor areas would include open training space and improved streetscape features to support driver training, auto extrication exercises, and simulated hazardous materials and rescue scenarios. Highlights of the JPA include Joint-use provisions for both Fresno Fire Department personnel and SCCCD students, supported by a formal governance structure for coordination and oversight. This is through a $7 million contribution from the SCCCD and use of the land to construct the training facility. The JPA further includes proportional cost-sharing framework for future campus full build out development. The City is responsible for financial contribution of 8.41% of CEQA mitigation costs when a future phase of the campus is built within the term of this agreement. Finally, if an additional new parking project is necessary per this JPA, the City solely responsible for all costs associated, including, but not limited to; planning, CEQA analysis, design, engineering, construction, construction management, testing, inspection, and approval through the Division of the State Architect (DSA). Approval by City Council follows SCCCD Board approval of the Addendum to the EIR and JPA at their regular meeting on September 1, 2026. The JPA will facilitate development of a regional training facility that enhances firefighter readiness, supports workforce development, and provides long-term community value. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS SCCCD is the lead agency for the addendum to the EIR. The City is acting as a Responsible Agency per State CEQA Guidelines Section 15050. Potential impacts have been adequately analyzed and addressed within the previously adopted EIR (published at State Clearinghouse No. 2020039018) and the subsequent Addendum adopted by the State Center Community College District on September 1, 2026. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference was not implemented because this item does not include a bid or an award of a service contract. FISCAL IMPACT Approval of the agreement will have no immediate impact on the General Fund. The design and future construction of the Project is funded through a $25 million California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) grant pursuant to SB 129, a $7 million contribution from SCCCD per this agreement and $1.5 million in City General Fund support. Staff anticipates award of a construction contract in January of 2027 with a 24-month construction schedule. Attachments: Exhibit A Addendum to the Fire Responders Campus Project EIR Exhibit B SCCCD Resolution No. 2026.51 Joint Exercise of Power Agreement Vicinity and Location Maps