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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 Chief's Report for August MeetingCHIEF’S REPORT (08/13/2014) I. Budget • FY 2014/2015 II. Alternative Funding and Grant • FY 2012 Assistance to Fire Fighters Prevention Grant Application o • FY 2013 CDBG Grant for Waiakea Quint o • FY 2013 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant o • FY 2014 CDBG Grant for Ka‘ū Brush Truck o • FY 2014 State Highways Grant o • Capital Improvement Projects o Kawailani Fire Station Replacement III. Human Resources Division 1) Recruitments a) Open-competitive recruitments • Water Safety Officer I (Temp) – Two temporary hires will be ending their appointments on August 15, 2014 due to end of Summer. • Twenty-five Fire Fighter Recruits were hired on June 16, 2014; Three FFR were terminated within the first month due to inability to perform daily physical training as a result of work-related injuries. Two alternates were hired on July 16, 2014. • Five Fire Radio Dispatcher I’s were hired on July 16, 2014. One FRD I was hired on August 1, 2014. b) Internal within department recruitment • Battalion Chief (Prevention) – Position filled effective July 1, 2014 not to exceed September 11, 2015. 2) Classification a) Class specifications for the Water Safety Officer III and IV classes will be amended to revise the minimum qualification requirements. Additional certifications are required for the Personal Water Craft Program. IV. Emergency Operations Division OPERATIONS/SPECIAL OPERATIONS: 1) Attended the Big Island Wildfire Coordinating Group and Drought committee meetings. Identified Waikoloa, South Kona, and Ka‘ū as areas of concern. 2) ACC re-certifications; a few personnel on leave will need to recert upon their return. Hazmat recerts are being scheduled. 3) Implemented the Rank-for-Rank program. 4) Assisted EMS in Hands Only CPR at Imiloa; approximately 150 participants. 5) Assisted in the 4th of July parade and rodeo. Assisting the HWMO at each public forum (9 throughout the island). 6) Facilitated a Puna Geothermal exercise using the AreaRaes of which a proposed policy was submitted. Completed the repairs of 8 Hazmat detectors/ equipment. 7) Received contingency funds from County Council for the Project Life Saver program. 8) Ocean Safety and Rescue personnel assisted with the 1st annual Hilo triathlon, Richardson’s rough water swim, and held the Jr lifeguard championships at Bayfront. 9) Changed WSO position minimum requirements. Have over 80 applicants resulting from it. V. Support Services Division 1) Continue to work with the Department of Public Works and KYA Design on the Plans and Design for the New Kawailani Fire Station. Draft EA is available for review and a Community Open House is scheduled for August 2, 2014 from 5-7 pm at the County Council Chambers in Hilo. 2) Finalized contract with Site Engineering with Notice to Proceed on raising the back garage at the Kawailani Fire Station to accommodate the New Engine 3. The contractor has started to put materials on site and met with Station 3 Personnel, Public Work personnel and AC2 on Thursday 7/31/2014. Because Company will maintain quarters and respond from the station, logistics such as parking, access, bathrooms, construction equipment etc. was worked out between the personnel and the contractor. Contractor plans to start the week of August 11. Work should take less than 2 weeks. TRAINING BUREAU: 1) The 43rd Fire Fighter Recruit class completed three weeks of (EMR) Emergency Medical Responder Training and is 11 Chapters into the Fire Essentials Curriculum. The class as a whole is moving along well and on track as anticipated for this timeline. 2) The Training Bureau has just been notified that the new school year will be starting soon and they could once again utilize a UHH CVE Student Intern. Captain Okinaka is in the process of contacting the UHH CVE program again to see if he is interested in working in the Training Bureau. 3) Our Department has been awarded the AFG Grant that was applied for last year to purchase Driving Simulator(s) and a trailer to make it a mobile unit to cover our entire island with Driver Training. Captain Jesse Ebersole with the assistance of Captain Darwin Okinaka and FEO Chris Carvalho wrote the grant. The next phase will be to meet with the Grant specialist to get the right information to move on and determine the Bid Specifications to define a unit(s) to best meet the needs of our department and eventually put it out to bid. 4) We received the FLIR Thermal Imaging Cameras from a Civil Defense grant purchase and the Training Bureau is in the process of setting up the In- Service Training with the vendor before we send them out to their assigned stations. We anticipate that being completed in the Month of August. 5) We have just initiated our annual HazMat Technicians Refresher Training. This year Dr. John Bowen wasn’t able to provide the training for our department so Captain Okinaka put together a curriculum for our Technicians to complete at their duty stations. This is a new method that we are trying out this year that still meets the criteria as set for annual refresher training. Because the training will be done on regular duty we will be saving a significant amount of funds for overtime. We normally train over 150 personnel on 8 hours of overtime annually. The Training Bureau has proposed to utilize this cost saving for an online training curriculum for all of our personnel. We hope to be able to move ahead with that plan as it will provide our department with a lot more training opportunities in various disciplines and can be specifically assigned to each and every individual separately. VOLUNTEER TRAINING: 1) Integrated training with 8-A Honokaa and 17A Laupāhoehoe. 2) Volunteer Company 10-B Waawaa was decommissioned. Thanked Volunteer Captain John Fowler for his time and dedication. 3) Distributed AED pads and batteries to these companies who have the Phillips brand AED. HOVE, Milolii, Kona Paradise, Pa’auilo, Pepe‘ekeō, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, Volcano, and Discovery Harbour. 4) Volunteer Company 1-A did a static display for the Hilo Hongwanji Summer Play and Learn on July 18th. Big thanks to the Prevention personnel who provided hats, activity books, and pencils for the display, the kids really loved it. Also, thanks to Carlton and Toni Bello who spearheaded this event. 5) Resolved computer integration problems. EMS BUREAU: 1) HFD/EMS Personnel coordinated the medical care for participants in the inaugural Hilo Triathlon held on July 13th, 2014. Several participants needed assistance of the medical tent team but fortunately, no one required transport to Hilo Medical Center for further evaluation. It was great collaborative effort combined with nurses and physicians from the Hilo Medical Center and Hawai‘i Island Family Medicine Residency. 2) The EMS Bureau was notified by the DOT State Highways Division of the grant award in the amount of $12,560.00 for the continued support of the Hawai‘i Fire Departments Child Restraint Program. Funds will be utilized to train and conduct Child Passenger Safety Clinics Island wide. 3) Received notification of award from the USDA in the amount of $19,800.00 to support the purchase of specialized Pediatric resuscitation kits to be utilized by our EMS field providers. Matching funds of $16,200.00 are to be taken out of our EMS equipment account. 4) EMS Bureau personnel conducted Emergency Preparedness presentations in East and West Hawai‘i for DOE District, Administrative and Security personnel. Emergency Preparedness from large scale events to typical 911 calls was presented. In closing, HFD’s Hands Only CPR program was introduced and taught to all participants in the East Hawai‘i conference. Key DOE District leadership personnel were very impressed with the program and have expressed strong interest in partnering with the HFD to improve cardiac arrest survival rates on Hawai‘i Island. A Hands Only CPR training for all East Hawai‘i Administrators is scheduled for August 26th in Hilo. 5) Our MICT Students (three remaining personnel) wrapped up their last rotation of MICT internship at the end of the month. Next steps are; completion of necessary criteria at Hilo Medical Center, curriculum review, skills review, course final examination and skills testing. If all goes as scheduled, the students will graduate from the MICT program on August 14. PREVENTION BUREAU: 1) Fire Prevention Captain Kazuo Todd attended the National Fire Academy R0208 Interview and Interrogation Class for Fire Investigations. 2) Smoke detector program implemented both in East and West Hawai‘i with the IBEW partnership approximately 110 smoke detectors installed in July. 3) Two structure fires investigated, with the Arson K9 used at both. 4) The 4th of July fireworks went well with the exception of the technical difficulties at the Hilo Bay site. Hawai‘i Explosives and Pyrotechnics has worked it out with the County to put on another show on August 23, 2014. 5) Arson K9 Team of Battalion Chief Robert Perreira and K9 Kaimi assisted Kauai Fire Department with a fire investigation at the Coco Palms Hotel. AUXILLIARY SERVICES 1) Mechanic Shop Apparatus & Equipment Repairs: 102 repairs and service; 119 service calls; 118 contracted out and tows. 2) Notice to proceed for roof replacement is scheduled for September 2014 thru January 2015. 3) The 2013-14 inventory has been completed and submitted to Property Management. 4) 25 Fire Fighter Recruits were provided PPE and training equipment. New Projects/Business 1) Daniel Sayre Foundation Dinner on August 31st at the Fairmont Orchid 2) HFD EMS Run and family event on August 23, 2014. Employee/Public Relations 1) Attended the Kulani Prison Grand Re-opening on July 1, 2014. Will be assisting staff with Firefighting training. 2) July 16-19, attended Arbitration Hearing for Water Safety Officer who was suspended twice for failure to appear at work. 3) Met with United States Forrest Service Region Representative on the awarding of a $100,000 grant to HFD for Wildland Fire Fighting and Volunteers. 4) July 21, 23, 25, 28, 29, and 31st, HFD participated in partnership with the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization in hosting Community Wildfire Preparedness Workshops in various communities along West Hawai‘i‘, Waimea, Ka‘ū, and Volcano. 5) Attended the Ground Breaking of the new Pahoa Regional Sports Complex on July 31, 2014.