Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety

1
Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety

• Wildland Firefighting
• Program
• Update Spring 2008

2
Geographic

• Total land area of 1,159 sq. miles
• Diverse general climate zones
• Leeward lowlands
• Interior lowlands
• Leeward side high-altitude mountain slopes with
  high rainfall
• Lower mountain slopes on leeward side
• High mountains
• Windward lowlands

3
(No Transcript)
4
Demographic

• Rapid growth and development
• Population at 141,320 rising approximately 1.7
  annually
• Building construction in previously undeveloped
  areas
• 2.3 million visitors per year peaking in summer
  months

5
Resources

• Limited resources -14 engine companies
• 1 Lanai
• 3 Molokai
• 10 Maui island
• 1 H 500 D helicopter (2-3 available on call)
• 4 Tenders (2 on Maui island)
• 2 6 wheel drive 2000-2500 gal. tenders
• Approximately 300 line personnel
• Traditional department Designed/trained/equipped
  for structural firefighting

6
Resources

• Limited resources for aid
• State Department of Land and Natural Resources
  Division of Forestry and Wildlife
• Haleakala National Park
• Private contractors
• State and County Public Works

7
Fire Update

• No Major Wildland Fires Since June

8
Olowalu (June 2007)
9
(No Transcript)
10
Statistics

• June 27-30, 2007
• 2600 Acres
• 6 Engines
• 1 Ladder company
• 2 Department tenders
• Multiple County tenders
• 3 H-500Ds, 1 Chinook
• State DLNR crews
• Haleakala National Parks crew
• Loss of 2 residential structures

11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
Current Fire Threat

• Rainfall in the last six months has been lowest
  for several years
• USGS report of between 68 - 78 of normal
  rainfall for county
• Normally our wet season
• Higher than average fuel loads and lower moisture
  content in those fuels

18
Wildland Program Outline

• Developed training and obtained equipment to
  effectively and safely fight wildland fires
• Wildland Team Program initiated in 2003 with
  approximately 15 members attending Firefighter
  Type 2 level training.
• Obtained PPE and hand tools for wildland
  environment.
• Loan of a Model 42 light-engine fire truck from
  the U.S. Forest Service.
• Cross training engine crews in wildland
  firefighting techniques and safety.

19
Program Focus

• Continuing broad based basic to mid level
  training
• Training of greatest number in basic safety and
  operation practices (S-130, S-190, L-180)
• Certification for Team members
• In-house training for all personnel
• Training of dedicated responders and supervisory
  personnel to a higher level (S-232, S-234,
  S-212, S-215)

20
Current level of Training

• Broad department wide operational training
• Currently 60 firefighters trained to FF Type 2
  level.
• Awareness level training to all department
  personnel

21
6 Months of Progress

• 1/3 of 60 member team trained in S-212, S-232,
  and S-234 during the first two weeks of January
• 4 Supervisors/Leaders attended S-215 class at
  Firehouse World Expo in San Diego during first
  week of February
• Negotiation and planning for S-215 class on Maui
  for FFIII and Captains
• Current recruit class scheduled to receive S-130,
  S-190, L-180 equivalent training in June

22
In-House Training

• All training to be coordinated with training
  bureau
• Training to be based on NWCG course material and
  requirements
• Program overseen and managed by Certified Fire
  Instructor Level II personnel (Pro
  Board/IFSAC/NFPA)

23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29
(No Transcript)
30
Current Equipment (Team)

• Equipment cache for the rapid deployment of
  called out personnel.
• Fire packs/With Shelters
• Hand tools
• Hand pumps
• Footwear
• Helmets
• Water reservoirs
• Foam
• Weather kits and electronic meters (Kestrel)
• GPS Handheld units (Garmin 530 Cx)
• 20 VHF Radios

31
Current Equipment (Department)

• All apparatus equipped with fire shelters and
  webbing harnesses for crews.
• All apparatus equipped with wildland fire
  fighting tools.
• All personnel equipped with nomex brush over gear
  (pants and jacket) and wildland gloves
• All nomex duty uniforms.
• Lightweight supply hose with quick deployment
  packs.
• Wildland appliances, fittings and nozzles.
• 1 attack line packs
• Lightweight nozzles

32
Equipment
33
Work in ProgressAdministrative

• Development of standard operational guidelines
  and call out procedures for department wildland
  team
• Currently under review by Department and County
  administration.
• Continued development of strong cooperative
  relationships with federal, state and private
  Entities.
• Joint training/operations
• Deployment of wildland teams currently standard
  practice for major wildland fires

34
Goals

• Expanding equipment cache and storage to
  accommodate growing training and response needs
• Acquire additional apparatus, pumps and tools for
  response equivalent to training
• Wildland specific PPE for all department
  personnel and private contractors
• Improved communications with VHF capable team
  specific radios.

35
The Future

• Acceptance and maintenance of wildland standard
  operating guidelines.
• Explore the development of permanent
  administrative/operational wildland leadership
  positions.
• Facing the challenge of reduced funding in
  difficult economic times

36
THANK YOU