2024-08-22 Fire Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Fire Commission Regular Session Minutes August 22, 2024 Page 7 19. They have been actively recruiting Fire Communication Officers, reclassified dispatch positions for higher pay, and added more supervisors. Employees now earn $2,000-3,000 more per month. Assistant Fire Chief Ian Chadwick responded to the letter's claims about staffing shortages. He noted that six new hires were made in April 2023, a month before the alleged issue, with training taking about a year. Three of those hires remain with the department, showing improvement. They brought in a consultant from the mainland who is a manager of a fire communications organization to help train BC Domingo. Currently, there are five trainees nearing the end of their probation. Recent recruitment efforts included interviewing eight candidates from 60 applicants, though seven did not meet the typing speed requirement. The training lasts 9-12 months, managed by one BC. The department faces challenges, but they have also made strides, including sending personnel to the mainland for training. Dispatchers were temporarily relocated to HPD due to unsustainable working conditions, with one person per shift now stationed at HPD for the midnight shift while other shifts return to Fire. Commissioner Perrin asked how many dispatchers are needed to meet operational standards. Chief Todd explained that they currently staff eight-hour shifts with 3 dispatchers for the day shift, 3 for the afternoon, and 2 for overnight. Ideally, he wants more dispatchers for major incidents, with some dedicated to managing incidents separately from taking 911 calls. In the long term, he aims for six or seven dispatchers per shift. Chief Todd mentioned that the number of dispatchers needed to be fully staffed is around 16. If the current class of five trainees maintains a 50% retention rate, they will reach 11, which is still below the ideal number. While 24 might be challenging due to turnover, 16 fully trained dispatchers would be the ideal target. DCC Wong announced that Vice Chair Wolf, the acting chair, needed to leave, but there would still be a quorum. Members needed to elect someone to serve as acting chair for the remainder of the meeting. Commissioner Hirakami motioned to appoint Commissioner Luke as chair for the rest of the meeting. Commissioner Perrin seconded the motion, and with no further discussion, the motion carried unanimously. Vice Chair Wolf left the meeting at 10:46 a.m. Commissioner Hirakami asked if the separation of fire dispatchers between locations causes delays in dispatching and response times. Chief Todd explained that ideally, having all dispatchers at HPD would allow them to work together in one room, which would be more efficient. However, he is concerned about delays when calls are filtered through police dispatchers before reaching Fire or EMS. The new call center will address this issue by consolidating dispatchers in the same building, but for now, this arrangement is the best available solution.