Hawaii
Hawaii Department of Health awards 2 contracts to AMR
By Leila Fujimori
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HONOLULU — AMR has provided emergency ambulance services for Maui and Kauai for 44 years.
The Department of Health announced Friday it has awarded two four-year contracts for emergency ground ambulance service for Maui and Kauai to International Life Support, dba American Medical Response, or AMR.
AMR had been a contractor for both counties for 44 years before controversy arose in 2023 when Falck Northwest Corp., a multinational company based in Denmark, was selected.
DOH issued the Notices of Awards Thursday after required competitive procurements.
The new contracts will begin Jan. 1, 2025, and end Dec. 31, 2028, and will ensure every district has an ambulance staffed with a paramedic and a second responder who is at least an emergency medical technician, commonly called an EMT, which are the current qualifications and level of staffing.
The Maui contract provides for a second ambulance on Molokai.
The value of the Kauai contract is $38 million and $74 million for Maui County, which includes Lanai, Molokai and Maui.
They will “add requirements for a quality assurance coordinator and a pediatric emergency care coordinator, among other improvements in quality and performance.”
In 2023, DOH awarded Falck a three-and-a-half year, $59 million contract for Maui and a $32 million contract for Kauai. They were to run from Dec. 28 through June 30, 2027.
After hearing concerns raised about the Falck contracts, DOH on Oct. 23 canceled the request for proposals for Comprehensive Emergency Medical Services for 911 Ground Ambulance Transport for the two counties.
DOH on April 15 announced new RFPs for Emergency Medical Services Injury Prevention Systems for Maui and Kauai counties.
“While it was never the intent of DOH to reduce the qualifications of emergency responders, the previous RFP did not make this entirely clear,” state Health Director Kenneth S. Fink said in an April 15 news release. “The new RFPs clearly require that every district will have an ambulance staffed with a paramedic and a second responder who is at least an EMT.
Troy Hagen, chief commercial officer for Falck USA, said in a written statement Friday: “We are disappointed that Falck was not selected by the Department of Health, who found us more qualified than the incumbent to provide emergency medical services to Maui and Kauai counties just last year before canceling the request for proposals in response to a challenge.
“We are carefully reviewing our options and continue to stand ready to serve. As a foundation-owned healthcare provider, Falck would bring a fresh perspective, unmatched financial stability, reliable services developed around global best practices, and a deep commitment to delivering the highest quality care to the communities we serve.”
The Maui and Kauai paramedics associations had concerns about lower levels of care from the contracts issued in the previous bidding. They opposed lowering a standard of care that currently offers at least one highly trained paramedic, who could provide necessary advanced life support with all the needed equipment. Paramedics are more highly trained than EMTs and can insert breathing tubes into patients with respiratory failure, use electrocardiograms and insert IVs to administer medications.
The unions said they were most concerned about dropping a required Advanced Life Support unit for every unit.
The Maui County Council had also expressed concern over the loss of AMR. Council Chair Alice Lee wrote in a resolution in September that AMR had “performed very well for the past 44 years, as they demonstrated in their response to the wildfires. They know our community and our needs. We do not want services to be cut, nor do we want a contractor who has under-performed in other communities.”
AMR Regional Director Speedy Bailey said in September he was stunned with the selection of Falck over AMR because AMR had a proven track record while Falck had a history of response-time penalties and compliance issues.
In San Diego , Falck’s response-time failures due to persistent staffing shortages had been reported in the local media. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the company was fined $1.2 million for failing to meet response-time goals in 2022.
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Hawaii
Hawaii County Surf Forecast for May 02, 2026 | Big Island Now
Forecast for Big Island Windward and Southeast
| Shores | Tonight | Saturday | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf | Surf | |||
| PM | AM | AM | PM | |
| North Facing | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| East Facing | 4-6 | 4-6 | 4-6 | 4-6 |
| South Facing | 2-4 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 2-4 |
| Weather | Mostly cloudy. Numerous showers. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Temperature | In the upper 60s. | ||||||
| Winds | Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Weather | Partly sunny. Numerous showers. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Temperature | In the upper 70s. | |||||
| Winds | East winds 10 to 15 mph. | |||||
|
||||||
| Sunrise | 5:50 AM HST. | |||||
| Sunset | 6:44 PM HST. | |||||
Forecast for Big Island Leeward
| Shores | Tonight | Saturday | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf | Surf | |||
| PM | AM | AM | PM | |
| West Facing | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| South Facing | 2-4 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 2-4 |
| Weather | Partly sunny until 6 PM, then mostly clear. Isolated showers. |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Temperature | Around 70. | ||||||||||
| Winds | Southwest winds around 5 mph, becoming northeast after midnight. |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Weather | Mostly sunny. Isolated showers. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Temperature | In the lower 80s. | ||||||||
| Winds | South winds around 5 mph, becoming west in the afternoon. |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Sunrise | 5:54 AM HST. | ||||||||
| Sunset | 6:48 PM HST. | ||||||||
An incoming northwesterly swell will bring rising surf to north and west shores overnight, with surf peaking near advisory levels, before gradually easing through the weekend. Another, slightly smaller northwest swell is expected early next week, and another long-period northwest swell may arrive late next week. Surf along south facing showers will trend upwards over the weekend with the arrival of a long-period south-southwest swell. Surf along east facing shores will trend downward over the weekend as the trade winds weaken.
NORTH EAST
am
pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Semi choppy with ESE winds 5-10mph in the morning increasing to 10-15mph in the afternoon.
NORTH WEST
am
pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Clean in the morning with ESE winds less than 5mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting W 5-10mph.
WEST
am
pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Light sideshore texture in the morning with NNW winds 5-10mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting to the WNW.
SOUTH EAST
am
pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Sideshore texture/chop with NE winds 10-15mph.
Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov and SwellInfo.com
Hawaii
Hawaii House and Senate approve budget agreement, sending bill to final votes
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaiʻi State Senate and House of Representatives on Thursday approved House Bill No. 1800 CD1, the state’s supplemental budget bill for the fiscal biennium 2025-2027.
The measure was finalized in a joint conference committee after both chambers initially passed different versions. The bill will now be up for final reading in both chambers before heading to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
The appropriations are as follows:
General Fund
Fiscal Year 2026: $10.42 billion
Fiscal Year 2027: $10.63 billion
All Means of Financing
Fiscal Year 2026: $19.77 billion
Fiscal Year 2027: $20.31 billion
“This budget uses cost-saving measures to help keep our promise to address the high cost of living and deliver meaningful tax reform to Hawaii’s citizens, especially our working- and middle-class families. At the same time, we are strengthening the State’s resilience through responsible long-term investments that promote regional economic development and environmental stewardship,” said Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (Senate District 17 – Portion of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, portion of Waipi‘o Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, Whitmore Village).
“The CIP budget reflects our commitment to protecting health and safety, preserving and modernizing state facilities, and investing in the critical infrastructure and public assets our communities rely on. These investments also support affordable housing, strengthen education, and advance economic development that will help sustain thriving communities across Hawai‘i,” stated Senator Sharon Y. Moriwaki, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (Senate District 12 – Waikīkī, Ala Moana, Kaka‘ako, McCully).
“This budget reflects the House’s continued collaboration with the Administration and the Senate to take a balanced, responsible approach to preserving core government services and strengthening our safety net for Hawaiʻi’s residents—especially those who rely on these services as a lifeline,” said Representative Chris Todd, Chair of the House Committee on Finance (House District 3 – portions of Hilo, Keaukaha, Orchidlands Estate, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, and parts of Kurtistown and Kea‘au). “It prioritizes critical needs across housing, agriculture, natural resources, transportation, public safety, and economic development, setting a strong foundation as we respond to federal funding cuts that have impacted Hawaiʻi and required the state to urgently step up to support our residents.”
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Damage reports continue to grow after Kona low storms
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The city has received nearly 1,600 damage reports so far after the back-to-back Kona low storms.
Dawn Takeuchi Apuna, director of the Department of Planning and Permitting, provided the information Thursday while testifying in front of the Honolulu City Council Zoning & Planning Committee.
“It was very interesting just to understand, go house to house, to really see the damage, understand what people are going through,” said Apuna about validating the data with government employees.
The DPP provided the following data:
- 23 homes destroyed
- 260 homes need major repairs
- 32 temporarily inaccessible
- 436 homes sustained minor damage
- 442 homes sustained cosmetic damage, but are safe to live in
- 393 homes sustained no visible damage
Apuna explained that major damage means floodwaters reached more than 12 inches and covered a major outlet. Minor damage means floodwaters reached below 12 inches on a structure.
“With this information, FEMA was able to take that data and take it to the feds to determine the disaster declaration,” said Apuna.
Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration went out into the community to validate the information.
“It was important that we went out right after the storms to assess flood lines within houses and to really understand the level of damage,” said Apuna.
She said close to 56 percent of those affected did not have flood insurance. “That’s where FEMA comes in. If you don’t have insurance, FEMA hopefully can cover that cost.”
Apuna testified that the DPP is providing residents with the tools, resources, and guidance needed to restore structures.
DPP also received 17 new permit applications from flood victims.
“Six are repair permits, two are alteration or addition, which we need to look at because they might not be necessarily Kona low-affected,” said Apuna.
Staff can waive permitting fees on a case-by-case basis.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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