Bill > SR151

This Resolution formally requests the Department of Health and the County of Hawaii to conduct a feasibility study to determine the practicality and cost of establishing an ambulance service in Makalei, a town in the County of Hawaii. This action is prompted by the rapid population growth in the north Kona region, leading to an increased demand for emergency medical services, and the significant distance (thirty miles) residents of Makalei must travel for primary care. The study is intended to gather crucial information, such as the cost of acquiring an advanced life support ambulance and the expenses for state-certified emergency medical services personnel, which has been a barrier to previous legislative efforts to secure funding for such a service. The study should also recommend the most efficient way to provide ambulance service to Makalei and its findings are to be submitted to the Governor and Legislature by a specific date.