Air ambulance makes cut

Maui News
Sunday, April 27, 2003

By EDWIN TANJI
City Editor

HONOLULU - A state House-Senate conference committee approved funding for a helicopter air ambulance service for Maui County, allocating $1 million for a service to start operations next year, Sen. Roz Baker said Saturday.

Baker said a strong lobbying effort by Maui legislators as well as representatives of Mayor Alan Arakawa persuaded House members on the committee to restore the helicopter ambulance, although other emergency service programs were cut, including expanded hours for the Kula ambulance.

Noting that the County Council has funded the program in its version of the county budget, Arakawa said the helicopter ambulance service was his "No. 1 priority for the Legislature."

"We would have liked to have added a little bit more, but it is still a very good and very needed service," he said. "I'm very happy they are working with us."

Baker, who represents the South and West Maui Senate district, said the service, when it is started up, will be contracted by the Department of Health to operate as American Medical Response now provides ground ambulance services in Maui County.

The original proposal for the air ambulance was introduced in the Senate jointly by Baker and Maui Sens. Shan Tsutsui and J. Kalani English. It was linked with proposals to expand ground ambulance services in Kula, the Big Island and Leeward Oahu. Funds for the ground ambulance expansions were cut.

For Baker, a helicopter ambulance was a high priority in providing for West Maui residents who sometimes are cut off from Central Maui when accidents, floods or fires block the Honoapiilani Highway. But it will be equally important for residents in other remote areas, including Hana, Molokai and Lanai.

"It's not just for Maui island. It's for Maui County, Molokai, Lanai, and all the remote areas of the islands," she said.

Baker said a state-contracted helicopter ambulance will be an improvement over the Mercy Air helicopter ambulance that was previously attempted on Maui. While Mercy Air's emergency personnel were restricted only to providing the helicopter service, she said the state intends to have helicopter ambulance personnel trained to respond to medical emergencies around their area.

"They will be available for other emergency services, but their primary responsibility will be with the helicopter ambulance," she said.

Although the bill allocates the state funding for the 2004-05 fiscal year, Baker said planning for the helicopter service can begin this year with the $612,000 allocated in the Maui County budget.

Planning on where to locate the helicopter ambulance, setting up protocols and issuing a contract likely will take most of the year anyway, she said.

Arakawa agreed.

"Anytime you have a new program, it's difficult to get all the particulars in place. With all the nitty-gritty that needs to be done, we wouldn't start up the day the funding becomes available," he said. "It's going to take some time. Hopefully, it won't be a whole year."

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