Don’t wait until it’s too late

Hurricane Guillermo is headed for Hawaii, so you know the drill. Gather up your survival supplies — canned food, bottled water, first-aid kits, batteries and so on — and keep a weather eye out.

As of Friday afternoon, Guillermo was headed right for the Hawaiian chain; forecasters think it might weaken to tropical-storm strength by the time it arrives.

But there’s no guarantee, and even a tropical storm can do serious damage — think Iselle, which left an estimated $66 million of damage in its wake, much of it on Hawaii island, in early August of last year.

We’ve been here before, so better safe than sorry.

Labor pact shows flexibility possible

The labor agreement that preserves 12-hour shifts for Honolulu paramedics and emergency medical technicians is a win for the employees, the taxpayers who pay them and the patients who depend on them for lifesaving rescues. Extending the option for another year, beyond an initial pilot project, required the city and United Public Workers union to strike a new agreement.

Employees prefer the 12-hour shifts, which allow them to trim the traditional five-day work week to three or four days. And the change reduces overtime costs, which were $700,000 higher when eight-hour shifts predominated. Now the city and labor unions need to figure out ways to expand the popular option to other lines of government work.