Question: Will you please advise the public the proper place to put the city and county trash bin? Some bins are placed on the street instead of the sidewalk as instructed on the cover of the trash bin. When the trash bin is on the street it takes away a parking space. I had the misfortune of having my side mirror ripped off because the trash bin was on the street.

Answer: The city provides specific rules for using the automated refuse collection system, which, as you point out, include instructions to place the cart at the curb.

The collection system involves three color-coded carts, which are picked up on different days. The gray cart is for garbage, the green cart is for green waste and the blue cart is for mixed recyclables. Do not use recycling carts (blue and green) for trash and do not discard items in your gray cart that could be sorted for recycling.

Each refuse collection truck on the automated routes is equipped with a mechanical arm and grabber to pick up the standardized container, dump its contents into the truck and return the container to the curb. The large trucks need room to safely maneuver.

Following the instructions on cart placement helps the city provide safer, more efficient service, and may help avert mishaps like the one you described. That said, motorists need to do their part, too, by not parking so close to a bin that the collection trucks can’t reach it, even though the bin is properly situated curbside.

Here are the city’s basic instructions for using the automated collection system:

» Place all refuse inside the cart. Only the cart will be picked up.

» Do not overload the cart. The lid should be closed to avoid spillage.

» Place the cart directly at the curb with the handle away from the street.

» Allow at least 5 feet of clearance from fences, lampposts, fire hydrants, mailboxes, parked cars and other obstructions.

» Do not block access to or park vehicles in front of the cart.

You can find more information at 808ne.ws/1Mnwc8j.

Q: The newspaper reports a “two alarm” or “three alarm” fire or sometimes worse. What determines the type of fire? What do those terms mean?

A: The terms refer to the severity of a fire, which determines a fire department’s level of response. The higher the number of alarms, the more firefighters and equipment are dispatched to battle the blaze. The reference signals resources dispatched, not the number of separate fire stations responding.

This type of classification system is common throughout the United States. Fire Capt. David Jenkins, public information officer for the Honolulu Fire Department, explains how it works on Oahu:

Upon the initial report of a building fire, the HFD’s Fire Communication Center dispatches three engine companies, one aerial company and a battalion chief. That’s the first alarm.

The moment the building fire is confirmed, the FCC dispatches a second alarm and sends two additional engine companies and an additional aerial company. A rescue company may also be dispatched.

If the situation escalates, the incident commander may request additional alarms for additional resources. If a building fire reaches third-alarm status, the FCC dispatches two additional engine companies, one additional aerial company, an additional battalion chief and the assistant chief of fire operations, Jenkins said.

The number of alarms can rise from there, depending on the situation. Conversely, a multiple-alarm fire that is swiftly brought under control can be downgraded quickly, and resources redirected.

As in other cities, the number of alarms is limited only by the resources available to fight the fire, not by the numbering system itself.

Mahalo

My heartfelt thank you (from my family also) to Kayshelle, her husband and family who found my wallet at Longs, called my son George (the contact information was in the wallet) and brought the wallet to me at my home. … We thank you for your integrity and kindness. — Grateful

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.