2012-10-10 Fire Commission Regular Minutes

Home

Hawai‘i County Fire Commission Regular Session Minutes October 10, 2012 Page 5 In response to questions, Chief Rosario stated that the fire in Kona was contained on the first day. The problem was with the Kiawe trees that continue to burn, so they have a daily crew out there to work on hot spots. The fire was small, but it was in a dangerous location. Some residents had to be evacuated. NEW PROJECTS/BUSINESS 2013 Grant Opportunities: For the CDBG 2013 grants, they were able to submit their proposals to the Department of Housing for the Mayor’s approval. For this year, the districts of Ka’u, lower Puna, and Keaukaha fell into a CDBG applicable area. Some of the proposals are for a fire pumper quint for the Keaukaha district. Quint is a newer type of fire truck with a straight ladder of about 75 ft. on the top. It is applicable for multi-story structures in Keaukaha. It will also assist in Downtown Hilo. General cost is upwards of $800,000 to $850,000. They have also put in a proposal for brush trucks for the Ka’u district for off-road fire fighting activities. They will continue to apply yearly for the CBDG grant EMPLOYEE/PUBLIC RELATIONS Fire Prevention Week: Activities will be on Saturday at 10:00 in the Hilo Bayfront area. The usually do it in Hilo and Kona, but the Ironman Competition is in Kona. Ironman Competition: They work closely with Ironman who has been very giving of the Fire Department. They are providing two chief officers to assist with two aspects, fire and EMS. Ironman is pretty much self-sustained as far as EMS, but there have been times where they had to transport to Kona Hospital. The will also be assisting with their rescue boat. Chair Taniguchi inquired about the feasibility of a secondary mechanic shop in Leeward Hawai‘i. Chief Rosario stated that the previous administration looked into doing more repairs on the west side. There was talk about integrating their mechanics back into the Department of Public Works. However, they were not fully supportive of that because Public Works prioritizes all its repairs. Being in public safety, they strive to be self- sustaining. They have been submitting supplemental budget requests for additional mechanics. It was declined last year. The current staffing is the same as back in 1990. Some of the added costs to the maintenance shop have been a strong argument for purchasing new equipment. Chair Taniguchi inquired about social media. Chief Rosario stated that they were given approval to use and amend the Police Department’s guide to social media. It is being reviewed by Corporation Counsel. They want to be sure they do not step on a person’s right to freedom of speech. Also, EMS is bound to HIPPA regulations. COMMITTEE REPORTS Budget and Finance (Committee Chair Taniguchi): No report.