Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout021308Page 1 of 8 HAWAII FIRE COMMISSION FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT February 13, 2008 • Introduction of dispatchers Anapesi Bloomfield & Noel Proctor • Introduction of 37th FFR class members Budget • FY 2008/09 Budget: Met with Department of Finance on January 7 to present our FY 2008/09 budget to them. Will be presenting our budget to the County Council on April 1 at 1330. (Note: Bowles may ask for meeting with you as well as ask if he should make presentation to Council on behalf of Commission.) Alternative Funding and Grants • FEMA FY 2004 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant: (Burn Trailer) Still awaiting MOU for signature from DOT. Are looking at alternative sites so that we can utilize burn trailer. • FEMA FY 2007 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant: Received official notification on February 8 that we received grant. Total grant award is for $305,700 to purchase VTS equipment for 15 of our 20 fire stations (5 stations do not have basic technical capability to accommodate VTS), Training, Dispatch, and Administration. • FEMA FY 2007 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant: Status quo. (Strategic Planning Public Education/Relations committee submitted grant proposal for safety and education trailer ($103,606). • State DOT-Safe Highways: Will open in the next couple months. Will be applying for safety vests that will be utilized whenever we work along highways and roadsides. Federal requirement. Page 2 of 8 Capital Improvement Projects • Makalei Fire Station: KYA Design Group is proceeding with schematic diagrams. Have been receiving communications with questions pertaining to building plan details. Geotechnical consultants have plans to do exploratory drilling for soil sampling on site. KYA has been working with GKK Makalei to establish the Fire Station site so GKK Makalei can proceed with their private development which will include identifying the Fire Station site to be subdivided out of their parcel. The fire station site plan information was sent to GKK Makalei by the civil engineering consultants on 1/30/08. • Pahoa Fire Station: Met with Helco and DOT on driveway/Helco pole relocation issue. 1/23/08: Communication with Alan Saito, DPW Project Engineer indicates that the roofing of the Pahoa Station is 90% complete and the entire project is approximately 75% complete. Completion date is still on track for May. Code issues on the roofing of the fueling station, and highway entrance issues are being addressed. There is an issue concerning the relocation of the electric poles along the highway. The highway improvements are currently at the State DOT for their approval. Without their approval, DPW cannot put out the road improvement project to construction bid, and without the approval of the design, HELCO will not relocate poles. This matter is being worked on, however the road improvements may not be completed to coincide with the completion of the station. • Fire Administration & Support Facility: Revised Administration building space requirements and comments sent to AAI design consultants. Re: Emergency Dispatch: On January 7, received revised space requirements for dispatch building based on TeleCom Consultant’s submittal of required dispatch and equipment spaces. Proposed building size is over 20,000 sq. ft. Meeting held on February 4 with DPW, Police, Fire and Data Systems to discuss the support space requirement in an effort to possibly reduce the building size. In recent emails, PD has expressed some concerns regarding their emergency dispatch space configuration. On January 31, received the first draft of the Draft Environmental Assessment from PBR Hawaii for review and comments. Page 3 of 8 • Central Fire Station: PBR Hawaii continuing with the Environmental Assessment. Desmond has discussed some concerns with Nancy Heinrich who is the lead consultant. Per David Yamamoto, KYA Design Group has submitted a proposal for the design contract. Proposal is currently being reviewed. • Central Fire Station Retrofit Project: 1/8/08: Punch list of discrepancies has been completed by contractor. Daren is currently resolving payroll and billing discrepancies with the contractor. When that is cleared final acceptance will be issued. Daren has not yet determined how the kitchen work will be done. Met with 3 Rotary Clubs of Hilo, who are willing to devote their time, energy and money —will be providing materials, manpower and technical support—to spruce up Central dorms and hallways. • Captain Cook: As of January 8, the contract has not gone out for bid as yet. In preparation for relocation, possible site for the relocation of personnel during the construction period has been identified by personnel and F1. • Keaau: On January 9, Desmond met with Harry Yada, re: Keaau property. No commitments made on site for potential replacement station. • Discussions with Shipman is at a standstill. Shipman continues to ask for access road and intersection improvements. No other option, as far as Shipman property was discussed. He will discuss with Mayor as to which direction to proceed. 1/30/08: conversation with Bill Takaba in which he indicated that the Shipman deal has not been ruled out. Recent meeting with Russell Kokubun indicated that the State is in fact interested in re-locating the library, so further discussions are scheduled with Sen Kokubun. • Honokaa: In meeting with H Yada on Honokaa site, he hasn’t scheduled a meeting with Kamehameha Schools land assets manager as of yet. • Warehouse: Railroad Avenue space rental for long term storage items. Those items that have good turnaround will be at distribution center. Page 4 of 8 Promotions and Hiring Open-Competitive Recruitment • Ocean Safety: We presently have two vacancies in Kona. Will be filling 4 positions at Isaac Hale with transfers by March 1. • Storekeeper (EMS): Selected person for position pending passing of pre-employment medical exam. Internal Recruitment • Fire Captain: Assessment Center scheduled on March 10 & 11. • Fire Apparatus Trainer: Assessment Center that was re-scheduled to February 6 rescheduled again due to activation of EOC and lack of availability of staff that was scheduled to assist. New date is February 22. Emergency Operations Division • Flooding (February 2-4) • Kona Flooding: As requested by Commissioner Rosehill, we have been trying to get more information from Civil Defense and Public Works regarding obtaining an assessment report for the Kona flooding in November/December to determine a cause. Neither departments are able to provide any report at this time. (Per Duane at CD, the flooding occurred as a result of 6 inches of rain in a three hour period.) We do know that the Army Corps of Engineers are working to provide a study that will identify flood limits within the flood plain. The County will use the results of the study to revise FEMA’s flood insurance rate maps. The results of the study may also determine new drainage ways and changes in the current flood plains that may have taken place since 1977. The study should be completed in October and would be available from Public Works. • CERT Program Handouts: As requested at last month’s meeting, provided to all Commissioners a brochure on the CERT program. Page 5 of 8 Ocean Safety • Report by Captain John Kapsky Support Services Division Auxiliary Services Bureau: Communication Section: • 1/07/08 – 1/09/08 EMD Class held. Attended by 10 employees. • 01/10/08 – 01/11/08 EMD-Q Class held. Attended by 12 employees. • The intention of the classes is to develop a quality assurance program in improving the pre-first responder arrival care provided by dispatchers. Warehouse: • Assisted in the Assessment and Interview process of new EMS Storekeeper. • 01/31/08 K. Kodani finished drawing plans for Warehouse Office and Repair Room. • For month of January sent out 15 pieces of equipment, 32 pieces of PPE, and called in 21 requests for repairs. Maintenance Shop Section: • Continue 2 apparatus refurbishment projects 1. HFD 374 BT 15 – Install new tank 2. Continue radio charger installation project 3. HFD 416- Refurbish pump and cafs system 4. Install pump and tank for Kubota ATV-pump ordered • Apparatus and equipment repair 87 total repairs/service during the month of November 14 of these repairs were road service calls or trouble calls Page 6 of 8 • Other projects Pre construction meeting for Aerial platform at Pierce 1/19 to 1/24 EMS Bureau: • Captain Tracy Yanagi & Battalion Chief Yawata attended National Academies of Emegency Dispatch Emergency Medical Dispatch & ED-Q training from January 7-11, 2008. • Began EMT-B training on January 7, 2008 for 13 Firefighter Recruits. • Began MICT training on January 14, 2008 for 7 candidates. • Held Base Station Meeting @ Kona Police Station on January 17, 2008 – topic was patient transfers. • Captain Tracy Yanagi & Battalion Chief Yawata attended a Basic Facilitation Training held on January 18, 2008. • Attended our departments CISM – Critical Incident Stress Management meeting in Waimea on January 22, 2008. • LifeScience Resource conducted preventative maintenance on all Zoll EKG’s. • Attended quarterly EMSAC – Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council meeting on Oahu on January 23, 2008. • Met with Chief Ranger at Hawaii Volcano National Park to update MOU of medical responses to the park property. • Participated in the Annual Pahoa Informational Fair on January 26, 2008. • Held a Pandemic Influenza meeting on January 28, 2008 to discuss goals & objectives. • Held EMS Storekeeper interview/assessments for 3 candidates – target start date is March 3, 2008. Page 7 of 8 Inspection Bureau: Fire protection systems insp: 41 Fire Investigations: 8 Business inspections: 131 Complaint investigations: 12 Occupancy enforcement: 0 School inspections 3 Certificate of Occupancy insp.: 18 Safety classes to public: 3 Agricultural burn site inspections 7 Training Bureau: Operations Section • 35th Recruit Class – All recruits completed and passed the NREMT- 1practical exam held on Oahu on January 13. • 37th Recruit Class – Began their first day of Recruit Academy Training on January 2 with 19 Cadets. On January 4, one recruit resigned leaving the total class count at 18. They are currently commencing with their Fire Essentials Training being conducted at the Training Bureau. • Explorer Program - The third Explorer class is currently being scheduled. The projected starting date is scheduled for March 1. Volunteer Section • Volunteer Captains worked on budget and needs assessment, attended a basic facilitation class. Also, the quarterly Volunteer Chiefs meeting was held on Jan. 19th. West Hawaii • Trained 11 Volunteer Companies, 130 Volunteer Firefighters in Essentials Chapter 1, Wet Drills – Forward Lay, Split Lay, Reverse Lay, Pumping Operations and Hose testing. Page 8 of 8 East Hawaii • Trained 11 Volunteer Companies, 56 Volunteer Fire Fighters in Fire Fighting Essentials, Hose Evolutions, Pump Operations, and Driver Training. • Also met with the Ainaloa Community Association to set up a volunteer company. Met with the Fern Forest Community Association to discuss agreements with the Community Association, Volunteer Company, and the HFD. • Report by Tom Brandt New Projects/Business • Nike Recycling Program Employee/Public Relations • American Heart Association Heart Walk: Held on Saturday, February 9. Good showing from the Fire Department—over 60 employees and families. Together with departments from Puainako Center, we raised $1,236 for American Heart Association. • Hawaii Fire Department 6th Annual Reunion: To be held on Saturday, March 15, at HPA. • EMS Week: Gearing up for 8th annual EMS Week with grand finale to be held on Sunday, May 25 with Family Walk/Run event at Liliuokalani Park.