City breaks ground on new EMS facility in Kahuku

News admin September 26, 2026 0 Comments

City breaks ground on new EMS facility in Kahuku

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Honolulu Emergency Medical Service held a traditional Hawaiian blessing and groundbreaking ceremony Friday for a new EMS station in Kahuku.

The new station will replace an existing 900-square-foot facility along Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore, where EMS has operated out of since 1997.

City officials said the new facility will be more than 3,000 square feet and will feature a tandem ambulance garage, replacing the single-stall garage. It also includes a kitchen, dedicated office space, two crew break rooms, two bathrooms, a shower and a decontamination room.

With the new space and amenities, EMS personnel will have a safer, more functional area to work and prepare for emergencies.

“The new building will provide a place of support for our paramedics and EMTs, who deal with difficult and often challenging incidents every day,” said EMS Department Director Jim Ireland. “Having a modern facility where they can rest and reset between calls is an important part of supporting our EMS workforce.”

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi added that the new Kahuku station is an essential infrastructure investment for the community and first responders, especially following recent severe weather events.

“This year has demonstrated more than ever how vulnerable our North Shore communities are during natural disasters and how important strong infrastructure is to protecting our residents,” Blangiardi said. “The new Kahuku EMS station is an important investment in that infrastructure and in the men and women who serve our communities every day.”

The blessing was led by Kahu Brutus LaBenz and featured students from Kula Kaiapuni Hawaii o Kahuku Academy at Kahuku High School who performed an oli and mele.

Honolulu City council member Matt Weyer also attended the event, representing District 2.

“I’m proud to see this long-awaited investment move forward to improve services for the community, better support our first responders, and position us to be better prepared for disasters,” he said.

The city said the new facility cost nearly $5.3 million and will be built by Amethyst Builders LLC.

Demolition of the old facility is scheduled for November and will be completed by December 2027.

During construction, Kahuku EMS crews will operate out of the Honolulu Police Department’s Kahuku substation to continue providing service to the North Shore during construction.