RES 713 Draft 01 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Successfully establishing a comprehensive health and wellness program depends on the acquisition of alternative funding. In Ilght of current economic trends, this dependence on attemative or grant funding is even more evident. With the County of Hawaii's program budget relying heavily on real property tax revenues, and with a dropping of properly values, the outlook for obtaining County government funding for. program start up is bleak. However, program sustainability is more feasible and reasonable and can be supported after securing the substantial start-up funds. As a young and progressive department, employee and operational safety is essential, valued, and appreciated by HFD's 347 firefighters. The department will continue its effort to educate the County of Hawall budget administrators to align themselves with those same values instilled in HFD through strategic planning and performance-based budgeting. However, at the present time, there is a definite and Immediate need for HFD to seek alternatlve funding to meet its safety program needs. COSTBENEFIT The current demographics of the Hawaii Fire Department mean that now Is in fact the perfect Ume to implement a Wellness/Fifiess program. Nearly half of our members have served for five years or less, and over one-third have served for 15 years or more-a scale weighted to the extreme at both ends due to adecade-long hiring freeze. This provides us with a unique opportunity to have the largest potential impact for our investment. We can catch those late in their careers just as some of the signs and symptoms of underlying problems start to appear. Above all, the unique age make-up of our department has us looking more towards the Wellness/Fitness program's preventative possibilities. That is, its implementation during the early years of so many of our members' fire fighting lives will benefit them In ways that ripple out across their entire careers. Additionally, as our extremey high percentage of younger members age into veteran status, new recruits will enter a workplace where wellness and fitness era the rule, not the exception, Because our program will be mandatory, there will be a designated workout tlme during the duty day. This commitment, along with the careful selection process, will ensure that the equipment purchased will be used on a daily basis. HFD is extremely fortunate to have great support from some of the best Wellness/Ftfiess programs in the country. Th1s has enabled us to team from their experiences and be confident that choices we make are sound, and ensure that funds will be spent wisely-a parikular concern in a place where the cost of living is so high (a gallon of milk costs around six dollars here). Although our grant request may be larger than what normally might be expected, we have boked at all areas for cost-saving measures. These Include doing es much as possible in house (immunizations), doing the majority of work on duty to minimize overtime costs (assessments), and covering backfilf costs assodated with PFT training. We have worked hard to design a program that minimizes costs in all areas without sacrificing quality. SUMMARY A Wellness/Ftness program must be implemented into our department's culture as soon as possible to address the significant health risks facing our members. The poor state of health amorig Hawaii's population causes us to wonder exactly how many of our own members are at risk. What scares us more is that our own members' health maybe even worse than the general population's. But we will never know until we can conduct the kind of comprehensive screening called for by NFPA 1582. Failure to receive this grant will not stop our department from trying to Implement a Wellness Fitness progrem- particulady given our extremely high percentage of younger members. However, trying to implement the program without the grant will undoubtedly take longer and most likely will be in a piecemeal fashion. It is our business to protect the lives of others. To be effective, we must begin with our awn. Thank you for your time and consideration. Aloha, The Hawall Fire Deparbent ` Please describe all grants. that you have received from DHS including any AFG grants received from DHS or