Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Kokua Line
Question: Around 10:30-11 a.m. one day in January, a fire truck from the Aiea Fire Station, E10, came down our street -- Uwau Drive. They were not dressed to respond to a fire, nor did they go to anyone's house for any medical reason I could see. No ambulance preceded or followed the truck. The crew started walking around the street like they were looking for someone or something. They stopped several times, then left. Around 11:30 a.m. a smaller fire truck came, with two guys. They came down the opposite side of the street, drove around the block, then just left. What were they looking for or what were they responding to? Can you ease the mind of a concerned citizen? Alarmed by fire
trucks in neighborhoodAnswer: At the end of December, more than 55 people retired from the Honolulu Fire Department. That resulted in a number of personnel changes, explained HFD spokesman Capt. Richard Soo.
One result was a new driver for Engine 10. "Because he's new to the area and newly promoted, he just needed to get familiar with the area," Soo said. "It's just pre-planning and familiarization with his response area."
As for the second truck, Soo explained that each fire battalion has a "detail truck," such as a pickup truck. On the day you saw it, the detail truck went to Uwau Drive to verify the location of the familiarization drive and drop something off with the engine crew, but by the time it arrived there, the crew had returned.
Q: Why were firemen in full regalia hosing down the grass and basketball courts in the small park at Pukele and Kaau streets in Palolo on a recent Saturday? The water came from a hydrant and a fire hose.
A: They were practicing "wet drills."
Fire spokesman Capt. Richard Soo explained that the Palolo fire captain just "wants to make sure that his crew and he are confident with hose operations."
The "triangle park" was chosen as a drill site because it's on a dead-end street and the drills would not inconvenience traffic. Soo said the captain also chooses times when the area is not in use and would not seriously affect other public activity.
He noted that some people have called to complain about wasting water, but "we have to use water to drill from the hydrant. The simple term is 'we need wet stuff to put out the red stuff.' You can't substitute that. You have to drill with water."
Soo said the department tries to curtail wet drills during drought conditions, but "we've got to use water. We've got to get guys used to the pressure and the hose being filled with water. ..."
Mahalo
To the many strangers who helped us on Saturday evening, Jan. 27, when our car broke down at Kamehameha Highway and Acacia Road, including: the mother and her daughters, who pushed our car over three lanes of traffic into a construction area; the construction worker in the black pickup, who was on his way home but offered us the use of his cell phone; and lastly, to the motorists who patiently slowed to allow us to get off the road safely. Nobody tooted, jeered or made rude remarks. It was a stressful situation, but the acts of kindness from strangers helped to solve a difficult problem safely. -- F.I.
Mahalo
To the young couple who let me use their cell phone to call AAA when my car broke down near Kailua Park on Sunday, Jan. 21. They were scanning the classifieds to find a home and move to Kailua. I wish them good luck and hope their dream came through. -- A.M. Newhouse
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com