2024-12-12 Fire Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Fire Commission Regular Session Minutes December 12, 2024 Page 2 • HR Branch Report: The HR branch is operating within budget goals. Three internal recruitments are moving forward. The Fire/Hazmat Materials Specialist is pending their assessment center, with interviews scheduled. A candidate for the Supervising Fire Communications Officer position was promoted, effective December 16. For open recruitments, a Program Support Technician position has received five referrals from DHR, with interviews pending. The Clerk III position for Auxiliary Services was filled but became vacant after four days; options to revisit the original candidate pool are being explored. The Fire Maintenance Worker position has been filled and is expected to start on December 16. There are 61 candidates for Firefighter Recruits and three for Fire/EMS Recruits. Other recruitments, including Account Clerk and Automotive Storekeeper positions, are in progress. There was further discussion regarding the Fire Communications Officer position, addressing topics such as its previous classification, manpower challenges, recruit class trainees, captain positions within dispatch, staffing levels and associated issues, the role of captains in the dispatch center, plans for the new joint communications center, and long-term goals for increasing manpower per shift. • Total Calls for Service: As of the end of November, the year-to-date total is 28,260, with an estimated 30,829 calls for service expected at the end of the year. • Fire Impacts: In November there were five wildland calls and a total of four acres burned • Emergency Operations Highlights: o Battalion 1 (East Hawai`i): Responded to a structure fire on Andrews Avenue in District 2 with no reported injuries or fatalities. Rescue operations included extracting a person who fell off a cliff. Additionally, there was a rescue at Pohoiki in District 10 involving a lost hiker; the individual was recovered, there was one fatality reported. o Battalion 2 (West Hawai'i): Responded to a one-acre brush fire in Pua Lani Ranch Subdivision. o Special Events: The Waimea Community First Responder Appreciation Dinner was held. EMS provided standby services for the Vice President's visit. A blessing ceremony and gifting event at Station 16 for the new Engine 14 also took place. • Special Operations: o Haz-Mat: New Hazmat 4 IFB award is proceeding. The next Hazmat Captain's meeting is scheduled for January 2025. Engines 21 , 6, and 3 IFB are on hold per Finance.