HONOLULU (KHON2) — After a circulating letter accusing Honolulu EMS of shutting down or downgrading several ambulances starting in January that raised concerns about a reduction in coverage that could cost lives, EMS Director, Dr. Jim Ireland, said plainly, the closures are not happening.
“It’s false. And what that is, is a bid matrix where people select where they want to work, but it doesn’t reflect all the ambulances we have deployed,” said Ireland.
Oahu gets EMS overhaul with new fleet of life saving vehicles
Ireland says 2026 will be one of the strongest years for EMS. He says the department is expecting 40 new hires to start in January, including 20 academy graduates, several EMTs and paramedics already onboard, and a dozen more recruits from Kapiolani Community College.
That surge in staffing is what allows EMS to modernize its entire deployment model…