RES 333 Draft 01 2022-2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNTY OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. STATE OF HAWAII 333 23 A RESOLUTION STRONGLY URGING THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR TO INCREASE CAPACITY AND FUNDING FOR THE HAWAII FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PROACTIVELY MITIGATE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF WILDFIRES. WHEREAS, the Hawaii Fire Department (hereinafter referred to as "HFD") plays a crucial role in protecting the lives and property of our residents and visitors; and WHEREAS, HFD's mission encompasses preventing, mitigating, and responding to fires, as well as addressing other emergencies such as medical incidents, hazardous materials situations, and natural disasters; and WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii has experienced an alarming increase in the number of wildfires in recent history, and these wildfires have exhibited greater size, intensity, duration, and destruction, largely attributed to changes in our climate, including prolonged periods of drought, extreme weather conditions, and accumulation of hazardous fuel sources (see "Exhibit A" attached hereto); and WHEREAS, these evolving wildfire patterns pose a significant threat to the health, safety, and well-being of our community, environment, and economy; and WHEREAS, "fire seasons" have transformed into entire "fire years" where a year-round workforce is required for suppression, recovery, and planning for future wildfires; and WHEREAS, a proactive and comprehensive strategy is essential to preventing wildfires, including investment in fire prevention measures such as creating firebreaks, conducting controlled burns, and promoting public awareness and education (see "Exhibit B" attached hereto); and WHEREAS, in addition to fire prevention, investments must be made in firefighter training, apparatus, equipment, and facilities maintenance to ensure that HFD personnel have the necessary resources to safely and effectively combat fires and respond to emergencies (see "Exhibit C" attached hereto); and WHEREAS, the successful recruitment and retention of our HFD career firefighters is of paramount importance to maintain the highest level of fire protection and emergency response services for the people of our community, ensuring their continued safety and well-being; and WHEREAS, a volunteer firefighter program complements our dedicated career firefighters during emergency situations and must operate in strict adherence to the established policies, rules, and regulations formulated by HFD to ensure a volunteer's safety as well as effective and coordinated emergency response services (see "Exhibit D" attached hereto); now, therefore,