HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-07-26 Fire Commission Regular Minutes
HAWAI‘I COUNTY FIRE COMMISSION
MINUTES OF JULY 26, 2013
NORTH HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
KAMUELA, HAWAI‘I
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Toby Taniguchi called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Toby Taniguchi, Chair
Byron Moku, Vice Chair
David De Luz, Jr., Commissioner
Luahiwa Namahoe, Commissioner
Mapuana Waipa, Commissioner
Excused: Laurie Bass, Commissioner
Carol Kitaoka, Commissioner
Kimo Lee, Commissioner
Also Present: Darren Rosario, Fire Chief
Wayne Krug, Volunteer Fire Chief
Lincoln Ashida, Corporation Counsel
Josie Pelayo, Secretary
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Commissioner Moku moved to approve the agenda. Commissioner Namahoe seconded the
motion and it carried unanimously.
STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS
None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JUNE 12, 2013
Commissioner Namahoe moved to approve the regular session minutes. Commissioner
Waipa seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
Commissioner Namahoe moved to approve the executive session minutes. Vice Chair
Moku seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT
(Including but not limited to the items listed below.)
Fire Chief Darren Rosario highlighted items on his written report:
HawaiÒi County Fire Commission
Meeting Minutes
July 26, 2013
Page 2
BUDGET STATUS
FY 2012/2013: Chief Rosario stated that they expended 95% of budget at the end of
the fiscal year. The balance went back to the general fund.
FY 2013/2014: Chief Rosario stated that he will work with the new Accountant IV on
the budget analysis, especially for emergencies. He wants to work hard on projecting
expenditures and use the savings for equipment. They could have used their
savings for equipment, but March was the cut-off for equipment requests, and they
did not find the savings until after the fiscal year ended. The
the one mechanic position. PunaluÓu has two full-time WSO positions, but they do
not have a current eligibility list. Two individuals are on summer hire but are on
temporary recruitment, so they have to start the process again. Current staff is not
interested in moving to PunaluÓu. Hopefully with the new recruitment, local residents
of the area might be interested. They need to campaign for applicants in the area.
They are working on the bid specifications for two Class A pumpe
ALTERNATIVE FUNDING AND GRANTS
FY 2012 CDBG Grant for Pahoa Tanker: Chief Rosario reported that during a pre-
delivery check, some items did not meet specifications. The vendor is in the process
of getting its HawaiÒi Compliance Express (HCE) certificate. The vehicle cannot be
shipped until they are certified, and he is sure it will be done this week. The County
pays on delivery.
FY 2012 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant Application: This is for entrapment
training. They are waiting for the vendor to get its HCE clearance.
FY 2012 Assistance to Fire Fighters Prevention Grant Application: They just
received the award last month and are waiting for County Council approval.
FY 2013 CDBG Grant for Waiakea Quint: The bid specs are being finalized.
Capital Improvement Projects: A current overview of ongoing projects may include
but not limited to:
Kawailani Fire Station Replacement: They had a meeting with key stakeholders
along with Commissioner Waipa and Councilman Onishi. There was
about relocating the fence line. The next step is for DLNR Board approval. DLNR
has been very supportive, and they have always worked well with
regards to public safety. This project is moving forward with the MayorÓs CIP
projects.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES UPDATE:
Chief Rosario reported that he continues to
meet with personnel at the fire stations, although this month was difficult because he had
to wrap up the budget. He is working with Council Members for projects earmarked for
HawaiÒi County Fire Commission
Meeting Minutes
July 26, 2013
Page 3
their districts. Information through video conferencing has not gotten off the ground as
expected. He prefers face-to-face interaction.
HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION
Recruitments
Internal recruitments: Chief Rosario reported that he received blanket requisition
approvals until December for every position except Fire Rescue. They filled the
driverÓs trainer position after they changed the minimum qualifications and made it
a promotion. The Battalion Chief for Auxiliary Services will be filled July 1. A
County internal recruitment is being done for the Human Resource
Open-competitive recruitments: WSOs were hired for Puna and South Hilo.
Commissioner De Luz expressed interest in helping with a keiki program to groom
potential candidates for WSOs. The Accountant IV assessment will be conducted
on June 27 and 28.
Labor Relations: A WSO II arbitration hearing for termination was concluded. A
decision is expected to take two months. A WSO IIÓs two suspensions are pending
arbitration.
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS DIVISION
Operations: They continue to work with HFFA on CBA issues that affect Operations
Division personnel. They are assisting with training of firefighter recruits. A primary
concern of the Operations Division is upgrading of support vehicles.
Special Operations
Ocean Safety: Three WSOs were temporarily hired for the summer. They are
recruiting for two new full-time positions to cover the PunaluÓu tower. They
completed the first of the Jr. Lifeguard sessions in Ka`u, Hilo, Puna, Hpuna, and
Kona. The Jr. Lifeguard Big Island Championships will be held at Hpuna Beach
Park on July 20 and the State Championships on Maui on July 27.
sending some of their Jr. Lifeguards to the National Championships in California.
st
Training: The 41 recruit class was assigned to stations and is working on their
driver training requirements. They are also working on their medic runs and
nd
national license requirements. The 42 recruit class continues to work on their
fire essentials curriculum and skills requirements. They participated in a
community MS walk event where they stood by to provide first aid. They will be
assisting with the upcoming American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Their CVE
student internship ended, and they will request another one. Captain Okinaka
attended an All-Hazards Incident Management Team training for major incidents.
HawaiÒi County Fire Commission
Meeting Minutes
July 26, 2013
Page 4
Volunteers: Chief Rosario reported that the mechanics completed the DOT
checks for the volunteers. DPW checked the water tanks at the Volcano
volunteer station because of safety concerns. They conducted training with
Paauilo and Pu`uanahulu on the use of the new brush trucks from California.
They had a meeting with the Four Seasons Resort. Resort management will not
allow their personnel to leave the property. Therefore, that station will be shut
down. In reviewing notes of the meeting, the resort manager said their security is
obligated to provide fire protection for their homeowners. They have been piggy
backing on the County. They could move the apparatus to Kona Village where
management has no problems with their employees leaving the prem
private gated communities, such as Kukio, they are allowed on property only with
permission and escorted to do inspections of their fire protection systems.
Volunteer Fire Chief Krug reported that he also attended the meeting at the Four
Seasons. He spoke to some of the volunteers, and they were disappointed that
they could not leave the property. Chair Taniguchi attended their Central Station
meeting. Their main concern was the pager program which seems to have been
fixed. Fundraising cannot be done by fire personnel. However, if there was a
group of supporters (e.g. Ðfriends of the fire deptÑ), this is allowable. Their next
meeting will be on September 7 at the Pahala station. They will be receiving a
brush truck from the Avalon Fire Department on Catalina Island.
SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION
EMS Bureau: The ambulance remount contract was approved by Fin
their first remount and will save them approximately $80,000 compared to purchasing
a brand new ambulance. The remount program basically, removes t
compartment from the old chassis, and ÐremountsÑ the medic compartment onto a
new chassis. The 12-lead EKG transmission was upgraded to the RescueNet Link
platform. This will allow the medic units to transmit EKG tracings to the hospital
during transport. The Community Hands Only CPR Project is moving forward.
Approximately 500 people were trained in the last three months, and they have had
positive feedback from the community. They will be targeting th
coming year. They received 15 desktops and 9 laptops via the USDA grant. The
computers need to be setup by IT and distributed to EMS stations.
th
Prevention Bureau: They assisted in coordinating the July 4 festivities with P&R.
They assisted in conducting a mass emergency drill at the new courthouse.
Dispatch: The new Intrado System was placed in the dispatch center. Training will
be done in July and August. Three trainees completed their Emergency Medical
Dispatching training and continue with their training curriculum.
HawaiÒi County Fire Commission
Meeting Minutes
July 26, 2013
Page 5
Auxiliary Services/Distribution Center: They continue with the e-waste disposal and
cleanup of the distribution center. DPW notified them that the distribution centerÓs
roof replacement is on the top of their priority list.
Maintenance Shop: They are working on the 5-ton truck for HOVE. They continue to
push for the roof replacement of the maintenance shop.
NEW PROJECTS/BUSINESS:
The EMS Run will be on August 3 at Liliuokalani
Gardens. The department will be hosting the Fire ChiefÓs Conference in November.
EMPLOYEE/PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Fire administration received notification of the
passing of former firefighter Chad Hundley. In addition, a firefighter recruit was
terminated for a violation of the standards of conduct. They participated in the Moonlight
Madness fundraiser.
COMMITTEE REPORTS/UPDATES
Budget and Finance (Committee Chair Taniguchi): No report.
Office Management and Staffing (Committee Chair Taniguchi): No report.
Rules and Policies (Committee Chair Lee): No report.
Public Relations (Committee Chair Moku): No report.
Training and Education (Committee Chair Namahoe): No report.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chair Taniguchi announced that the next meeting is scheduled fo
14, 2013, 10:00 a.m., Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi St., Hilo, HawaiÒi.
ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner De Luz moved to adjourn the meeting. Vice Chair Moku seconded the
motion and it carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 11:40 a.m.
SUBMITTED BY: JOSIE PELAYO, SECRETARY
APPROVED BY: TOBY TANIGUCHI, CHAIR