The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) has been awarded $5,260,290 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the federal Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program. Award funding supports efforts to strengthen DOH public health emergency preparedness, including increased capacity in the areas of laboratory testing, disease surveillance and investigation, enhanced infrastructure, public information and warning, community preparedness, and other capabilities.
“Whether it’s preparing for natural disasters or disease outbreaks, the DOH is always working on protecting the public’s health and safety,” noted Health Director Loretta Fuddy. “An investment in emergency preparedness is an investment in the well-being of the people of Hawaiʻi. This federal award will help us do even more to be ready for challenges that might face us.”
The PHEP program supports state, local, and territorial health departments in achieving public health preparedness capabilities to ensure safer and more resilient communities. PHEP also carries out development and training and exercises to test plan effectiveness within DOH as well as with external organizations and agencies.
Utilizing an all-hazards approach, DOH PHEP planning and training cover a wide range of preparedness measures including food safety defense, rapid detection, identification of and response to threat agents and toxins, bioterrorism preparedness, robust interoperable communications, effective emergency public notification and alerts, and the ability to quickly and securely receive and dispense critical medication and supplies to the entire state population.
“Our preparedness efforts have made a great deal of progress over the years,” said Dr. Sarah Park, DOH State Epidemiologist and PHEP director. “However, we recognize that constant improvement is required because the roles and responsibilities of public health continue to evolve and increase, even as funding and resources fluctuate yearly.”
The PHEP program recently released a 10-Year Summary Report outlining accomplishments, goals, and challenges in public health emergency preparedness in Hawaii over the past decade.
The report is available online at
http://hawaii.gov/health/BT/10yrSummaryReportFINAL2a.pdf
.
September is National Preparedness Month, and the DOH encourages everyone to do their part to be ready for emergencies: “Get a kit. Make a plan. Be informed.”
For more information on the DOH PHEP program, go to
http://hawaii.gov/health/BT/index.html
. For more on the CDC PHEP cooperative agreement, see
http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/coopagreement.htm
.
Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Environment, Hawaii, Health, National Affairs, State Affairs | Tagged: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hawaii Department of Health, Public Health Emergency Preparedness | Leave a Comment »
Councilman Pete Hoffman on the Demise of Impact Fees
Councilman Pete Hoffman
On 21 September, in a surprising reversal of its Planning Committee recommendation two weeks previous, the County Council voted five to four to defeat the long-anticipated Impact Fee legislation.
Despite the obvious need (expressed by almost everyone even remotely involved on this issue) to revamp the current ineffective ‘fair-share’ system, despite the benefit of continuous support (free of charge by the way) from the experts originally contracted by the County to study an Impact Fee, despite a further three page listing of suggested recommendations from the County’s Planning Director received only on 19 September, despite growing public approval for an Impact Fee proposal, and despite repeated explanations countering the numerous misunderstandings of some opponents, the Council terminated Bill 304 at First Reading.
Disappointment is the prevailing sentiment that characterizes this vote. I’m disappointed that as a Council we are unable to address adequately the difficult issues that have plagued us repeatedly over the years. I’m not necessarily convinced that my proposal is the best, but I do know that impact fees work, they have been adopted by literally thousands of communities that faced the same infrastructure shortfalls as Hawaii County does now, and development has not stopped in any of those communities. If Council members don’t like my idea, then what other alternatives do they suggest? State law has allowed us to adopt impact fees for the past 18 years. How long must residents wait? If not now, when will we be courageous enough to create an effective system to address these shortfalls??
Another irony of the situation is that the Council on many occasions has called for administration recommendations regarding impact fees, urging a partnership to resolve this issue. I recognize that the detailed listing of recommendations received on two occasions recently from the Planning Department did not necessarily represent administration approval of this impact fee proposal, but it would seem to reflect a willingness to work with Council and to discuss a controversial topic. I would have anticipated that the Council would be willing to advance that discussion rather than cut it short.
Impact Fees, if adopted, would not suddenly make the County healthy. It would, however, permit the County to employ a funding mechanism which has proven successful in communities nationwide. Failure to pass this legislation either dooms County residents to continued shortfalls in essential facilities or insures that higher taxes will be the only remedy available to correct those deficiencies. Those taxes affect all residents; rich, poor, and everyone in-between, not just those that cause the increased impact.
Simply put, the defeat of the Impact Fee legislation translates into higher taxes for all or inadequate infrastructure. Disappointing to say the least. Our residents deserve better.
A final comment: In the aftermath of this vote, I fear the perception will linger that the Council remains more concerned about potential election results than resolving key issues. Ask yourselves: when will the Council take the lead and make the tough decisions?? I believe we missed a great opportunity on 21 September.
Pete Hoffman
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Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, Community, County Council, Environment, Guest Commentator, Hawaii, Sustainable Living | Tagged: County Council, Hawaii County, Impact fee, Pete Hoffman | 2 Comments »