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Hawaii Fire Commission <br />Regular Session Minutes <br />April 27, 2023 <br />Page 3 <br />Fire Captain, FEO, HazMat Specialist, Fire/EMS Specialist, and Fire Rescue <br />Specialists are all open. They did not select anyone from the eligibility list for the Fire <br />Rescue Specialist last year because there were no openings. This will stay open <br />until June and if the list goes stagnant, they'll review the process for next year. <br />Chair Kosaki wanted to know if there are any current openings/vacancies for Fire <br />Rescue Specialists. Chief Moller stated he doesn't believe there are any vacancies <br />right now. The PAE and evaluations are scheduled to be done and they are <br />expecting potentially two positions. <br />Chief Moller reported the firefighter recruit tests and medicals are currently taking <br />place, they're hoping for a hire date in July or August. In dispatch, they are down to <br />four people. There are currently six personnel in the dispatch recruit class and <br />potentially four additional positions. Off the eligibility list, there are 10 people that <br />have not been interviewed, they are in the process of doing that right now. It's a <br />critical situation, they are below what the minimum requirement is for dispatchers in <br />dispatch. They're meeting with the union tomorrow to see if they could get some <br />augmentation until the class is trained. They're looking at potentially having <br />dispatchers in police dispatch, that way there will be more flexibility with the call - <br />takers. <br />Chair Kosaki stated over the years, there were always problems getting dispatchers. <br />There's talk about having firefighters in dispatch rather than keeping it all civilian. He <br />thinks this is a great idea because they know the system. Schedule -wise, this <br />provides flexibility to those who can't work a 24-hour shift. He further stated they just <br />hired six, but every time they hire six, they lose four, it's always a problem. He asked <br />if they are leaning towards keeping the dispatchers as civilians or mirroring <br />Honolulu, having firefighters in there, and providing a dispatch team or company. <br />Chief Moller shared his opinion, he stated the civilian issue in there is three -fold. <br />They don't have a conducive environment for maintaining the dispatchers. It's a <br />matter of changing the atmosphere. Firefighters coming in to help augment will help <br />improve that environment, it'll give those that are overworked a break. With the <br />expertise that civilians bring, he doesn't think they can mimic that with firefighters. If <br />a firefighter fails in dispatch, they go back to being a firefighter, so they don't lose <br />anything. The problem with the civilians right now is, when they fail, they lose them. <br />One of the reasons they fail is because they don't have a step approach, they don't <br />train as a call -taker first before dispatching. They're asking someone to become an <br />experienced dispatcher in one year. He doesn't think the civilian piece of it is an <br />issue, it's the training. <br />Chair Kosaki stated the pay is not commiserated with what they're expected to <br />know. That's why after a while, they tend to leave. This needs to be thought out, it <br />starts with meetings with the unions; HGEA, and HFFA. Chief Moller stated they're <br />meeting with the union tomorrow. They think firefighters in dispatch is a good thing, <br />they also think civilians in dispatch is a good thing. He offered to do a midnight to <br />