Former employees have described a toxic work environment and leadership issues at the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, leading to the stalled confirmation of its current director.
The Honolulu City Council is in the process of confirming the city administration's leadership positions. Last week a council committee voted to postpone a vote in the confirmation process for Dr. Jim Ireland as the Emergency Services Department director.
Ireland is the current director for HESD, which includes Emergency Medical Services. Mayor Rick Blangiardi nominated Ireland to head the department in 2020 and has nominated him for reappointment.
But testimony about his leadership during a committee hearing last week described favoritism, poor resource management, a lack of commitment to address staffing shortages and other issues.
Jonathan Lee, a retired paramedic who was with the department for 33 years, testified against Ireland’s reappointment.
“James Ireland has had four years to turn this department around and move it forward, and the only thing he's done is moved it backwards and laterally,” Lee said.
“He has shown little to no leadership ability, there's definitely a no-confidence feeling within the field personnel. And it is my recommendation that he not be reappointed, and that it's time for HESD to have new leadership with a clear vision, feasible plans to move forward — that the entire department understands where it's going and how it's going to get there.”
Similarly, former paramedic Laurie Grace said the department has been understaffed, affecting its services to the public.
In her testimony, Grace said HESD has had to rely on the military and the American Medical Response to fill those shortages, but has not been committed to filling them.
Meanwhile, current employees want to leave, she said.
“The prioritization of personal agendas over the core mission of EMS has caused morale to plummet in their tenure. Personnel are actively seeking employment elsewhere due to a toxic work environment and favoritism,” she said.
Ireland said that when he first took HESD’s lead role, staffing was among the biggest issues.
He said the start of an Emergency Medical Services Academy, along with recent hires from Kapiʻolani Community College’s Emergency Medical Technician and paramedic programs, has helped fill some of those shortages. He said those shortages will fall even more so.
“We have the lowest vacancy rate that anybody can remember, and I think that will be reflective in increasing service and service expansion,” Ireland said.
The committee did not set a date for when it would resume Ireland’s confirmation process.
