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Committee postpones review of Honolulu Fire Commission; commissioners outline engagement and efficiency work
Summary
The committee postponed final action on the mandated review of the Honolulu Fire Commission after commissioners described outreach to fire stations, updated evaluations and internal working groups.
The Committee on Public Safety and Customer Services on April 3 postponed final action on its periodic review of the Honolulu Fire Commission. Commissioners David Matlin (chair) and Butch Caldera (vice chair) attended and described steps the commission has taken to increase engagement and efficiency.
Matlin told members the commission has visited station facilities and is focusing on engagement with front-line personnel and improved oversight. He said the commission has visited roughly 30 of 43 stations and formed four working groups focused on budget evaluation, citizen complaints, annual reporting and evaluation tasks. The commission also updated the fire chief evaluation to align with the department's seven strategic pillars and plans a level-setting discussion with commissioners and the chief.
Committee members thanked the commissioners for the report and the chair indicated she will prepare a draft committee report and recommendations for the next meeting. The chair noted that if the administration pursues integrating EMS into the Honolulu Fire Department, charter language (Chapter 6/10) would likely need amendment. The committee postponed action until its next scheduled meeting and took the commission's report under advisement.
"We've focused on engagement and efficiency," Matlin said, citing station visits, updated annual reports and the new evaluation tool.
