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Home My WebLink About03-09-05COUNTY OF HAWAII FIRE COMMISSION FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT March 9, 2005 Thanks to Commissioners Bowles and Ward for their service to Fire Commission and community. Budget • FY 2005/06: Notified by Gary Takamura, Finance, that Administration will include the following items in our program budget prior to referring to Council for review: o Increase in Equipment Parts Account $ 55,000 o 2 Battalion Chiefs $133,294 o 1 Account Clerk $ 23,700 o Fire Pumper Apparatus (S. Kona) $490,000 o Fire Ladder/Aerial Platform $850,000 o Fire Brush Truck (S. Kona) $150,000 Total: $1,701,994 7 Fire Fighter positions also obtained for Ocean View (State funds). Also, $40,000 will be appropriated to hire design consultant to replace/repair Central roof. AhYo working with Public Works. Our CIP and Budget will be heard before the Council on March 29 at 1330 in the County Council room. Alternative Funding and Grants • USFA Grant: On February 18, 2005, received notification of award of our FY 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant application, for purchase of a modular live fire training unit (burn trailer). Will allow us to take live fire training around the island as well as recruit training. Federal portion is $301,000; County match is $129,000. Thanks to Captain Albert Kaaihili, FEO Mike Hayashida, and FF Keola Payao for their research and subsequent successful award. In process of getting bid specs. FY 2005 Assistance to Firefighters Grant period will open on March 7, 2005. Grantwriters are: Captain Gerald Kosaki, Captain Alex Almeida, and FF Neil Yoshioka. FEO Mike Hayashida is their mentor. Trying to get previous year’s grant team act as mentors. This year’s grant team is researching emission controls for apparatus or stations to reduce or eliminate emission hazards to personnel: Plymo vent (attached to station) or No-smoke (attached to apparatus exhaust system). • DOT Safe Highways Grant: Radio translucent spineboards bid awarded and recently went out to vendor for beginning of purchasing process. Thanks to FF Neil Yoshioka. Ordered 67 spineboards with straps. Will improve patient care, as well as establish board replacement/sharing program with Aquatics section. Capital Improvement Projects • Puna Public Safety Complex: No new updates. • Pahoa Fire Station: The Environmental Assessment is in the “public comment” phase until March 11, 2005. The floor plan of a 3-bay fire station submitted by Architects Hawaii was approved; the construction cost estimate is $3.5+ million. Station design will be boiler plate for future stations. • Fire Administration & Support Facility: Mayor Kim approved Mohouli site selection and submitted request to Mr. Harry Yada, DLNR-Land Division, to begin process for Executive Order for State to turn land over to County. The period of “agency comments” sent out by Yada expired on February 11, 2005. He will now prepare for presentation to DLNR Board in March. Should he be successful, we may move toward getting a design architect/consultant on board for this project in this fiscal year. Already have $2.5 million appropriated for this project. Just received notice that the Board of Land & Natural Resources will consider our request on Friday, March 11. • Kalaoa Fire Station: The developer has requested our assistance to petition the State Department of Transportation to reduce the highway posted speed from 45 MPH to 35 MPH. This will solve a “line of sight” problem that has arisen at the planned entrance point into the highway. HFD and HPD have submitted letters requesting a speed change. This issue must be resolved prior to any additional design work. • Central Fire Station: Received Public Works approval to acquire Ululani Street from Wailoa Street in the Lanikila Housing area to dedicate to County. Looking at 1-2 acres there. Kevin Funasaki has opened discussions with the Executive Director of HCDCH to move this project forward. They must revise their Master Plan for the area and seek Federal HUD approval. Based on the estimated construction cost for Pahoa Fire Station, we are revising the construction cost for this station to $3.5+ million. Statistics dictate that Central needs to stay in area due to large call volume. Promotions and Hiring • FEO Promotions/Assessment Center: Promotions effective February 16, 2005 for 22 FEOs. Lot of positive feedback from candidates, even those not selected. • Fire Fighter Recruit Hiring: Pre-employment medical screen phase in progress. Tentative hire date and start of 32nd Fire Fighter Recruit class is April 18. Second class of 20 will start in August or September. At this point, all ranked positions filled. Lot of holes on bottom. Working on next transfer wave. Still have 42 vacancies. By August will be caught up with all operational vacancies, but fire fighters will not be assigned until August 2006 following recruit training. Next 2 classes will come from interviews recently completed. • Fire Radio Dispatch I Hiring: Interviews held February 14 to 16. Six new dispatchers will begin next week. Operations Division • Ocean View Fire Station: Letter sent to Governor Lingle to inquire on status of State funding. Will continue to monitor process. • National Fire Academy: FEO Joseph Farias scheduled to attend Developing Fire and Life Safety Strategies (March 14-25, 2005). • Firefighting in Wildland Urban Interface: Sent six personnel to attend one week training sponsored by DLNR-Foresty and Wildlife on February 14-18, 2005. • NFA Incident Safety Officer: Training held March 3 & 4 in Hilo. Attended by 33 firefighters. Prevention Division • FEST Seminar: Fireworks Education & Safety Training (FEST) scheduled for May 2 to 6, 2005 on this island. Being coordinated by Inspector Jack Pacleb. • Fire Alarm Seminar 2005: 20 members attended this one day seminar on February 15, 2005 in Hilo. Training Division • 31st Recruit Class Update: Presently assigned to various stations. Meetings held on February 23 and 24 with all recruits, re: EMT Class Preparation. EMT Training scheduled to begin on March 21, 2005. First class that we will try to have them take medical tutorial terminology books to assist them in learning medical terminology before class starts. Hopefully they will be better prepared for EMT training. Volunteer Training Division EMS Division • MICT Class Update: Continues as planned. Students going to Oahu in April. James Gray will transition students to Oahu instructor so he can continue to support EMT class here. • Medical Director Contracts: Updating medical director duties to be more defined and incorporating two medical directors to share duties—East and West Hawaii. Working with two physicians (Dr. McDowell at Kona and Dr. Fineberg at Hilo Medical Center). They both will make recommendations and collaborate on decisions. Fire Auxiliary Services New Projects/Business • Fire Science 151 & 152 Classes: Fire Science 151 completed, with 61of our personnel attending. Everyone did well. F-1 met with Deans of HCC and KCC, both are very pleased with support our staff has given program. They want to reciprocate and provide for our personnel. Looking at extending program to West Hawaii, seeking for instructors, and also researching possibility of having on line programs available. • Media Relations Classes: Scheduled for March 8 (C Shift); March 10 (A Shift); and March 15 (B Shift). To also include Division Heads and Dispatchers. Will entail informal group interview by Dr. Miura to assess the needs of our personnel as they see them, followed by more formal training. • 2005 Legislature Session: Submitted proposal for bill to seek funding for a dedicated EMS crew for Chopper 2 (3 MICTs and 3 EMTs), re: HB 518. Asking to consider funding from January 2006. Letters of support/information sent to legislators. • Hawaii Fire Chief’s Association Conference: Fairmont Orchid selected as site. November 17 to 20, 2005. We have proposed to opening it up to all ranks, encouraging participation by all, to all ranks, and changing breakout sessions from just speakers to hands-on demonstrations by vendors. Great opportunity for our personnel to see first hand latest technology available. Guest speaker Senator Dan Inouye has confirmed. Also looking at other fire service speakers. Theme is training for the future. Employee/Public Relations • American Heart Association’s Hawaii Heart Walk 2005 – February 12, 2005. Raised $425 for American Heart. Participation by 28 employees and families, and an additional 11 employees who made monetary contributions. • 3rd Annual Employee Awards & Recognition Dinner: To be held April 9, 2005 at the Crown Room, Hawaii Naniloa Resort. For the first time, inviting all former retirees of Fire Department (140+) and volunteer firefighters. • Fire Department Newsletter: First ever quarterly newsletter to be disseminated soon. To be project spearheaded by Communications/Relations strategic planning committee; with input and feedback by all members.