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HomeMy WebLinkAbout061009HAWAII FIRE COMMISSION FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT June 10, 2009 Budget: • FY 2009/10 Budget: Mayor’s budget has been approved. We have identified areas in our OCE accounts for a 10% budget reduction. Our budget will include 2 part time ocean safety lifeguards to start up services at Punalu’u Beach Park. To get off ground, unfunded vacant positions for 6 months. Benefit: protection at beach, reduction of calls and tax of our fire services. Alternative Funding and Grants: • FEMA FY 2007 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant: (Video Teleconferencing Equipment) Equipment has been installed at all sites except for new Pahoa station. Awaiting installation of bridge. Already seeing benefits of having hardware in place; so many possibilities with technology. • FEMA FY 2008 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant: (Health/wellness program, total budget is $531,203) • State Department of Transportation Safe Highways: Applied for 25 EZIO units (Neil Yoshioka) to establish IV access and 20 digital cameras for medic units (Ralph Yawata). • FEMA FY 2009 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant: Application submitted to acquire 254 turn out coats and 251 pants. Total grant is $379,672 ($303,738 plus $75,934 County match). • Other Grants: With the President’s stimulus package, there will be the possibility of applying for construction costs for Makalei fire station. On SAFER grant, there is talk of waiving the County’s match. Capital Improvement Projects: Makalei Fire Station: • On May 18, 2009, State Department of Health, Environmental Management Division, issued the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for construction activities at Makalei. On April 16, 2009, met with Planning, Corporation Counsel and GKK Makalei representatives regarding Makalei properties. Dedication deed executed, however there are couple minor changes necessary to wording regarding time frame for County to complete an appraisal and the inclusion of language regarding the septic - 2 - discharge requirement per an agreement with Kukio development owners makai of project. Pahoa Fire Station: • Pre-final inspection conducted April 30, 2009. Contractor is working on punch list discrepancies; no confirmation on completion date. Apparatus floors have been completed. Fire Administration & Support Facility: • On May 19, 2009, we received revised drawing for the dispatch building based on input we provided. In process of review. • On April 21, we submitted comments on preliminary drawing and furniture schedule. Central Fire Station: • No new updates. Still awaiting status of disposition from HUD. Captain Cook: • Awaiting determination from David Yamamoto regarding the cost to upgrade windows and doors to large missile impact resistant windows and doors. Paauilo Volunteer Fire Garage: • Met with Our Lady of Lourdes Church parishioners on May 15 to open discussions regarding the parcel. Pohoiki Radio Relocation: • Memorandum of Agreement between County of Hawaii, Hawaii Electric Light Company and Puna Geothermal Venture duly executed. Notice to proceed for Isemoto to begin construction is June 1, 2009. Grant of easement for property between County and Kapoho Land Company, PGV and Helco has been finalized and recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances. Promotions and Hiring: Open-Competitive Recruitment • Ocean Safety: Seasonal hires for WSO I temp positions. Hired June 1, 2009. Temp appointment not to exceed 8/28/09. Internal Recruitment • Fire Captain: Promotions will be effective June 16, 2009. • Fire Equipment Operator: Promotions will be effective June 16, 2009. • Fire Prevention Captain: Promotions effective May 1, 2009. Are soliciting for TA Inspectors on rotational plan. - 3 - • Fire Rescue Specialist: Promoted June 1, 2009. Emergency Operations Division • Battalion Chief participated in drought mitigation planning meeting in Waimea KOH drill with CST completed April 30, 2009. • Fleet management project continues to progress. Ocean Safety • Report by Captain Chris Stelfox. Support Services Division EMS Bureau: • Continued Pandemic Flu & Bloodborne Pathogen training for all Operation, Support and Administrative staff. Last training conducted on May 12, 2009. Training conducted by DOH educators. • Attended State Civil Defense Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Conference Call on May 1 & 4 at the EOC. • Met with Karlson Pung, AMR Hawaii Island supervisor regarding a pilot project involving their units in Hilo & Kailua-Kona being dispatched to BLS calls. • Participated in a patient assessment / extrication exercise with Company 8 “C” personnel at Hamakua Medical Center on May 13, 2009. Also conducted by Gerald Kosaki, Training Captain, portable fire extinguisher use training with the same staff. • Attended planning meeting for Hilo Airport annual disaster exercise on May 13, 2009. The actual exercise will take place on July 31, 2009 involving a simulated helicopter crash. • MICT advisory training was held on May 14, 2009 at the EMS Training Center. This is for interested MICT candidates for the January 2010 MICT training. • Facilitated Emergency Medical Dispatcher – QA meeting with personnel who attended initial EMD-Q training on May 28, 2009. Auxiliary Services Communications: - 4 - • FASO and FRD II A. Bloomfield did career day presentation for Keaau Middle School. • Fire Dispatchers received their annual First Responders training. Maintenance Shop: Training Bureau: 38th Recruit Class: • 10 FF recruits from the class began their EMT-B training on April 6, 2009 and are still ongoing. They will begin their EMT-B clinical rotation on June 7, 2009. • The 2 FF recruits (Jeffrey Maki and Andrew Miller) who had obtained their State of Hawaii reciprocity and began their evaluation period on April 6, 2009 continued through May. There was also 1 FF recruit (Donovan Roque) who still possesses his EMT-I certification and is also being evaluated beginning on April 6, 2009. FF recruit Miller’s evaluation period is being extended to better assess his MICT abilities. FF recruit Miller and Roque have ended their evaluation period and have begun to work on their 50/30 criteria. Other Training: • Conducted extinguisher training for Hale Hoola in Honokaa and the Volcanoes National Park personnel • Currently working on a centralized database to track all expiration dates for our personnel. Included so far are PUC, DCC, CPR, 1st Responder, and Hazwoper certifications. • Working to resubmit a proposal for the Rescue Basic Training program to certify our personnel to TA or to work in the capacity as a FRS. • Began implementation of the hazwoper recertification for our company personnel. The haztech retraining is scheduled for July. The 160 hr. hazmat technician class is scheduled to begin at the end of June. Volunteer Section • East Hawaii: 41 hours of company training. • West Hawaii: 15 hours of company training • Volcano Volunteer Building Restoration Project - 5 - • Report by Tom Brandt. Prevention Fire protection systems insp: 72 Fire Investigations: 2 Business inspections: 99 Complaint investigations: 8 Occupancy enforcement: 4 School inspections 12 Certificate of Occupancy insp.: 10 Safety classes to public: 4 Agricultural burn site inspections 0 Tent inspections 9 Above ground/underground fuel Tank inspections 4 Plans review 21 New Projects/Business • Retirements: Though we received over 20 letters of intent to retire, we ended with 10 retirements effective end of May. One more Battalion Chief will retire at the end of June. • Swine Flu: Working with Christian Wong, put out a guidance for employees (copy attached). State DOH will not come out with standard; Hilo medical center requiring mask of all patients with flu like symptoms. Public health working with airport and harbors for protocol. We may end up being a safety net for the time being that may make challenges initially. BCs may be first to ID when we see something—problem and pattern so we can make contact with DOH to temper and fix problem. • UXO Issues-Waikoloa: At March meeting, Browne inquired on UXO issue in Waikoloa. Need to provide general update. • Replacement Chopper 1: • HFCA Conference 2009: Hilton Waikoloa Village, November 19-21, 2009. Employee/Public Relations • Reuse a Shoe Project: Recycling program sponsored by Nike. Partnership with DOE and Environmental Management. Campaign targeted for month of April. Fire stations – collection sites. Very successful first year. Project has helped to keep about 4,000 pairs of shoes out of our landfills. - 6 - • EMS Week: Sunday, May 24, at Liliuokalani Gardens. Very successful event with over 700 participants. All proceeds to go American Cancer Society and fire fighter battling cancer.