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Dick, I'm a battalion chief with the Kern County Fire Department in Kern County, California. I've been on the job for 30 years, planning on retiring to Puna in about 2 years. We (the KCFD) have 46 full-time fire stations scattered over more than 8,000 square miles, so I really do know about fire protection in rural areas. I have some knowledge about how the Hawaii County Fire Department is organized, but not a lot of depth about procedural and policy details.
I'd be glad to exchange emails with you (or anybody who is interested) to explain what I know of about fire protection in rural areas as a general proposition.
Aloha! ;-)
Aloha! ;-)
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mgeary, the big island is different i just got back from a good size brush fire with the hpp vol., i had 23 years in back east and here is different. spend some time here, talk to the guys, maybe ridealong - before forming an opinion.
The devil is in the detail
good point Seeb...
I'd like to hear mgearys plan for saving houses from Pele [  ]
Fires here are totally different from mainland fires.
But just the fact that Mgeary is willing to talk and help out,
tells me his mind is in the right place for a good transition here to Puna.
Mgeary... did you know we are actually getting a new fire station after years of neglect?
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Lower your expectations and be ready for anything.
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It's great to hear from all of you on fire protection in the area. I'm not a fanatic, but you are prety much on your own in a rural area in the first few minutes of fire and any prior planning one can due can only help. I'll be glad to exchange E-mails with anyone who has any idea's, I don't want to operate from past experience and make a huge mistake. E-mail dickwilson836@msn.com Many thanks to you all
dick wilson
dick wilson
"Nothing is idiot proof,because idiots are so ingenious!"
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quote:
Originally posted by Damon
...I'd like to hear mgearys plan for saving houses from Pele []
Fires here are totally different from mainland fires.
Mgeary... did you know we are actually getting a new fire station after years of neglect?...
Plan for saving houses from Pele: PRAY, MAKE OFFERINGS. That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it.[8D]
Isn't everything different in Hawaii than it is on the mainland? I would hope so. Having said that, the principles of firefighting, whether it's wildland, structural, petroleum, aircraft, whatever, are generally the same wherever you go. Situational awareness, define your objectives (life safety, property protection, protect the environment, etc.), organize your incident and your resources, establish effective command, control, and communications, then get the hell out of the road and let the firefighters use the tactics they've been trained and equipped for. That's what I've done all over the western United States, from San Diego to Glacier National Park in Montana, for several decades. As a battalion chief, a Planning Section chief, and a Safety Officer, that's how I work. I'm a fire manager.
I watched the boys (and girls?) fight a 6,000 acre wildland fire last year over on the Waikoloa side. The tactics are very much different in many ways, I watched them work for awhile. Grassy lava fields do not lend themselves to dozers or even handcrews, and you don't have all the air resources that we do here in Cali.
I'm not familiar with where all the Hawaii County fire stations are, nor the call (volunteer) fire stations, but based on what I've gathered about the general neglect of the Puna district by the local government, I'm not surprised that you've been under-protected. Before I come to that conclusion, though, I really need to be more familiar with the Hawaii County Fire Department. It's not right for me to put stink words to my Hawaiian brothers without knowing the facts.
Aloha! ;-)
Aloha! ;-)
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Their budget is tiny compared to most places on the mainland, and no Mutual Aid. the most critical shortage is ambulances there is only 14 medics for the island and only 2 in puna.
The devil is in the detail
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I assumed that everybody knew that everybody's e-mail addresses are available by clicking on their screen name to the right of their postings, so you can get to mine by clicking on the "mgeary" at the left of this post.
For simplicity, you can email me at mgeary1@bak.rr.com if you would like to discuss fire protection, or anything else. I don't know much about anything else, though.[  ]
Aloha! ;-)
Aloha! ;-)
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From about a week's exchanges of e-mails with Dick Wilson, here's the resulting summary of my (generic) recommendations as a fire professional to any homeowner in Puna or any other rural area:
I think we’ve pretty much covered all the bases. Active and diligent fire prevention in and around the home as the first line of defense. 2A10BC or larger extinguishers in the kitchen and garage. Quality home sprinkler system, with adequate pressure (check the manufacturers, I think 50-60 psi minimum) with at least a 3,000 gallon water supply. Quality detector system, 110v AC and battery backup, hooked to an alarm company, and based on max temp. and heat-rate-of-rise, primarily, with a mix of other types for redundancy. Plumbed F.D. connection (plan on at least 4” pipe strong enough to withstand perhaps 20 mm Hg suction and maybe a 2-1/2” N.S. male fitting on the end, but for sure this is one thing to talk with the local boys about, exactly what kind of fitting they’d like to hook up to). And unless you’re really, really committed, no active fire suppression (hose, nozzles) beyond the portable extinguishers.
These are top-drawer, high-end items, recommended for a gentleman engaging in new construction, and will result in thousands of dollars in expenses. If you take any of these ideas, you can prune them down to fit your own budget. For example, the $10 battery-powered stick-up smoke detectors are very effective, as long as the battery is fresh. And fire prevention (cleaning combustibles away from the gas-fired water heater, paying attention to your smoking materials if you smoke, preventing children-and-matches, defensible space outside if you live near flammable vegetation, etc.) are all very, very effective, and cost nothing except your labor.
Aloha! ;-)
Aloha! ;-)
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Clearing the weeds and brush from around your house is one for Everyone brush fires move very quick. if weeds or trees are up agaisnt your house it will be gone before anybody can do anything
and CHECK YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS
The devil is in the detail
I just noticed this job posting for fire recruits on the Big Island.
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HMMKT
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