B 26-0702

                        COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
                         OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
                               THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
                        1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
                                  WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
June 4, 2026
Nyasha Howard, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Howard,
Today, I, along with Councilmembers Charles Allen, Janeese Lewis George, Anita Bonds, and
Wendell Felder, am introducing the First Responders Facilities Modernization Act of 2026. Please
find enclosed a signed copy of the legislation. Our first responders are vital to the safety and
security of all District residents and visitors and we must ensure that their facilities are in
excellent working condition.
The District’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services (Fire & EMS) and Metropolitan Police
Department (MPD) facilities are used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and are vital
to ensuring the public safety of all residents and visitors. In Fiscal Year 2025 alone, the Office of
Unified Communications received 2.3 million calls, requiring responses from our first responders
across the District. 1 As the Council continues to prioritize staffing our public safety agencies, it is
vital that all public safety facilities are maintained and updated in a timely and systematic manner
so that our first responders can do their jobs to the best of their abilities and know they are valued
by the District.
Virtually all of the District’s MPD stations and substations are in need of modernization. The same
goes for a majority of Fire & EMS facilities as well. Although some funding for various
modernization and renovation projects has been allocated in the capital budget each year, the need
continues to be great. Additionally, identifying which facilities to prioritize and the problems that
need to be addressed remains a persistent challenge. That is why the District must have a
comprehensive plan to modernize all public safety facilities.
This bill, modeled after the Planning Actively for Comprehensive Education (PACE) Facilities
Amendment Act of 2016, would create a fulsome plan for both Fire & EMS and MPD facilities’
modernizations, based on a number of criteria to measure need and the state of a facility.
Specifically, this bill would create an Office of Public Safety Facilities Planning (OPSFP) within
the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ) responsible for the
1
    OUC Performance Oversight Hearing (Jan. 28, 2026), available here.
development of a comprehensive 10-year master facilities plan for both Fire & EMS and MPD
facilities. When assessing need and generating the plan, the OPSFP shall include analyses and data
on the facilities condition, current and projected crime rates around the facilities, current and
projected call volume, current and projected development in surrounding neighborhoods, current
and projected number of employees expected to work out of each facility, facility portfolio analysis,
and engagement with community stakeholders.
The bill also lays out more detailed criteria which must be considered when determining the
prioritization and inclusion of projects in the Fire & EMS and MPD Capital Improvement Plan
(CIP) each year so that the Council and the public have more transparency and understanding of
why certain projects are being prioritized over others and what the true needs are. The
comprehensive plan generated by the OPSFP would be transmitted to Council every five years for
approval, including all relevant data and reasoning for prioritization.
Modernization of MPD stations is important for officers and the public as these are public
buildings where crimes are reported and services are assessed. Modernization of Fire & EMS
stations is important so that firefighters can move as quickly and efficiently as possible during
calls and emergencies. These facilities function around-the-clock as they serve our communities
and must be more systematically prioritized for our first responders and the public.
Thank you,
Brooke Pinto
Councilmember, Ward 2
Chairwoman, Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety
Council of the District of Columbia
     _____________________________  _____________________________
     Councilmember Charles Allen  Councilmember Brooke Pinto
     _____________________________  _____________________________
     Councilmember Anita Bonds  Councilmember Janeese Lewis George
     _____________________________
     Councilmember Wendell Felder
                                            A BILL
                                 ____________________________
                  IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
                                   ______________________
1 To establish a public safety facility modernization plan for all Fire and EMS and Metropolitan
2Police Department facilities throughout the District of Columbia.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
4 act be cited as the “First Responders Facilities Modernization Act of 2026”.
5Sec. 2. First responders facilities modernization.
6(a)(1) Beginning on December 15, 2026, and every 10 years thereafter, the Mayor shall
7 prepare and submit to the Council for its review and approval a proposed comprehensive 10-year
8 Master Facilities Plan (“Plan”) for Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) facilities and Fire
9 and Emergency Medical Services (“Fire & EMS”) facilities, which shall comply with the
10 requirements of this section. The Mayor’s submission shall be accompanied by a proposed
11 resolution to approve the Plan.
12(2) The Council shall conduct at least one public hearing on the Plan before
13 voting to approve or disapprove the Plan.
                                                1
14(3) If the Council disapproves the Plan, it shall state its reasons for disapproval or
15 make recommendations in the disapproval resolution or in an accompanying legislative report. In
16 the case of disapproval by the Council, the Mayor shall submit a revised Plan within 180 days
17 after the Council’s disapproval.
18(4) If the Council approves the Plan, the Plan shall take effect no later than the
19 first day of the succeeding fiscal year.
20(5) If, subsequent to Council approval of the Plan, material changes become
21 necessary, the Mayor may modify the Plan; provided, that the modification shall be submitted to
22 the Council, with an accompanying proposed resolution, for consideration in the same manner as
23 specified in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of this subsection.
24(6) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Mayor shall prepare and
25 submit to the Council by December 15, 2027, a proposed comprehensive 5-year Master Facilities
26 Plan for the Metropolitan Police Department facilities and the Fire and Emergency Medical
27 Services facilities. The process for its review and approval shall be the same as provided in
28 paragraphs (1) through (4) of this subsection.
29(b)(1) The Mayor shall establish an Office of Public Safety Facilities Planning
30 (“OPSFP”) within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice responsible for
31 the development of the Plan, which shall function as a citywide plan for Fire & EMS and MPD
32 facilities.
33(2) The OPSFP shall include in the Master Facilities Plan detailed, current
34 analyses and data on:
35(A) The facilities condition assessment for each facility under the control
36 and jurisdiction of the MPD and Fire & EMS;
                                                 2
37(B) Current and projected crime rates around MPD stations and
38 substations;
39(C) Current and projected fire services call volume and response coverage
40 around fire stations;
41(D) Current and projected emergency medical services call volume and
42 response coverage around fire stations;
43(E) Current and projected developments for the surrounding neighborhood
44 of an MPD or Fire & EMS station;
45(F) Current and projected number of employees expected to work out of
46 each of the stations;
47(G) A detailed facility portfolio analysis that will inform any decisions
48 related to alternative financing options, including public/private development partnerships and
49 co-location opportunities;
50(H) A communications and community involvement plan for each
51 neighborhood cluster that includes engagement of community members and key stakeholders,
52 including:
53(i) Advisory Neighborhood Commissions;
54(ii) Local Community Advisory Commissions;
55(iii) The Washington, D.C. Fire Fighters Association; and
56(iv) The Washington, D.C. Fraternal Order of Police.
57(3) Beginning on December 15, 2027, and every year thereafter, the OPSFP shall
58 prepare and make publicly available an annual supplement to the Plan that includes:
                                                 3
59(A) Results of the Department of General Services annual survey as set
60 forth in paragraph (4)(D) of this subsection;
61(B) Updated information on:
62(i) Call volume projections at each MPD or Fire and EMS facility;
63 and
64(ii) Facility needs within each police district or service area
65(C) Each Fire & EMS and MPD facility’s designation as one or more of
66 the following:
67(i) In use and list its primary use;
68(ii) Vacant; and
69(iii) Significantly underused.
70(4) The following agencies shall work with the OPSFP in the development of the
71 Plan and the annual supplement:
72(A) The DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, which
73 shall transmit to the OPSFP its 10-year projections of facility needs;
74(B) The Metropolitan Police Department, which shall transmit to the
75 OPSFP its 10-year projections of facility needs;
76(C) The Office of Planning, which shall provide demographic and
77 neighborhood data support;
78(D) The Department of General Services, which shall:
79(i) Implement the Plan consistent with the policy priorities set forth
80 in this act; and
                                                   4
81(ii) In collaboration with the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and
82 Justice, Fire & EMS, and MPD, conduct an annual survey, which shall be disaggregated by
83 facility, made publicly available, and transmitted to OPSFP, to update information on the
84 condition of each Fire & EMS and MPD facility, including whether each facility has a working
85 carbon monoxide detector, the results of the most recent water tests at each facility for sources of
86 lead, and potential asbestos hazards at each facility.
87(5) Of the Fiscal Year 2027 capital funds appropriated to the OPSFP, it shall
88 transfer:
89(A) Up to $4.5 million to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public
90 Safety and Justice to support capital planning; and
91(B) An amount of $100,000 to the Fire and Emergency Medical Services
92 Department and $100,000 to the Metropolitan Police Department to support capital planning
93 activities.
94(6) In developing the Plan, the Mayor shall consider the facilities needs of all 8
95 wards and shall consult with:
96(A) The Council;
97(B) The Washington, D.C. Fire Fighters Association; and
98(C) The DC Fraternal Order of Police
99(c)(1) Beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, a Fire & EMS capital improvement plan (“Fire &
100 EMS Facility CIP”) and an MPD capital improvement plan (“MPD Facility CIP”) shall be
101 updated each fiscal year as part of the Mayor’s capital improvement plan for all public facilities,
102 as required by section 444 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24,
103 1973 (87 Stat. 800; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.44).
                                                  5
104(2) The Fire & EMS Facility CIP and the MPD Facility CIP shall include:
105(A) A description of guiding principles to frame decisions within the Fire
106 & EMS Facility CIP and the MPD Facility CIP, that these guiding principles shall be revisited
107 with each new CIP to ensure that they are consistent with the strategic plan, the Master Facilities
108 Plan, and the needs of the community;
109(B) A description of the process and timeline used to develop the Fire &
110 EMS Facility CIP and the MPD Facility CIP, including community engagement;
111(C) A longitudinal and future analysis of call volume to each Fire & EMS
112 facility and MPD facility;
113(D) Facility-specific project recommendations on the timing and funding
114 for modernization of existing Fire & EMS and MPD facilities, new Fire & EMS and MPD
115 facility construction, and other Fire & EMS and MPD facility capital improvements planned for
116 the next fiscal year and the succeeding 5 fiscal years; and
117(E) For each project identified pursuant to subparagraph (D) of this
118 paragraph:
119(i) A description of the scope of work to be done, schedule of
120 achieved and projected major milestones, and an explanation for any delay in meeting projected
121 milestones;
122(ii) A justification for the modernization, new construction, or
123 other capital improvements supported by the facility condition assessment, demand, and
124 community needs.
125(iii) A full-funded cost estimate of improvements, except that for
126 projects slated for modernization, new construction, or other capital improvements in years 4
                                                 6
127 through 6 of the Fire & EMS Facility CIP and MPD Facility CIP, the Fire & EMS Facility CIP
128 and MPD Facility CIP may include rough order of magnitude estimates of improvements based
129 on the required general design and feasibility analysis completed pursuant to paragraph (4)(C) of
130 this subsection;
131(iv) A cost estimate of improvements planned for the next fiscal
132 year and the succeeding 5 fiscal years and a detailed explanation for any proposed increases over
133 10% from the prior-year Fire & EMS or MPD Facility CIP estimate;
134(v) The estimated cost of annual maintenance and operations of the
135 improved facility;
136(vi) The lifetime expenditure for the facility; and
137(vii) The name, address, and ward of each facility.
138(3)(A) Major construction and capital improvements for existing facilities shall be
139 prioritized for inclusion in the Fire & EMS Facility CIP and MPD Facility CIP based on certain
140 objective criteria contained in this paragraph.
141(B) By September 30, 2027, and every 5 years thereafter, Fire and EMS
142 and MPD shall calculate a final prioritization score for each Fire & EMS and MPD facility in its
143 portfolio by assigning each facility a score from one to 10 based on the normal distribution of the
144 raw data obtained for every facility in each of the following subcategories, multiplying that score
145 by the subcategory weight as follows, and summing the weight as follows, and summing the
146 weighted subcategory scores for each facility:
 Category  Category Total      Subcategory  Subcategory Weight
                                                  7
Facility Condition 0.60   Date and type of last major  0.20
                    construction through the
                    preceding fiscal year
                    Expenditures for major  0.15
                    construction projects for the
                    preceding 10 fiscal years per
                    square feet of the Fire & EMS
                    or MPD facility
                    Fire & EMS and MPD facility  0.20
                    condition score based on the
                    most recent assessment
                    completed by the Department
                    of General Services
Demand  0.20    Assessment of call volume and       0.20
                    response performance to each
                    facility over the past 5 calendar
                    years.
Community Need    0.20    Number of residents and non-        0.15
                    residents currently served by
                    this facility.
                    Projected growth in the  0.10
                    number of people served by
                    this facility, including
                             8
                                           commercial, residential, and
                                           office space.
147
148(C) By September 30, 2027, and every 5 years thereafter, Fire & EMS and
149 MPD shall transmit to the Council all of the prioritization scores and raw data, and shall make
150 the information publicly available online.
151(D) In addition to the prioritization score based on criteria outlined in
152 subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, Fire & EMS and MPD shall consider the following factors
153 when determining the prioritization and inclusion of projects in the Fire & EMS Facility CIP and
154 the MPD Facility CIP:
155(i) Availability of capital funding in the budget;
156(ii) Immediate life and safety concerns;
157(ii) Need for additional planning for a project;
158(v) Projected needs based on the Comprehensive Plan; and
159(vi) Projected needs based on population growth and development.
160(E) Within 180 days after the release of the prioritization data pursuant to
161 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, Fire & EMS and MPD shall conduct at least 3 public
162 meeting to discuss facility modernizations. Fire & EMS and MPD shall conduct explicitly
163 outreach with the community for each facility project likely to be added, removed, or extensively
164 modified in the next fiscal year’s 6-year Facility CIP.
165(4) Before adding a facility to a Fire & EMS Facility CIP or an MPD Facility CIP,
166 the project shall have the following completed:
                                                  9
167(A) A rough order of magnitude estimate, except that for projects slated
168 for modernization, new construction, or other capital improvements in years one through 3 of the
169 respective Facility CIP, the project shall have a full-funded cost estimate of improvements; and
170(B) A general design and feasibility analysis that is developed with Fire
171 and EMS and MPD administration and is made publicly available, which includes the following:
172(i) An analysis of public safety needs as they relate to the current
173 or projected facility;
174(ii) An evaluation of whether the existing building and site
175 conditions can accommodate the needs; and
176(iii) An evaluation of whether a swing space on-site or off-site will
177 be needed.
178(d)(1) Within 30 days after the release of the annual supplement to the Plan as required
179 by subsection (b)(2)(A) of this section, the District shall:
180(A) Determine which facilities will be designated as excess; and
181(B) Made a list of these properties, and those deemed excess pursuant to
182 paragraph (2) of this subsection, publicly available on its website.
183(2) Unless written justification is made publicly available at the time of the
184 publication of the list as required in paragraph (1) of this subsection based on projected
185 operational needs of Fire & EMS or MPD, a facility shall be automatically deemed excess if it
186 has been designated in the annual supplement to the Plan as:
187(A) Vacant; or
188(B) Significantly underused for 2 consecutive years.
189Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.
                                                  10
190The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal
191 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,
192 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
193Sec. 4. Effective date.
194This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of a veto by
195 the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional
196 review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved
197 December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)).
                                               11