LIHUE — The Kauai Fire Commission on Monday said it would wait for a task force report before deciding whether to support legislation that could dictate when emergency responders could use sirens and lights. The study is considering whether the
LIHUE — The Kauai Fire Commission on Monday said it would wait for a task force report before deciding whether to support legislation that could dictate when emergency responders could use sirens and lights.
The study is considering whether the lights and sirens decrease emergency response and transport times and save lives, or if they present a danger to the driver and the public.
Kauai Fire Chief Robert Westerman said House Bill 90 calls for a review of emergency response vehicle procedures to see if sirens and lights are audible and lights are visible to motorists. The outcome could consider more effective warning devices or driver education.
Westerman said he would also not take a position on the bill.
“If they decide to pass the law then we will review the data and take a position,” Westerman said.
Deputy County Attorney Mauna Kea Trask said the Legislative Task Force report would include recommendations.
Commissioner Dan Brown recommended that the commission not take any action until the report. He said that responders answering a call without use of sirens and other equipment at night presented safety and liability concerns that needed to be addressed.
The EMS trucks run their ambulance units from rented homes in residential areas, which presents a specific concern to neighbors but not necessarily the community.
“If they got into an accident without using all of the emergency equipment available to them, it could result in a liability for the department and to the individual who is driving the truck,” he said. “The bottom line is for officers to avoid unnecessary lawsuits.”
Brown said it is also not recommended that Kauai dispatch be put in a position to determine if a call was a life-threatening situation or not. Without training, he said no one could know for sure and responders could possible arrive unprepared for an emergency that was not called correctly, or get into an accident on the way to the scene for not using the siren.
Just prior to the start of the meeting, the commission held a ceremony to swear-in and welcome Bradley Maruyama as the newest commissioner. He started a three-year term on Monday.
Maruyama, 35, of Lihue, is an All State Insurance Agency representative with an office on Rice Street. He was asked to serve and appointed by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. on March 1.
“I want to give back to the community,” Maruyama said.
