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HomeMy WebLinkAbout091306COUNTY OF HAWAII FIRE COMMISSION FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT September 13, 2006 Budget State EMS Budget for FY 2008 and FY 2009: Submitted FY 2008/09 biennium budget for EMS. First time they have requested our input. Put in a pretty comprehensive package to include: • 12 new EMT positions to establish operations of 2 BLS units in high incident urban areas of island; • Six district supervisors (Captains) for quality assurance and program management; • Injury Prevention & Safety Officer (Captain) • Warehouse clerk • Three dispatcher positions • Three ambulances, 2 vehicles for requested supervisor positions, and 24 desktop computers. Alternative Funding and Grants • FEMA FY 2005 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant: No update since last report (Chief signed bid award form identifying recommended vendor). • FEMA FY 2004 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant: No update to report since last month. (FEO Mike Hayashida obtained information from Draeger that burn trailer is scheduled to be completed by end of September 2006 with delivery during October.) • FEMA FY 2006 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant: No new update. (re: purchase of wildland fire safety shoes for all fire fighters. Approximately $63,000 plus $12,000 County match.) • Department of Transportation-Safe Highways Grant: No word on our grant application since last report. (road safety system (generators, lights, banners). Total grant application $30,000.) PAGE 2 OF 10 Capital Improvement Projects • Makalei Fire Station: Informed by PW that new design consultant selected, Kajoka, Yamachi Architects Inc. – they will submit new fee schedule in a month. • Pahoa Fire Station: Three issues need to be resolved: 1. DOT received plans form Imata & Assoc. 8/24 will take 2 weeks for evaluation. 2. DOH septic system issue, word expected in three weeks. 3. DWS, as errors are found in the plans, the plans are sent back to the designers for correction. • Fire Administration & Support Facility: We’ve been answering technical questions to assist consultants on developing the scope of work for the project. Design consultant selected – Anbe, Aruga & Ishizu Architects, Inc. – they will now put together fee proposal – earmarked $1.0 mil for design cost. • Captain Cook Fire Station: Submitted allotment request for design money $100,000. • Central Fire Station: No new developments since last report. • Central Fire Station Retrofit Project: No new developments since last report. • Naalehu Fire Station: No new developments since last report. • Paauilo Volunteer Fire Station: No new developments since last report. Promotions and Hiring • Internal Recruitments: Active recruits include: Fire Equipment Operator/Captain: Promotions effective September 16, 2006: We have 8 Captains and 8 Fire Equipment Operator promotions. FEO/Captain training meeting took place on September 11. Fire Equipment Operator: New internal recruitment held: Opened August 23; closed September 1. PAGE 3 OF 10 Promotions and Hiring (continued): • Open Recruitments: Fire Fighter Recruit: Agility testing to be held September 23 in Hilo. Emergency Operations Division • HazMat 21: Program planning and development meeting with officers from the HazMat 21 company was held on September 8. Operations Division will continue to work on the following projects: ➢ Disaster Protocols for the department ➢ Driver Training issues facing operations (due to the amount of new recruits coming on line from Training Bureau) ➢ Increasing training drills with stations ➢ Increasing BC presence at with station visitation and looking at the discrepancies on the apparatus logs for vehicles assigned to the stations. Support Services Division Auxiliary Services: • 4 new fire radio dispatchers will be introduced to the Fire Commission at its next meeting in Hilo on October 11. • In the month of August Fire Radio Dispatcher I’s (FRDI) completed Hazardous Materials Awareness training with Kaumana Fire Station personnel, Liability & Accountability workshop with Diane Noda, Interpersonal Skills and Stress Mgt with Tom Linker, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) training with FEO Charles Whittle, Incident Command System (ICS) Training with Captain Glen Honda and Chopper 2 orientation with BC Rosario, and district familiarization training with various fire personnel. FRD I’s continue to practice Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and 911 call-taking skills, and have started First Responder training on September 1st. PAGE 4 OF 10 Support Services - Auxilliary (continued): • Fire Radio Dispatcher I (FRDI) training for September: completion of First Responder Class, Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) class (9/11-13/06), on-the-job training in Dispatch. • Three Liability and Accountability workshops with Corporation Council Diane Noda were held for all FRDs • FRD II’s C. Fernandez and T. Kodani completed CPR re-certification • EMD recertification submitted for FRD’s C. Fernandez, T. Kodani, D. Willis, D. Kaide, & V. Arai • 8/24 and 8/26 problems with CML – (dispatch) positions logging itself off, unable to dial out on business lines. Hawn Telcom investigating. Per Jayne, Hawn Telcom: 8/24 problem due to electrical issues at Kawaihae from 1312-1318. There was 1 blocked call, which HPD is investigating. Hawn Telcom looking into changing procedure to automatically go to back-up communications when similar problems occur. • Pacific Wireless (PWC) removed Dictaphone (old 911 recording hardware) from Dispatch. Waiting for summary report of work done from PWC. • Coordinating with PWC and Hawaiian Electric Light Company (HELCO) to transfer communication services from the Green Lake Kapoho tower to HELCO’s Puna Geothermal Mircowave tower. Warehouse: • MSA Self Contained Breathing Apparatus program: Initial MSA FireHawk orientation and fit testing completed. Need to follow up with personnel who were on leave and need to schedule orientation and fit testing for Staff personnel. Reviewed program needs with Fire-2. Waiting for masks (for individual issue) to come in before implementing change over to new units. PAGE 5 OF 10 Support Services - Warehouse (continued): • Central Station received Viking commercial grade range • HOVE -gas range and refrigerator delivered • Distribution of portable suction units to all Engines • Facilitated six station repairs through Public Works • Coordinating with Public Works to install a back-up generator at the Hawai’i Ocean View Fire Station. EMS Bureau: • Electronic Patient Care Report: Committee working with Data Systems and DOH in implementing EPCR. • Support of 15 ground ambulance units and 1 Aeromedical unit. ➢ Supplies ▪ Provide replacements for existing equipment due to failure, being lost, or damaged. ▪ Provide supplies and medications as requested. ▪ Maintenance of supplies inventory used for replenishment. ➢ Equipment ▪ As part of the preventive maintenance program, arrangements made for 5 EKG/defibrillator/pacer units, which were sent to the mainland for inspection and repair if needed. ▪ Arrange for repair of equipment as requested. ▪ Maintenance of spare equipment inventory for replacements. ▪ New IV pump delivered to Ocean View. ▪ Back up EKG/defibrillator/pacer delivered to Ocean View. ▪ New Gurney delivered to Keauhou. PAGE 6 OF 10 Support Services – EMS (continued): ➢ Ambulance Report Forms ▪ Accountability and processing of ambulance report forms as per contract with the EMSS Branch or the State Department of Health. ▪ This includes sending copies of the original ambulance report forms involved with transports of patients, to the State billing contractor on the mainland. ▪ There were a total of 1,624 ambulance report forms processed during August of which 1,120 were transports. ➢ County Hepatitis B Vaccine Program ▪ 4 hepatitis B vaccine administered for Aquatics Division. • AED Committee The Automatic External Defribrillator (AED) Committee will meet on Sept. 13 to finalize plans to distribute AEDs replace during July ’s distribution of new Lifepack AED’s to HFD’s engine companies. Training Bureau: • EMT I: As requested by Commissioner Browne, the total number of hours our recruits spend in EMT-Intermediate training is 680 hours – 32nd class = 336 hours for classroom, clinical & field internship and 33rd class = 344 hours for classroom, clinical & field internship. Hours vary due to when the EMT-I portion is scheduled (holidays, etc. contribute to the total number of hours.) Operations Section: • 33rd Recruit Graduation on August 17th, 2006. Assigned to 24 hour duty as of September 1, 2006. They start a 6 month on the job evaluation process, where they will be evaluated by 2 officers in the field. • 34th recruit class is 2 months into their training and have completed the didactic portion of Essentials. They will continue with the hands on/ skills portion of firefighting training and begin their specialty training in areas such as First Responder, Hazmat, Wildland, and Lifeguard training. PAGE 7 OF 10 Support Services - Training (continued): • Training is partners with operations AC and BC’s to develop guidelines for getting their new personnel trained to accept assignment on the Medics, brush trucks, tankers and T/A FEO. • Training continues to collect and document the progress of the on-line FF1 program and see an approximate 95% participation rate. • Other events. ➢ The specifications for a platform Aerial truck is completed and in Fiscal for review and bid process. ➢ Engines 19 and 21 have had their final pre-delivery inspection and are being shipped in September. ➢ Pierce Manufacturing was awarded the bid for the new Capt. Cook pumper and will start production soon. ➢ Stacey Domingo will come back to assist training bureau pending doctors clearance. ➢ FEO Richard Fong continues to lead the 24th recruits through their training. ➢ Working with F-2 to complete Driver trainer position description and anticipate bringing the driver trainer and 2nd volunteer training Captain on Board. ➢ The public and other county departments continue to request extinquisher training and the training bureau continues to reach out to the community with their training needs. Volunteer Section: • 8/9/06 – Attended AED meeting with committee, found out that four “used” but good AED units from career HFD companies, will go to volunteer fire companies – N. Kohala, Fern Forest, Pa’auilo, and Laupahoehoe. • 8/11/06 – Attended Strategic planning and Staff meetings at HFD meeting room. • Training for volunteer companies on-going – 17 companies trained this month. • Supply request for pagers done, with programming and delivery also completed for Pahala, Discovery Harbour, Pepeekeo, and Naalehu. PAGE 8 OF 10 Support Services - Volunteer (continued): • Delivery of National Park’s “Rural Fire Assistance Grant” to Pahala volunteers completed. Still awaiting a couple small items, due to shipping or order discrepancies. • Delivery of supplies and equipment to Pu’uanahulu and Kalaoa volunteer companies. Special equipment and supply purchases, from County councilman Pilago’s discretionary funds; still awaiting a few more items, due to shipping or order discrepancies. This year we tried to spend $6500 – ($3250 for each of these two companies), and next year we need to spend another $15,000 for each, (a total of $30,000 for next year). • Pump Test site visits with AC-2, Training-2, Chief Mechanice, Water work’s engineer Craig Chimabukuro. Maintenance Shop: • Started 3 apparatus refurbishment projects: ➢ HFD 418 T11 – Install new pump and fabricate plumbing ➢ HFD 374 BT 15 – Install new tank ➢ Amertek – refurbish vehicle • Apparatus and equipment repairs ➢ 116 total repairs/service during the month of August ➢ 31 of these repairs were road service calls or trouble calls • Other projects 1. Working on Mako service intervals, procedures and repair, service and parts procurement responsibilities. 2. Facilitate the transfer of ownership of a donated ambulace from Hawai’ian Ocean View Community Association to the County of Hawai’I Fire Department Prevention Bureau: • Occupancy enforcement conducted. HFD Presence/assistance requested for all events by either HPD or Liquor Commission: PAGE 9 OF 10 Support Services – Prevention (continued): ➢ 8/2: Lulu’s and Oceans – Girls Gone Wild ➢ 8/3: Shooters – Girls Gone Wild ➢ 8/12: Crown Room -BABES event ➢ 8/19: Pahoa Gym – Mixed Martial Arts event. • Inspections conducted: ➢ Preschools 10 ➢ Restaurants 31 ➢ Businesses 22 • Meeting on Oahu for code review of NFPA 1 with fire inspectors from other county jurisdictions. • On-the-job training continuing for newly hired inspectors (code review, inspections, complaint investigations, plans review, occupancy enforcement) • Met with Envision Downtown’s Julie Bon and discussed long range plans for hazard/risk assessment of downtown Hilo. • Drafting letter to HI County LEPC to request for financial support for mobile computer unit. • Retirement of Captain Yagi effective 8/31/06. New Projects/Business • Project Lifesaver: Held a follow-up meeting on August 21 to the week long training held June 26 to 30. We will start small by implementing program with 10 people. Program will be slowly evolving. • Fire Science (Rural Development Program): Classes began on August 21 and will continue through December. Four classes being taught for fall semester fire science: Introduction to Wildland Fire Control, Incident PAGE 10 OF 10 New Projects/Business (continued): • Command & Disaster Control, Essentials of Fire Suppression, and Fire Hydraulics. Open to public; tuition waived for this semester through grant funding. • Temporary Fire Administration Office: Will be moving to Puainako Center in mid October. Employee/Public Relations • 5th annual KTA/HIUW Bag Brigade to be held during September and October. In first four years, a total of $18,802.49 raised for HIUW. • A Dream Come True: As requested by Commissioner Okabe, per Eric Kunitomo – 1. Program is still active, however there have been some obstacles/road blocks encountered due to new management with Keauhou Shopping Center where they have previously hosted the fundraisers (the Program was rejected.) Currently trying to brainstorm on other alternatives. There is money still in the program to continue. 2. The program is in need of assistance or liaison for East Hawaii, so that it can broaden its range for fundraising and candidates. 3. Last fulfilled in 2004. Currently working on possible candidate for 2006. There have been recommendations in the past that had not come to fulfillment due to candidate’s treatment schedule. • 33rd Fire Fighter Recruit Class Graduation: Held August 18, at 5:00 p.m. at the Mokuola Ballroom, Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. 16 recruits graduated and received their first rotation assignments. Thanks to Commissioner Maedo for inspiring speech to class on behalf of the Fire Commission. • EMS Week 2006: Check presentation to Hospice for $3,500. • 9th annual Daniel Robert Sayre Memorial Foundation dinner and awards ceremony: Held September 2 at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel. Honorees were: FEO Richard Fong, FRS Garrett Kim, and Pilot Paul Darryl.