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Committee postpones decision on reappointing HESD director after critical public testimony
Summary
The Committee on Public Safety and Customer Services postponed action on the mayor’s nomination of Dr. James Ireland as director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department after multiple current and former EMS personnel criticized leadership, staffing and morale; the committee chair said budget and billing documents will be reviewed.
The Committee on Public Safety and Customer Services on Feb. 13 postponed action on the nomination of Dr. James Ireland as director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department after more than a dozen current and former EMS personnel testified against his reappointment.
Former and current EMS staff told the committee they have deep concerns about unit closures, staffing and morale. Laurie Grace, who described herself as having 33 years in EMS, told the committee she “firmly oppose[d] the reappointment of Dr. Ireland,” saying the department had “deteriorated significantly” under current leadership and that daily closures, turnover and reliance on outside ambulances had reduced advanced-life support coverage for 911 calls.
Other witnesses with long HESD careers made similar points. Jonathan Lee, a paramedic who said he worked in Honolulu EMS for 33 years, told the committee, “This is the worst it’s ever been.” Eddie Fujioka, a long-time medic, and Christopher Sloman, a former assistant chief, also testified that morale and operational clarity had worsened and urged the committee to block reappointment.
Director-designate James Ireland responded with operational and financial data. He told the committee that daily ambulance closure rates have fallen from 11.4% in January 2023 to 7.4% in January 2024 and to 6.6% in January 2025. He said the department is hiring and training new staff and will start its fifth EMS academy in July; he reported hiring 20 people on the day of the hearing and selecting 24 recruits for the July academy.
Dr. Ireland also described billing and collections: he said December collections from EMS billing were about $3.1 million for the month (roughly $37 million annually) and that the state provides $3.5 million a year through vehicle-surcharge funds, producing roughly $40.7 million in revenues against an EMS budget he said would be about $40.3 million.
Committee members asked for follow-up information. The chair said she had read the written testimony and found the claims notable; she said she would postpone action to allow the committee to review HESD budget documents, overtime costs and outstanding/uncollected bills. Deputy Managing Director Krishna Jairam and the mayor’s office said they support Dr. Ireland’s leadership and will continue to coordinate on improvements.
The transcript records no final vote on the nomination; the committee chair formally postponed the nomination to a later date and asked for additional documentation and budget review prior to further consideration.
