The Honolulu Emergency Services Department will use an outfitted city bus to provide services to homeless individuals.
Honolulu emergency services staff will start deploying its Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement, or C.O.R.E., bus this month. It’s part of a new city homeless outreach strategy.
The retired TheBus vehicle will be outfitted with medical equipment, stretchers and hygiene supplies such as clean clothes and adult diapers.
The city said people can also be taken to its Leahi or A‘ala respite centers and shelters.
“Big problems need big solutions, but not necessarily expensive solutions. This is a retired city bus, with roughly 1.7 million miles on it but it can still be put to good use,” said HESD Director Jim Ireland. “If someone needs medical attention, they will be able to lay flat on a stretcher safely and receive care on their way to a respite center.”
The C.O.R.E. Bus will be staffed with two or three EMTs, and initially, it will be deployed once a week. It can transport 29 people, with some able to lie down.
The bus will also visit beaches, parks and other areas where homeless individuals might be staying.
