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B 26-0702

First Responders Facilities Modernization Act of 2026

26th Council Period (2025-2026) Introduced by Brooke Pinto

Creates a 10-year, data-driven plan and Office to modernize DC MPD and Fire/EMS facilities, with annual updates, public engagement, and prioritized capital funding.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
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Bill Summary · B 26-0702

Overview

  • Bill: B 26-0702 – First Responders Facilities Modernization Act of 2026
  • Jurisdiction: District of Columbia
  • Introduced by: Councilmember Brooke Pinto (co-sponsors: Charles Allen, Janeese Lewis George, Anita Bonds, Wendell Felder)
  • Purpose: Establish a comprehensive, long-term plan to modernize all Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Fire & Emergency Medical Services (Fire & EMS) facilities in DC. Create an Office of Public Safety Facilities Planning (OPSFP) to develop a 10-year Master Facilities Plan (with a mandatory 5-year interim plan) and annual supplements, and integrate facility CIP processes with the city’s capital planning.

Main Purpose and Intent

  • Ensure first responder facilities are modern, safe, functional, and capable of supporting 24/7 operations.
  • Provide a transparent, data-driven framework to prioritize modernization and new construction across MPD and Fire & EMS facilities.
  • Enhance community engagement and accountability in facility planning and prioritization.
  • Align facility planning with demographic, development, crime, and call-volume projections to better serve Ward neighborhoods.

Key Provisions

  • Establish OPSFP (Office of Public Safety Facilities Planning) within the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice.
  • Create a 10-year Master Facilities Plan for MPD and Fire & EMS facilities, with the Plan transmitted to the Council every five years for approval.
  • OPSFP must include detailed analyses and data, such as:
    • Facility condition assessments
    • Current and projected crime rates around facilities
    • Current and projected call volumes (police, fire, EMS)
    • Neighborhood development and population projections
    • Number of employees expected to work at each facility
    • Facility portfolio analysis, including financing options and potential co-location or public/private partnerships
    • Community engagement plan with Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, Community Advisory Commissions, and labor unions (Fire Fighters Association, FOP)
  • Annual supplements (starting December 15, 2027) to the Master Plan, including:
    • Results of DoS annual survey (per facility)
    • Updated call-volume projections and facility-needs data
    • Facility designations (in use, vacants, underused)
  • Coordination and data-sharing: Fire & EMS, MPD, Office of Planning, and Department of General Services (DGS) must provide projections, demographic data, and facility condition updates; DGS to conduct an annual, facility-disaggregated survey (including CO detectors, lead water tests, asbestos hazards) and implement Plan policy.
  • Capital funds transfers (Fiscal Year 2027) from OPSFP:
    • Up to $4.5 million to DMPSJ for capital planning
    • $100,000 each to Fire & EMS and MPD to support capital planning
  • Facility CIP (Capital Improvement Plans) updates:
    • Beginning Fiscal Year 2027, Fire & EMS CIP and MPD CIP must be updated annually as part of the city’s overall CIP.
    • Each CIP must include: guiding principles, process/timeline, future call volumes, project recommendations, scope of work, cost estimates, maintenance/operations costs, and facility-specific details.
    • Project prioritization uses an objective scoring system (by Sept 30, 2027, and every 5 years thereafter) across three categories: Facility Condition (0.60 weight), Demand (0.20), and Community Need (0.20). Subcategories within each category carry specific weights (e.g., last major construction, expenditures, call volume, population served, projected growth).
    • Prioritization data must be transmitted to the Council, and data publicly available. Additional factors to consider: budget availability, life/safety concerns, need for planning, and alignment with the Comprehensive Plan.
    • Within 180 days of data release, at least 3 public meetings must be held to discuss facility modernization plans.
    • Before adding a facility to a CIP, a rough order of magnitude estimate and a general design/feasibility analysis must be completed and made public.
  • Designation of excess facilities:
    • Within 30 days after the annual supplement, the District must designate excess facilities and publish a list. Facilities deemed vacant or significantly underused for two consecutive years may be automatically deemed excess unless there is a public justification.

Agencies and Data Sharing

  • Agencies to collaborate on Plan and supplements:
    • DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
    • Metropolitan Police Department
    • Office of Planning
    • Department of General Services
  • DGS responsibilities include plan implementation, annual facility-condition survey, and public reporting on safety and environmental factors.

Fiscal and Effective Date

  • Fiscal impact statement: Adopted as part of the committee report (no separate dollar analysis included here).
  • Effective date: Upon Mayoral approval (or Council action after a veto) plus a 30-day congressional review period.

Who Would Be Affected

  • MPD and DC Fire & EMS facilities and their personnel
  • DoS, Office of Planning, and the Department of General Services
  • The Council, neighborhood organizations (Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, Community Advisory Commissions), DC Fire Fighters Association, and Fraternal Order of Police
  • District residents and communities surrounding MPD/Fire & EMS facilities (through planning transparency and community engagement)

Procedural Timeline Highlights

  • December 15, 2026: First 10-year Master Facilities Plan due to the Council
  • December 15, 2027 and annually thereafter: Annual supplements to the Plan released
  • September 30, 2027 (and every 5 years after): Calculations of prioritization scores and public data transmission
  • September 30, 2027 (and every 5 years after): Public release of prioritization scores and data
  • 180 days after data release: Minimum of 3 public meetings held to discuss CIP priorities
  • 2027: Start of annual updates to Fire & EMS CIP and MPD CIP as part of the city’s Capital Improvements Program

This act structures a formal, data-driven, and participatory framework to plan, prioritize, and fund modernization of all DC first responder facilities over a multi-year horizon, with specific emphasis on transparency, community engagement, and alignment with evolving community needs.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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