HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0804.007 1998-2000
Stephen K. Yamashiro Juliette M. Tulang
Mayor Director
C. Kenneth Sowden
Deputy Director
County of Hawaii
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
25 Aupuni Street, Room 210, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (808) 961-8311
AQUATIC DIVISION
2349 Kalanianaole Street, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (808) 961-8694
June 14, 2000
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter as T/A Aquatic Program Administrator for the Aquatics Division of the
Department of Parks and Recreation. We are a public safety Division responsible for providing
beach lifeguarding services at nine (9) County Beach Parks and one (1) State Beach (Hapuna).
Our primary responsibility in this capacity is to ensure the safety of all park users in and around
the water. We provide surveillance and respond to all aquatic emergencies and also provide
emergency first aid to all park patrons weather water related or not. We are one of many front
line links in Hawaii County's EMS System.
The purpose of this letter is to inform all concerned parties of the important role that our
emergency communication link with Hawaii County Fire Department's central dispatch plays in
our operation.
First and foremost all 911 calls from our beach parks, weather water related or not, are channeled
through Fire Control's central dispatch. They in turn route the call to the appropriate agency
relative to the nature of the call, such as, Police, EMS, Ambulance, Fire, DLNR, or the coast
guard. This communication link is vitally essential to the care and safety of both the general
public at large and our front line water safety officers. We could not effectively function
without this communication link.
We also rely on this communication link to inform Civil Defense of on site observations during
times of hurricane readiness and all other high surf or flash flood situations.
In short it needs to be clearly understood that our Division as on ocean specific public safety
provider is directly dependent upon Hawaii County's emergency radio system to function
effectively. We strongly urge that all necessary appropriations be made to secure and improve
this system of communication.
Sincerely, Comm. No. 04t a
/f j Q ^ File No.
Ref. To.-
John Kapsky .slid Q njpp
Aquatic Program Administrator, T/A Reg' Late