Hawaii Trip 2013

[karl4700]

I have to agree w/ Ladder 68 here.  In 1989, I shot Maui Rescue 10 and that rig looks alot like that.

[Image7801]

I have to agree w/ Ladder 68 here.  In 1989, I shot Maui Rescue 10 and that rig looks alot like that.

Ah, you guys could be right.  Maui runs yellow, too.  I got to 5 of the 10 stations on Maui, but not Station 10 (Kahului), where the rescue is stationed.  One of the other stations said they had a new heavy rescue, so that was probably the old one...  Thanks!  BTW - Any photos of that rig when it was on Maui?

[DaveYoung]

Ah, you guys could be right.  Maui runs yellow, too.  I got to 5 of the 10 stations on Maui, but not Station 10 (Kahului), where the rescue is stationed.  One of the other stations said they had a new heavy rescue, so that was probably the old one...  Thanks!  BTW - Any photos of that rig when it was on Maui?

Marion Body Works is the builder. There's a pic of it in a rescue vehicles brochure from Marion that I've kept all these years. 

[OPEN CAB MACK]

Ah, you guys could be right.  Maui runs yellow, too.  I got to 5 of the 10 stations on Maui, but not Station 10 (Kahului), where the rescue is stationed.  One of the other stations said they had a new heavy rescue, so that was probably the old one...  Thanks!  BTW - Any photos of that rig when it was on Maui?

In 1994 I was in Hawaii.  I visited a couple of stations.  They ran Seagraves for engines & trucks and the color of the H.F.D. at that time was chrome yellow.  The firefighter I spoke with told me that when L.A. City placed an order, the H.F.D. added on to the same spec but had their rigs yellow.

[Bryce]

Great series of shots of Kauai.  We go to Kauai every February.  My parents have a timeshare at Poipu.  My dad brings his scanner to listen to what's going on, so over the last 5 years I've figured out a little of how things work.  One of the things I find interesting is that there are no cities in Hawaii.  The governments are all run at the county level.  So each island (Maui includes Lanai, Molokai, and Kahoolawe) is its own county.

 

The little brush rigs are known as "Truck" on the air.  All the Stations run with crews of at least 4 split between the Engine and the Truck.  They respond together on everything.  I think, if my memory serves, that what used to be known as Truck 3 (the city service ladder/rescue International/Pierce) is now called Rescue 3 on the air, but they just haven't bothered to change the paint on the rig.  

 

Station 1 has the International/Pierce Engine so they can access what's north of the one lane bridge at Hanalei.  There's a 15 ton weight limit, so normal firefighting apparatus isn't getting over.  Any of the other companies will stop, park their Engines, and ride the rest of the way north over the bridge in the Trucks.  So with any fire north of the Hanalei bridge, you are only getting Engine 1.

 

Kauai is really rural with many unimproved dirt roads.  The stations are pretty spread out, so a lot of the firefighting there is just mitigation, since structures are pretty well gone by the time crews get on the scene.  Areas the Engines can't get to are accessed by the Trucks.  For example, we drove the road all the way up Waimea Canyon.  There was an EMS call at the very top of the road.  We saw all 4 of Engine 7's crew come all the way up the canyon road (about a 30-45 minute response time) in Truck 7 only.  I imagine it would've taken Engine 7 forever to climb the hill, so they just took the Truck.

 

The lifeguards there are also part of the fire department.  Several beaches around the island are staffed with full time lifeguards.  

 

Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Image7801]

Great series of shots of Kauai.  We go to Kauai every February.  My parents have a timeshare at Poipu.  My dad brings his scanner to listen to what's going on, so over the last 5 years I've figured out a little of how things work.  One of the things I find interesting is that there are no cities in Hawaii.  The governments are all run at the county level.  So each island (Maui includes Lanai, Molokai, and Kahoolawe) is its own county.

 

The little brush rigs are known as "Truck" on the air.  All the Stations run with crews of at least 4 split between the Engine and the Truck.  They respond together on everything.  I think, if my memory serves, that what used to be known as Truck 3 (the city service ladder/rescue International/Pierce) is now called Rescue 3 on the air, but they just haven't bothered to change the paint on the rig.  

 

Station 1 has the International/Pierce Engine so they can access what's north of the one lane bridge at Hanalei.  There's a 15 ton weight limit, so normal firefighting apparatus isn't getting over.  Any of the other companies will stop, park their Engines, and ride the rest of the way north over the bridge in the Trucks.  So with any fire north of the Hanalei bridge, you are only getting Engine 1.

 

Kauai is really rural with many unimproved dirt roads.  The stations are pretty spread out, so a lot of the firefighting there is just mitigation, since structures are pretty well gone by the time crews get on the scene.  Areas the Engines can't get to are accessed by the Trucks.  For example, we drove the road all the way up Waimea Canyon.  There was an EMS call at the very top of the road.  We saw all 4 of Engine 7's crew come all the way up the canyon road (about a 30-45 minute response time) in Truck 7 only.  I imagine it would've taken Engine 7 forever to climb the hill, so they just took the Truck.

 

The lifeguards there are also part of the fire department.  Several beaches around the island are staffed with full time lifeguards.  

 

Looking forward to the rest of the series.

 

Thanks Bryce - That's great information.  I'll update the postings to reflect the correct identifiers.  Of all the islands, Kauai stations were the easiest to find (essentially on the main roads) but the crews were sometimes at nearby businesses, etc... It was sometimes hard to track them down.  BTW - I assume this is the one-lane bridge that you were referring to north of Hanalei?

   

[Image7801]

Next stop was the island of Hawai'i, more commonly known as the Big Island.  Hawai'i is 4,000 square miles, making it the largest island in the U.S and comprising 62% of the land area of the State of Hawai'i.  The population is about 185,000. 

 

Best as I can determine, the Hawai'i County Fire Department has 20 stations (10 paid, 10 volunteer), covering the island.  They also run the EMS service out of the fire stations, too.

 

I stayed on the Kona (west) side of the island but unfortunately had very little time to pay any station visits.  So, the best I could do was visit a couple of stations (6 and 12) and grab a few quick shots.

 

Station 6 - Captain Cook

This station had no front ramp to speak of, the back was crowded with police and it was raining, so I didn't even ask to pull the rig out.

 

Engine 6 - Pierce Dash

Medic 6 - Ford F-550/Braun Northwest

   

[Image7801]

Next stop on Hawai'i was Station 12 - Keauhou, a little farther north in the southern part of Kailua-Kona. 

 

This station has a large front ramp and the crew was very accommodating, but for some inexplicable reason, I didn't ask them to pull anything out (still had jet lag, I guess).

 

They were running an elderly reserve E\-One Hurricane top mount pumper, which was still lettered for Station 10, elsewhere on the island.  I couldn't get any details on the rig, other than it looked like a typical Hawai'i 1000 GWT.  The ambulance was a pretty new F-550/Braun Northwest.  There was a reserve F-350/Wheeled Coach (x-Medic 12) parked next to the station, out in the open.

   

[Image7801]

Crummy bay shot of the reserve running as Hawai'i Engine 12.

   

 

[Image7801]

Hawai'i County reserve Medic 12

 

Ford F-350/Wheeled Coach

   

[Image7801]

Hawai'i County Medic 12

 

Ford F-550/Braun Northwest

   

[Image7801]

I did get a little lucky in Hilo, on the east side of the island.

 

Hawai'i County Rescue 2 - Waiakea

 

Ford F-550/E-One light rescue

   

[Image7801]

That's all I had from the Big Island.  I was kind of disappointed.  However, I more than made up for it on Maui...coming up.

[nealcraig]

First - Thanks for sharing. Second - I am jealous. If I may offer a correction the newer Medic units are Braun Northwest. The older reserve is indeed a WC.

[lawrencewhite111]

Great seeing these. Keep posting

[Image7801]

First - Thanks for sharing. Second - I am jealous. If I may offer a correction the newer Medic units are Braun Northwest. The older reserve is indeed a WC.

Thanks, I do appreciate correct information. I couldn't find the builder on the new medic rigs, so I just assumed they were still buying WC. There should be an ambulance body quick reference guide... I'll update the postings.

[Image7801]

Okay - Next stop:  Maui. 

 

An interesting fact about Maui fire apparatus is that they're all "named," generally for places within their respective first-in districts (or so I understand).

Engine 1 is named Pu'u Kukui, which is the highest peak in the West Maui mountains, immediately west of Wailuku.

 

Station 1 is in the town of Wailuku, which is the administrative seat of Maui County.

Maui Engine 1 - 2007 Pierce Arrow XT 1500/750 S/N #18984-01.  Again, no ramp and very little room out back.

   

[Image7801]

Mini 1 - 2006 Chevy C5500/Pierce 500/300 S/N #18061

This rig is named Kahakaloa, for the isolated community on the far north shore of the west end of Maui, marking the northwest boundary of Station 1's district, about 14 miles of treacherous, winding road from Station 1.

   

[Image7801]

The working end of Mini 1

   

[Image7801]

Station 3 is located in Lahaina, an ex-fishing village turned tourist spot on the west shore of Maui. 

 

Station 3 has an engine, ladder, 6x6 tanker, boat, battalion chief.

 

Engine 3 is a 20xx Spartan/SVI.  Unfortunately I couldn't get it pulled out for photos, so a crummy bay shot it is.

This rig is named Ka Malu Ulu O Lele, which is the ancient Hawaiian name for Lahaina.