Laupahoehoe Volunteer Fire Department Co. 17-A
Mission Statement:
Role of the Fire Department:
To respond to any emergency with proper equipment and trained personnel in a timely manner so as to:
a) minimize personal injury, loss of life or property loss
b) provide safety mitigation activities through education of fire safety codes
c) to accomplish our goals and objectives with professionalism and fiscal responsibility
Major Goals and Objectives:
The major goals and objectives of the Fire Department are to provide the highest level of service, above and beyond what people expect, in life preservation, incident stabilization and property conservation.
(Information Obtained through Hawaii County Annual Report)
History:
Volunteer Company 17-A is located in the North Hilo District, from Ninole to Ookala along Highway 19 on the Hamakua Coast. The total square mileage for the North Hilo District is about 322.5 square miles, and has a total population of about 1, 561 residents.
The Laupahoehoe Volunteer Fire Department began about 30 years ago, when the Hamakua Sugar Company was still in operation. At that time, most of the volunteers consisted of plantation workers who lived in the North Hilo District (Ninole, Kapehu, Papaaloa, Laupahoehoe and Ookala), and were trained by Hajime Uyeki, who was the Volunteer Trainer at that time.
When Hamakua Sugar closed its operations, the number of volunteers started to dwindle, as families moved away from the North Hilo District to seek better opportunities elsewhere. At one point in time there was only one volunteer firefighter who remained dedicated to the cause, and still remains today as one of our Senior Support Services Personnel . . . Isamu Fukui.
Senior Support Member Isamu Fukui
Besides Mr. Fukui, there were two other Senior Support Members who recently retired from our department, Mr. Isamu Fujioka and Mr. Frederico Orallo. Both men were honored by our previous Training Advisor, (Ret.) Capt. Russell Enriques, and each was presented with a certificate and plaque, honoring them for their years of service. The members of Volunteer Company 17-A wish them the best of health in the years to come, and gratefully thank them for volunteering their time to serve their community.
We'd also like to say 'thank you' to Jerry and Rose Broughton, two other former members who've also left our team to persue other ventures in their private lives. Many warm 'Mahalos' and Best Wishes to this newly wedded couple. We will miss you very much.
Our Apparatus:
BT17-A (Before) BT17-A (After)
Brush Truck 17-A is a 1991 Chevrolet Model 42 with a 360 gallon water tank that is plumbed to a PTO - driven, single-stage centrifugal pump and is capable of putting out 75 GPM at 200 PSI. Although it doesn't have 4WD capabilities, it does have a manual 2 speed axle drivetrain and air conditioning to keep us cool. Despite being a little old and used, the 8.2L GM diesel engine has no problem supplying power to the drivetrain.
This truck's last tour-of-duty was at Station 12 in the Keahou, Kailua-Kona area. Since its transfer to our station in Laupahoehoe, it is now known as Brush Truck 17-A.
Disclaimer: The Hawaii County Fire Department and the County of Hawaii, are not responsible for any information disclosed on this website. All information disclosed are solely the responsibility of the Laupahoehoe Volunteer Fire Department. Any questions about this webpage should be directed to Marvin Cabatic.
