The Honolulu City Council has reappointed Jim Ireland to head the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.
On Wednesday, the council voted 8-0 to confirm Ireland as HESD’s director. It comes after a slew of former employees in February testified against Ireland, citing the department’s “toxic” work environment, staffing issues and mismanagement of resources.
That prompted the council to postpone Ireland’s confirmation hearing.
Since then, the public and some local officials, including Gov. Josh Green, have testified in support of his reappointment and praised his work in the community, particularly on homelessness.
Councilmember Val Okimoto voted with reservations to confirm Ireland. She cited “serious concerns” that she said ultimately affect public safety services, such as a workplace marked by low morale, favoritism, retaliation and a loss of trust between HESD staff and leadership.
She was also concerned about the loss of ambulance units, a reliance on private and federal entities to support the department, and millions of dollars in lost city revenue because of administrative oversight.
“These are not isolated problems. They point to structural challenges that require more than piecemeal fixes,” Okimoto said. “That is why I believe the city must seriously consider merging the Honolulu Emergency Services Department with the Honolulu Fire Department. Other municipalities have successfully integrated EMS and fire services to reduce duplication, improve coordination and streamline operations.”
Ireland spoke before Wednesday’s confirmation vote, but mostly to discuss some of HESD’s recent achievements and plans.
He said HESD’s 15 vacancies are the lowest in a decade, and that the department just received more than a dozen new or “remounted” ambulances.
Ireland also said he’s trying to improve the pay and working conditions for paramedics.
