Hawaii Fire Department responds to hundreds of search and rescue calls each year

EMS
Helicopter
Between 2014 and 2019, the crews from Waiakea Rescue Station and Kailua Rescue Station responded to nearly 900 rescue calls of different types. | Hawaii County Fire Department

Hawaii Fire Department crews provide an array of services, including land and sea search and rescue, pre-hospital emergency medical services, fire protection and suppression, hazardous materials response, ocean safety, fire prevention and public education for Hawaii County.

A typical day begins at 8 a.m. with an apparatus check. As calls for service come in, teams respond, and afterward they prep their gear for the next time they are called to help someone on the island. In between, they practice drills for a few hours.

“Because of the many certifications and responsibilities we hold, daily drills are an important part of our routine," Fire Captain James Wilson told Big Island Times. "We are all firefighter/ EMTs, and at (Waiakea Rescue Station) we are also disciplined in technical rope rescue, swift water rescue, SCUBA operations, land navigation with map, compass and GPS, confined space rescue, boat handling/towing, helicopter operations (water deployment, insertion, extraction, aerial search, [and] long line rescues), and we house the only aerial apparatus on the east side, which is a 79’ quint (engine and ladder truck combo).” 

Between 2014 and 2019, the crews from Waiakea Rescue Station and Kailua Rescue Station responded to nearly 900 rescue calls of different types. The two stations average 150 a year, although there were 190 calls in 2018, a high for the two crews. The types of calls they respond to and the number of calls for service also depend on the time of year, Wilson said.

Many of the calls the department responds to, “especially river rescue/recoveries,” are because people ignore posted signs, Wilson said. 

“Our rescue discipline is in addition to our fire/EMS responsibilities. We still respond to structure fires, auto accidents and EMS calls daily, but also island-wide (search-and-rescue) missions,” said Wilson. “We have two rescue stations: ours on the east is Waiakea (Station 2) and on the west is Kailua (Station 7). We basically split the island in half north to south and respond to calls from the ocean to the top of the mountains. We house and staff Chopper 1 here at Waiakea, which serves the entire Big Island.”

Chopper 2, which is primarily used for medical transport, is housed at South Kohala station. This helicopter can assist with search-and-rescue missions if needed.

Once a call comes in, the Captain chooses the appropriate vehicles, such as a ladder truck, a heavy rescue truck, two Ford F-350s, a utility vehicle, a quad, a 25-foot rescue boat and a helicopter, among others.

“On a typical fire/EMS call we are out the door within two minutes. On a rescue call, it depends on the nature of the call as to what we will respond with, as we will need to load up what is needed on whichever vehicles,” said Wilson. “Typically 10-12 minutes is a normal time; that would include launching the chopper and boat if needed. The boat is trailered to Wailoa boat ramp to launch, so that takes another couple minutes to get there and in the water.”

The search and rescue team

The search and rescue team consists of a captain, a fire equipment operator and three fire rescue specialists. The unit has three shifts of teams that consist of those personnel and, when necessary, they can call in those who are off-duty to bring the team to 10 for an extended search and rescue mission – with two teams searching and one manning the station.

For search and rescue calls, the Hawai’i Fire Department’s search and rescue team is often the only agency involved, although there are instances when other agencies (like the U.S. Coast Guard) get involved. A standard search can last three days for ocean calls, or five days for searches over land, though the fire chief has the authority to extend or terminate searches.

“If it is an ocean call extending beyond a day, the U.S. Coast Guard helps with ocean search if they are available (they fly a C130 or MH65 Dolphin from Oahu). Initially, we go through their command center on Oahu via phone and once they are on scene, we have air-to-air communications from our chopper to their assets,” said Wilson. 

“There have been times when private clubs or organizations come to assist but communication becomes an issue, and their safety is also a concern. Family likes to help, and we try to allow them, but again, communication and their safety becomes an issue.”

Joining the team

To join the search-and-rescue team, an individual must have at least a year of experience as a firefighter, with relevant certifications for fire and EMS work, including HDL/HFD lifeguard certification (awareness level), HDF driving and CPR. A search and rescue applicant must possess those certifications and experiences and have a SCUBA certification and an operations-level lifeguard certification.

“You would then apply with the county during the application period and pass a physical agility test consisting of a weighted land hike, weighted rope system hauling, weighted movement exercise, a continuous 500-meter paddle on a rescue board to a 500-meter swim in the ocean all for time (same day),” said Wilson. 

“Then you will be assessed by a board that will challenge you in scenarios, interviews and skills. Being comfortable being uncomfortable greatly helps.”

For those who want to assist the personnel at the Hawai’i Fire Department and the search and rescue team, Wilson says that remaining aware of one’s surroundings and following the directions of posted signs will keep people safe.

Community support

There is an organization that helps to fund equipment and training for the department – the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation. The foundation is named for Daniel Sayre, who fell 500 feet in the Polou Valley and was recovered by the rescue team of the Hawai’i Fire Department.

“They have raised over a million dollars in donations and pledged equipment since 1997,” Wilson said.

In addition, the Greg Cameron Fire Fund was established in 2012 to support department personnel in the event of injury or long-term illness.

To learn more about the Hawai’i Fire Department and the search and rescue team, visit hawaiicounty.gov/departments/fire.