STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2819

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 579, 580, 581, 582, 583, 584, 596, 597, 599

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 579, 580, 581, 582, 583, 584, 596, 597, and 599, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Wireless Enhanced 911 Board

 

G.M. No. 579

MARK BEGLEY,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 580

KIMAN WONG,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015;

 

G.M. No. 581

SU SHIN,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014;

 

G.M. No. 582

ROY IREI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014;

 

G.M. No. 583

JOHN THOMPSON,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015;

 

G.M. No. 584

STEVEN SCHUTTE,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014;

 

G.M. No. 596

CLAYTON TOM,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 597

VICTOR RAMOS,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015; and

 

G.M. No. 599

MARSHALL KANEHAILUA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Mark Begley, Kiman Wong, Su Shin, Roy Irei, John Thompson, Steven Schutte, Clayton Tom, Victor Ramos, and Marshall Kanehailua to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Wireless Enhanced 911 Board.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Mark Begley from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Enhanced 911 Board, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, and two individuals.

 

     Mr. Begley has over twenty-one years of experience in public safety in Hawaii.  Mr. Begley is the Assistant Chief of Kauai Police and project manager for Kauai's next-generation 911 call-handling project and has conducted significant research in this area.  He believes there are critical technical capabilities that have not yet been deployed for 911 service in the State of Hawaii, such as the ability to receive text messages, photos, and video via 911 calls.  This significantly restricts the ability of some disabled citizens and others who are in situations that prevent them from using the current 911 system.  He would like to help facilitate a statewide movement toward enhanced 911 services that accommodates people who are unable to speak during a time of emergency.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Kiman Wong from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Enhanced 911 Board, Honolulu Department of Information Technology, Maui Police Department, Kauai Police Department, United Airlines-Hawaii, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, T-Mobile USA, and several individuals.

 

     Mr. Wong is currently the General Manager of Wireless (Road Runner Mobile), Oceanic Time Warner Cable.  Part of his role is to keep abreast of wireless trends and to launch new advanced services as a premier cable, digital phone, and information service provider for state and county government, businesses, and residents in Hawaii.  Throughout his career, Mr. Wong has served on government, nonprofit, and professional boards and foundations.  Most recently he served on a State task force that produced recommendations for the Hawaii Broadband Initiative, now a critical component to the state's economic development strategy.  He is also active with the Infragard Honolulu Members Alliance, which developed a community network to share and address critical infrastructure crime concerns and help mentor school children.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Su Shin from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Enhanced 911 Board, Honolulu Department of Information Technology, Kauai Police Department, Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc., Waimana Enterprises, Inc., and several individuals.

 

     Ms. Shin is currently the Vice President, Strategic Alliances, with Waimana Enterprises, Inc., the parent company of Sandwich Isles Wireless, a wireless provider.  Ms. Shin's responsibilities include the establishment and management of a new statewide wireless company, Sandwich Isles Wireless, which ensures that native Hawaiians across Hawaiian home lands have access to reliable and affordable wireless broadband telecommunications services.  This new venture requires creating and maintaining critical partnerships with government and private sector and nonprofit agencies.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Roy Irei from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Enhanced 911 Board, Honolulu Department of Information Technology, Hawaii Police Department, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, and several individuals.

 

     Mr. Irei is currently the General Manager with T-Mobile USA, a wireless provider.  He is responsible for all aspects of T‑Mobile's operations in Hawaii.  He served previously on the

Wireless Enhanced 911 Board, including as Chair.  Mr. Irei believes that as Next Generation 9-1-1 technology becomes available, the public safety answering point will require a tremendous amount of assistance and cooperation from the telecommunications industry.  The Next Generation 9-1-1 technology will fill that gap to assist the emergency needs of the community.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of John Thompson from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Enhanced 911 Board, Honolulu Department of Information Technology, Kauai Police Department, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, and several individuals.

 

     Mr. Thompson is a Major and Commander of the Communications Division, Honolulu Police Department.  The Honolulu Police Department's Communications Division operates the largest public

safety answering point for 911 calls in the State of Hawaii.  In 2011, its operators received 954,783 calls to 911, including 735,008 for police, 79,033 for emergency medical services, 56,423 for Honolulu Fire Department response, and 84,319 for other services.  Major Thompson served on the Technical Committee of the Wireless Enhanced 911 Board from August 2010 to March 2011.  He has also been serving on the Finance Committee of the Wireless Enhanced 911 Board since March 2011.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Steven Schutte from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Enhanced 911 Board, City and County of Honolulu Department of Information Technology, City and County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management, Kauai Police Department, State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc., Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Emergency Operations Center, and several individuals.

 

     Mr. Schutte is the Government Account Executive and Retail Sales Manager for Verizon Wireless.  He is a member of the Telecommunications Utility Working Group that seeks to find solutions to enable quick and efficient responses to emergency calls.  Mr. Schutte wants to ensure that enhanced 911 fund monies are used to adequately fund public safety answering points to ensure compliance with the Next Generation 9-1-1 initiative.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Clayton Tom from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Department of Budget and Finance, Enhanced 911 Board, Honolulu Department of Information Technology, Maui Police Department, Maui Prosecuting Attorney, Maui Department of Management, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Equity One Real Estate, Inc., and several individuals.

 

     Mr. Tom is currently the Deputy Chief of Police of the Maui County Police Department, and also a current member of the Wireless Enhanced 911 Board.  He served as Bureau Commander of the Communications Section, charged as the public safety answering point, which receives 9-1-1 calls and dispatches the appropriate response.  His department dispatches all emergency calls for law enforcement, firefighting, ambulance, and other emergency services.  Mr. Tom's insight and knowledge will be valuable in achieving his vision for the Enhanced 911 Board to provide the highest quality of technology and equipment for all state public safety answering points, which will enhance overall public safety and responses to emergency situations.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Victor Ramos from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Enhanced 911 Board, Department of Budget and Finance, Honolulu Department of Information Technology, Maui Police Department, Maui Prosecuting Attorney, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, and several individuals.

 

     Mr. Ramos is currently a Captain and the Commander of the Internal Affairs Division of the Maui Police Department.  He has

served as the Commander of the Molokai district.  Mr. Ramos is also a current member of the Enhanced 911 Board.  He believes that that it is absolutely crucial that everyone dialing 9-1-1 can be identified and located so that their emergency needs can be addressed.  Mr. Ramos is committed to reaching the goal of having

interoperability between all public safety answering points.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Marshall Kanehailua from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Enhanced 911 Board, Honolulu Department of Information Technology, Maui Mayor, Hawaii Police Department, and several individuals.

 

     Mr. Kanehailua is currently an Assistant Police Chief with the Hawaii County Police Department overseeing the Administrative

and Technical Services Divisions.  With twenty-two years of experience as a police officer, he knows firsthand how important it is to ensure that public safety answering points and the wireless providers receive the funding necessary to deliver emergency help as quickly and as efficiently as possible.  He is committed to ensuring that the community receives the highest quality of emergency services.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair