2021 Run Down
What a year. What an understatement. A new Mayor, a new Fire Chief, a new administration, and many new issues that required unique out-of-the-box solutions. The Hawai’i Fire Department has shown over the last year, its resiliency and ability to roll with the punches. These challenges have highlighted shortfalls in staffing and equipment and have resulted in a top to bottom review on how we conduct business. Under the leadership of Chief Todd, the budget and justification for a deep dive into the books has resulted in the development of a line item budget aligned with program objectives.
With this fresh perspective on finance management, it is anticipated that there will be a more efficient means of tracking expenditures and identifying shortfalls. This past year has been challenging to say the least, but it has prepared the Department for a more robust and solid direction as we move into 2022.
Response by the Numbers
As mentioned earlier, 2021 was a busy year. The side by side comparison is below, but doesn’t adequately capture the human component of the responses. With COVID affecting so many within the Community and the shut downs and other preventive actions, additional stressors were placed on the minimal staffing and resulted in greater fatigue. This was observed in the decrease of participation of personnel working as Paramedics and the crossstaffing of the ambulances. The trends analysis included below is skewed due to the pandemic, but still highlights issues to reflect on.
The So What?
So why are these numbers important and what do they tell us? The total responses for 2021 was 27,401. On average, that is 75 calls a day and is up 2,386 calls from 2020. At a glance, it is easy to see that the mission is growing and the dependency of the community on high quality response is not abating. The increase demands on the minimal staffing is pushing the limits on response and the ability to perform at the expected level. As we delve deeper into the statistics, we start to see the negative impact of reduced training, outdated equipment and non-compliant protective gear.
The model that is being utilized was developed over 20 years ago and was minimally sufficient then. The other issue that takes a little bit more nuance in interpretation is what we are measuring. The Fire Industry has made a radical shift in the measurement of services over the last 10 years. The Accreditation Process has become a mainstay within the industry and the use of a comprehensive Fire and Emergency Services Self-Assessment Manual (FESAM) is a good approach to identifying strengths and weakness within the program.
Putting it Together
In the close out of 2021, a needs analysis will be performed to capture the Department’s successes as anticipated in the Program Goals and Objectives. A close look in how we are evaluating and grading our successes will be incorporated into the 2022 Program Objectives and Performance Measures. We will also highlight those objectives where we missed the mark and evaluate how to obtain resolution. In building momentum to resolve identified issues, it is envisioned that each years report will feed into the next years reporting cycle. In this perspective, the annual report will be a living document that adapts to the ever-changing challenges that arise.