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Budget committee adds ambulatory unit for West Oahu as city increases ambulance remounts and purchases
Summary
The Budget Committee accepted funding to start a 12‑hour peak ambulance unit based at Ko'olina/West Oahu and approved funding requests that would modernize and expand the city's ambulance fleet; emergency services said vehicles take up to two years to procure and staffing pipelines must keep pace.
The Honolulu Budget Committee on May 20 accepted a proposal to fund a new 12‑hour peak ambulance unit in the Ko'olina/West Oahu area and discussed a broader fleet modernization plan that includes remounts and new ambulances.
James Ireland, director of the Emergency Services Department, told the committee the Ko'olina unit is planned to be a 12‑hour peak-time ambulance that could be expanded to 24 hours in future budgets. Ireland said the location provides coverage for Kapolei, Waipahu, Ewa and the Waianae Coast and would help relieve longer transport runs to hospitals on the mainland of Oahu.
Ireland and Director Kawano described a multi-year procurement and remount strategy: 14 ambulances were recently delivered (six brand-new and eight remounts), four remounts were still in Washington and four new ambulances were under construction with expected deliveries later in the year. The department sought an additional 11 remounts in the current proposed budget; director Ireland said procurement lead times can be 18–24 months from budget approval to delivery.
Committee members asked whether staffing can keep pace with fleet expansion. Ireland said staffing is improving — new EMTs and recruits are in process — but emphasized paramedic training remains a multi-year pipeline. He said the department plans to expand recruitment, run an EMT academy in July, and send a larger cohort to paramedic school in August.
Council members also asked about relief-designated ambulances and how remounts will be cycled into frontline and backup roles. Ireland explained older ambulances that meet remount criteria will be re-chassised to extend useful service, while the newest units will be frontline response vehicles.
The committee accepted the proposed budget language and moved forward with the capital/operating mix to support remounts and the new Ko'olina unit; members asked EMS to return with staffing, training and timeline details for the new unit.
