HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0683.035 1998-2000Pesday, June 20, 2000 12:33:2 — 'A Scott and Gerurdine Susman _ Page 1 of 2
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74 -5070 Kea tf: ua Street
Kailua Kona. I- 96740
808-326-77 /2 6
June 19.200;'.
Comicil Chairman James Arakaki
and the Hawaii County Council
25 Aupuiu Street
Hilo_ HI 96720
FAX: 961 -8912
Regarding: The Budget Process, and Fire Protection 111 Kailua F ?District
Dear Mr. Arakaki_
May I please subilut this testunonv to the Council ui its
consideration of our count budget'?
I ain a fire compasiv commander in Kailua and also a props owner
and resident of Kailua Kona. There has been a lot of growth and blip
changes ul the district over the past eighteen rears. Mari new , _ - O ds. neIVv
subdivisions, homes, multi- _fanuly ousts, izidustrial areas_ shoppl ` Centers-
and superstores have been developed and filled to capacit with : ,le and
their'`stuff'. Mari more are m' the N ores. These developments d impact
fees at the tune of their approvals, for their projected demands D, i
infrastructure. and Nve all continue to pa: property taxes to supp- e
deli - of county sen The ffret
mg equipment at the Imo:: ' ° Fire
Station is basic infrastructure `with a serious deficit that can no be
overlooked. There has been no u- nprovement_ only dew ion _ i e past
eighteen rears.
Eighteen rears ago there were tv, fire tricks protectuig I �_L 11a from
the Kailua Fire Station, a pamper, and a ladder trick. Thev respo ,c_=d
together and complemented one - another nicely. hl March of 1 ill .vas
deemed necessan to open a nevv station in Keauhou. and the pus F -, r and
crew moved out of Kailtia.
Comm. No.
File No.
Re'. To:
e , `)ate tam
Tuesday, June 20, 2000 12:33:24 r 1 M Scott and Geordine Susman Page 2 of 2
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T1nis left Kailua Nvith only the ladder trick for fire protections. It is not
suited, by design, to protect Kailua properties by itself. It has too little
Nvater, and too little room for hose and equipment. It's heat - and sloe It
is eighteen rears old and gettnng harder to beep running (operatlo, al less
than half the tulle). The ladder trick does not satisfi the requu ents of
this district after eighteen years of rapid gro and the loss of tl,e pumper
to another district.
We're responding to t hundred calls a month these days sn the
Kailua Fire Station. We shouldn't have to won about whether ,\ e can get
equipment to an emergency or if it will Nvork when ve get it there. VN1nat is
o-verdue, is a modern fire pumper_ with a thousand gallon booster tank. room
for the equipment and men Nve need to cari - \ - , the power needed to get up and
doing the steep grades quickl - \-, sen - and the integrity to be
Rinctional «lien it is needed. It's sonnething basic to fire protection that Nve
don't have now. It costs big money. nnoney that has already been pJ4id over
the past eighteen years by this conununity. This should have bees, addressed
a long time ago, v, ithout the public having to come and beg for it.
Please fund a Nvay to make this long overdue public safety resot:rce
available iu Kailua. If you have an -, ouestions. or « to come _,ndl see
what Nve - re talking about_ please call or come and visit us and time.
Suicerely-
Scott Susman, Captain
Kailua Fire Station