2 New Ambulances Proposed
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers will consider legislation that would fund putting two more ambulances into service on the Big Island.
West Hawaii Today reports the measure would seek $100,000 in the 2019-20 fiscal year and another $100,000 in the next fiscal year to fund the ambulances, equipment and personnel costs.
The ambulances would be stationed in Puna and the Makalei area. The Big Island has not put a new ambulance into service in more than a decade.
The Makalei Fire Station, which opened in late 2012, doesn’t have an ambulance. The closest ambulance-equipped station is eight miles (13 kilometers) to the south in Kailua-Kona.
Democratic state Sen. Dru Kanuha says state and emergency officials have identified Puna as a priority for an ambulance, but one is “badly needed” for the Makalei area.
Information from: West Hawaii Today
