HomeMy WebLinkAbout08 Chief's Report February 10 2021 (2)
FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT
FEBRUARY 10, 2021
I. BUDGET
1) FY 2020/2021 - County Budget
• We are seven months into our fiscal year budget cycle and our
spending continues to be on track.
• We continue to work closely with our Finance Director on our current
budget.
2) State Funded Budget Items
• EMS budget is also being worked on and at this time we are still
anticipating 2.5% reduction, we continue to have communications with
the State EMS team.
• We are supporting Hapuna Lifeguards with County funding. Kua Bay
funding will end June 30, 2021.
3) FY 2021/2022 – County Budget
• Status quo budget submitted; we continue to work with the Finance
Director on the supplemental requests; we will not have a decision until
May 2021.
4) State Funded Budget Items
• We are reaching out to our legislators, DLNR, HGEA union, and others
to help raise support for the funding of lifeguards at Hapuna and Kua
Bay.
II. ALTERNATIVE FUNDING AND GRANTS
1) Sayre Foundation continues to be a huge supporter of our department.
• We have started to receive the items that we requested.
• The off road tanker for North Kohala is under construction in Idaho with
an expected completion date of early 2021. (BME truck - Anonymous
donor).
• Second off road tanker for South Kohala is under construction in
Louisiana with an expected completion of February and an inspection
date of February 22 & 23. (Big Dog truck - Anonymous donor).
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• Sayre Foundation applied for the County of Hawaiʻi Non-Profit Grant
for approximately $70,000 for two rescue watercrafts and associated
training.
o We are expecting delivery of a trailer for the SeaLeg boat in
February.
o Working on a USDA Grant to support the purchase of
approximately $150,000 in structural firefighting gear.
2) FEMA Assistance to Fire Firefighters Grant-Supplemental. Currently
drawing down the $380,000 award for Covid-19 related PPE and
disinfecting equipment. We are working on procurement of the PPE with a
period of performance that ends this July.
3) FEMA 2020 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant. Application will be
submitted on the 12th for structural firefighting gear cleaning machines
(extractors).
III. HUMAN RESOURCES
1) Recruitment
Internal Recruitment Within the Department
• Fire/HazMat Specialist – Written exams completed; list referred
from DHR. Pending scheduling of interviews.
• Battalion Chief (Training) – Opened 01/24/21, closes 02/02/21.
• Fire Radio Dispatcher III – Opened 01/24/21, closes 02/02/21.
• Water Safety Officer III and Human Resources Technician I – To
open 02/10/21.
• Fire Prevention Inspector I – To open 02/21/21.
Open-Competitive Recruitment
• Fire Fighter Recruit – Referred list received from DHR.
Performance Agility Exam (PAE) is tentatively scheduled for
02/27/21.
• Water Safety Officer I – To open 02/21/21.
2) Employee Development and Training
• County Wide Training Catalog was released.
3) Labor Relations
• Internal Investigations – None at this time.
IV. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS DIVISION
1) Apparatus Updates
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• E-7 & E-17 (KME) and E-20 (Pierce) have all been delivered to their
respective stations and are ready to be placed in service.
• B-17 (Rosenbauer) is still in the build process with no new updates.
2) Due to the success of the first training, we have another Officer
Development Training course for our newly promoted Company officers
tentatively scheduled for March 1-5.
3) Promotions for Operations Battalion Chief, Fire Captain, Fire Equipment
Operator, Fire Medical Specialist, as well as reallocations for the 49th Fire
Fighter Recruit Class are all scheduled for February 1st.
Battalion 1, East Hawaiʻi
Incidents:
1) 01/02/21, Inc# 00134; Special Service: Boat in Distress—Hilo Bay,
District. 1. Units responded to a report of a catamaran in distress
approximately ¼ mile off of Mokupane Point. Ocean Safety personnel on
SKI-1 were able to assist lone individual in uprighting capsized catamaran
and escorted the individual and catamaran back to shore. No EMS was
needed or wanted.
2) 01/03/21, Inc# 00213; Rescue: Lost Hikers—Mauna Loa, District 50.
Units responded to a report of overdue hikers on Mauna Loa Access
Road. Two patients rescued via Co. 50 UTV.
3) 01/04/21, Inc# 00309; Structure Fire: Hilo, District 2. Upon arrival found
light smoke and flames coming from restaurant kitchen area. Fire
extinguished. No injuries.
4) 01/07/21, Inc# 00445; Brush Fire: Ka‘ū, District 11. 20’X20’ Brush fire
near Green Sands Beach, South Point.
5) 01/09/21, Inc# 00628; Structure Fire: Ainaloa, District 10. Found 20’ X
20’ unpermitted type structure in decay stage of burning. Water shuttle
and relay pumping due to long driveway. No injuries.
6) 01/10/21, Inc# 00656; Ocean Rescue: Keaukaha, District 2. SKI-1
executing a rescue of a surfer and got damaged by high surf conditi ons.
Victim successfully rescued and brought to shore by RWC personnel. No
injuries to victim or guards.
7) 01/18/21, Inc# 01234; Structure Fire: Hilo, District 1. Upon arrival found
single story, storage structure in a parking garage, type 1 construction with
smoke and flames from alpha side. Fire extinguished. No injuries.
8) 01/19/21, Inc# 01317; Brush Fire: Nā‘ālehu, District 11. Upon arrival
found 30’ X 50’ driftwood fire on shoreline below. Nā‘ālehu Police Station.
Four-wheel access only. Fire extinguished. No injuries.
9) 01/22/21, Inc# 01484; Special Service: Joint mission with the Coast
Guard, solo mariner 62yr. old male who dislocated shoulder on
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January 12, 2021. Assisted with securing vessel and transferred patient
from his sailboat at RB-2, then to M-1.
10) 01/25/21, Inc# 01774; Structure Fire: Eden Roc, District 5. Upon arrival
found single story home fully engulfed. Fire Extinguished. No injuries.
11) 01/29 Inc# 02019; Public Accident/EMS: Mauna Kea Summit, 23-yr. old
female, boogie boarding, sustained critical injuries. Multi-agency
response with Mauna Kea Rangers, Pohakuloa Training Area and
Hawaiʻi Fire Department. Patient transported to Hilo Medical Center.
Training:
Nothing to report.
Battalion 2 West Hawaiʻi
Incidents:
1) 01/06/21, Inc# 00385; EMS: Injured mountain biker, Puʻu Waʻa Trail
District 21. Victim extricated and transported directly to North Hawaiʻi
Community Hospital with C-2.
2) 01/21/21, Inc# 01466; Rescue: Missing Hikers Pololu Valley, District 15.
Two hikers found the next morning at 1000 and extricated via C1 and C2,
no injuries.
3) 01/23/21, Inc# 01582; EMS: Patient fell over cliff, Pololu Valley District 15.
20yr. old female transported to North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital via C2.
4) 01/23/21, Inc# 01596; Rescue: Swimmers in distress, two parties in the
water at “End of the World”, District 12. One person rescued—no injuries,
one, dead on arrival.
Training and Education:
1) Second session for Kailua Fire Station new Apparatus familiarization
training completed on January 5. New Engine 7 -KME Pumper.
Special Services/Events:
Nothing to report.
Special Operations
HazMat:
1) Planning discussions continue for the 2021 Civil Support Team (CST)
training with our HazMat companies.
2) Planning the maintenance of HAZMAT ID equipment.
3) Fire Hazmat Specialist recruitment ongoing.
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Ocean Safety:
1) iPads for all towers and officers have been received and we are currently
in the process of setting them up for use.
2) WSO III (Ocean Safety Lieutenant) recruitment process ongoing.
3) The Sayre Foundation has agreed to make the purchase of Street LG
Software for Ocean Safety and we are currently in discussions with the
vendor. This program will also be managed on the new iPads that we
acquired through CARES funding.
4) SKI-1 was damaged on a rescue incident (identified in Incidents under
Battalion 1, East Hawai‘i item #6 above). We are currently working on an
Emergency Procurement to replace the rescue watercraft.
Rescue:
1) A feasibility study is under way to determine whether we should continue
accruing costs associated with maintenance and repair of our aging
rescue boat fleet or purchase new boats.
2) Recently received items from the Sayre Foundation include new SCUBA
buoyancy control devices (BCD) and regulators, foul weather gear,
thermal imaging binoculars, and litter harnesses.
Sayre Foundation:
1) The two new off-road tanker apparatus (donation) are still being
manufactured.
2) AC Okinaka continues to work with the Sayre Foundation in coordinating
the 2020 fund requests. Numerous items have already been received and
we are awaiting larger ticket items such as two UTV’s, rescue boards, and
a PA system.
3) We were recently informed by Laura Sayre that the Sayre Foundation will
be applying for a non-profit grant through the County of Hawaiʻi. Given the
situation with our rescue watercraft program and age of our rescue
watercraft, we have decided to apply for replacement rescue watercraft.
V. SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION
Training Bureau:
1) Attended the CST planning meeting for the 2021 annual joint training
between Fire, Police, Hilo Medical Center, Civil Defense and the National
Guard’s WMD-Civil Support Team.
2) The Performance Appraisal Reports were completed and submitted for the
49th Recruit Class. They also received endorsement letters from their
officers and their State of Hawaiʻi EMT License which gives them the
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authority to run as an EMT. These Recruits are now eligible to apply for a
Firefighter position via the Government Jobs website.
3) Working on scheduling the Annual medical exams with the new County
Physician, Dr. Michelle Mitchell. FEO Kyle Toma and AC2 Ian Smith had
a meeting with Dr. Mitchell to go over paperwork and scheduling.
Volunteer Training:
1) All Volunteer Companies received training on heart attack and stroke
recognition and firefighter cancer prevention awareness, followed by a
“hands-on” wet drill.
2) FEO Peter Andrade is currently shadowing Captain Dan Volpe as he will
be promoted into this position as West Side Volunteer Training Captain on
February 1st.
3) Brush Truck 19A had a new pump installed at the HFD Mechanic Shop
and will be back in service on January 29th.
4) Captain Nathan Wilson participated in the FMSII assessment panel on
January 14th.
EMS Bureau:
1) FMS II Assessment completed on January 14, 2021 . Four personnel will
be promoted to Fire Medical Specialist II on February 1, 2021.
2) Our 2021 MICT class started on January 11, 2021 with 8 personnel.
3) Coordinated the EMS stand by for the Mitsubishi Electric Golf
Championship Event held at the Hualālai Golf Resort on January 19-23,
2021.
4) The EMS Bureau continues to support vaccination clinics island -wide by
providing medical stand-by for individuals receiving the COVID
vaccination.
5) State Cabinet meeting regarding current and upcoming budgets.
6) Weekly Department of Health meetings in regard to vaccination operations
continue.
7) Updated State Ambulance license/contract has been sent to all stations
for posting.
8) Three LUCAS compression devices have been received. We are very
fortunate to have received this donation from the Sayre Foundation.
Prevention Bureau:
1) The Fire Prevention Bureau assisted with the COVID-19 Task Force and
community outreach.
2) The Fire Prevention Bureau continued the 24-hour schedule and saw
many benefits. The Bureau is fully staffed with the assistance of T/A
personnel.
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3) Two Fire Inspector I’s are temporally assigned to leadership positions in
the Bureau. This will help as we look forward to holding promotions in the
upcoming year.
4) The Bureau expanded the Station Education Program to include various
stations. This included tabletop discussions and field inspections
accompanied by Operation personnel.
5) The Fire Prevention investigated three fires.
Auxiliary Services, Maintenance Shop, Communications Center:
1) Fifty-three Panasonic FZ55 mobile data terminal laptops have arrived, and
we are currently waiting on mounting hardware. Expected installation of
mounts is set for February.
2) EMS products are being loaded into the new digital warehou se
management system. PPE orders are now being processed online.
3) Posicheck calibration for SCBA maintenance is complete. Training and
implementation to start in February.
4) Implementing a new vehicle status tracking board for the maintenance
shop through Trello. The digital board is still being built and can be
viewed here: https://trello.com/b/QL8xm9ie/vehicle-board.
5) Recruitment for Fire Radio Dispatcher III opened.
6) Looking to open for Fire Radio Dispatcher I positions in March.
VI. NEW PROJECTS/BUSINESS
• New Fire/Police Joint Dispatch Center Bid was awarded and is currently
being protested (we do not have all the details). We are hopeful that the
project will continue to move forward.
• FF Kai Willey completed the pass and review video for Jon Hara, I am
sure most of you watched it. I am thankful to Kai for all his work on the
final alarm video. Thank you all for participating and honoring our brother
Jon. We are working on scheduling the final alarm with Eric Hayashi’s
family. We will send out details as it is finalized.
VII. EMPLOYEE/PUBLIC RELATIONS
As indicated above in Section Reports