Roger that. I’m not a firefighter, more of a nature boy, showing respect. Thanks for all the news you all report, I won’t clog up the thread.
3 Likes
Fed Team vs Cal Fire Team = who cares
FEMA US&R Team vs CAL OES US&R RTF = who cares
They have the same mission which is wide area search and human remains recovery to help bring a community closure and back on their feet just like the Camp Fire in 2018.
16 Likes
Safety and Security
- West Maui schools closed indefinitely
- Central Maui schools: Most opened yesterday for staff, will open this week for students; King Kekaulike HS will remain closed due to damages; repairs in progress
Food, Hydration, and Shelter (ARC Shelter as of 8:00 a.m. ET)
- Shelters: Maui County –8 shelters open with 325 occupants
- State of HI secured more than 400 hotel rooms and 1,400 units from AirBNB for displaced (FEMA-DR-4724 State SITREP Report)
Health and Medical
- 106 (+7) confirmed fatalities
Water Systems
- 2 (-2) water wells still experiencing intermittent interruptions to power
- Temporary power provided to 2 water wells; temporary power installation scheduled for other 2 today (8/16)
Energy
- 2k (3%) customers remain without power in Maui County (DOE Eagle-I as of 6:30 a.m. ET)
Communications
Maui County:
- 11 (-8) cell towers offline
- Local cell providers deployed 14 assets to improve cellular service in West Maui
- AT&T deployed 1 cellular asset last night, expected to be online today, to strengthen communications capabilities for responders
Transportation
- 2 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) in effect for Lahaina and Kula
- Lahaina Bypass Road opened fully
- USCG reduced size of Safety Zone; access authorized on a case-by-case
--------------- Response/Recovery Footprint-----------
State / Local Response
- HI state EOC at Full Activation / Gov declared a SOE
FEMA / Federal Response
- Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-4724-DR-HI approved Aug 10
- Region IX RWC continues to monitor
- IMAT-2 with ESFs 1 through 15 and DCE deployed to HI
- 1 LNO deployed to HI EOC (Oahu), 1 LNO in Maui
- 1 FCO in Maui, 1 in Oahu
FEMA HQ
- Region VII IMAT deployed to HI
- US&R: Blue IST, 4 (+3) NIMS Type 1 task forces, 1 NIMS Type 3 task force, 2 Mission Ready Packages -Canine Search, and 35 (+20) single resource Canine Search Teams
- MERS personnel deployed to HI
- Staging Management Team (SMT) and Incident Support Base (ISB) team deployed to Maui
- Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) open
11 Likes
3 Likes
Correct, and they caught the creep, and he was given a death sentence. In my 38 yr career the Old Fire was a top 5 for the amount of trauma-PTSD it caused. I have a fairly good idea what these folks are going thru, this community will also be needing help dealing with all the emotional concerns, just as important as food water and shelter.
Microsoft Word - CFCA-ltr012208-governor.doc
I am very certain that when time allows there will be an Indepth review with a few recommendations…still a little to soon for that…
4 Likes
You are absolutely correct with your assesment on both fronts. I was there in BDO as a STL from the SF Bay Area. Lahaina and its people are certainly devastated and the affects will be serious and long lasting for all involved, perhaps years long. I worry for the local first responders who will undoubtedly question their every actions and carry with them misplaced blame for the rest of their careers and life. They will need serious professional help going forward as will many community members. I hope for a better future for all involved.
12 Likes
I was the Superintendent On Del Rosa, we pulled a very long night shift on the grand prix, we were in fire camp getting chow at glen hellen regional park when the tones went out, we looked over to waterman canyon and boom off to the races, we were told to stand down because of 2:1 work rest. I no sooner laid down when one of my guy’s called me at home to say the fire would soon be at Del Rosa work center, I called my boss and he said do what you can, so I called the crew back…long story short, it was the most intense fire fight that I have been in…homes burning down all around us, we saved as many as we could with our limited resources…you are right…it will stay with me forever that we could not do more…And I should have asked for a Critical stress debriefing, we needed it…We humans are resilient…this community will be back…they just will…there are some amazing examples of folks helping each other…I wish them the very best…
19 Likes
My family was vacationing there in the last year. I traded some agency shirts at the Fire station before we left.
I talked to the Captain on duty about the Wildland component of there jobs. One thing that they were doing actively were “tilling” or plowing fire breaks along the major highway above town in the abandoned ag fields. They said it had helped stopped fires from crossing the highway.
5 Likes
Friday, August 18, 2023 (From the 0430 ET Senior Leaders Brief)
Safety and Security
- West Maui schools closed indefinitely
- Phased re-openings this week for most public schools in Upcountry, South, and Central Maui; King Kekaulike HS will begin phased reopening week of 8/21-25
- Total of 84 deployed HHS responders in support of Hawaii Wildfires (Maui 78; Oahu 6) (HHS Force Laydown, 8/16 1816 EDT)
Food, Hydration, and Shelter (ARC Shelter as of 6:50 a.m. ET)
- Shelters: Maui County: 12 shelters open with 758 occupants
- State of HI secured more than 400 hotel rooms and 1,400 units from AirBNBfor displaced residents (FEMA-DR-4724 State SITREP; 1:00 a.m. ET Aug 16)
Health and Medical
- 111 confirmed fatalities
- 67 patients treated with fire-related injuries at Maui Memorial Center
- 36 DMORT/Victim Information Center (VIC) specialists on ground in Maui
- DMORT has made 113 recoveries, 28 (+18) exams completed, and 52 identifications. (HHS-ESF-8, 08/17 6:00 p.m. ET)
- VIC completed 200 (+14) family interviews, 66 (+5) DNA swabs, and 149 throughput to data (total population arriving in facility to report or inquire about a missing person/family member) ( HHS-ESF-8, 08/17 6:00 p.m. ET)
- The DPMU is fully operational (HHS-ESF-8, 08/17 6:00 p.m. ET)
- New Family Assistance Center (FAC) expected to open today
Water Systems
- 2 water wells still experiencing intermittent interruptions to power
- 6 (+2) generators were installed Aug 16 to provide temporary power to 4 (+2) water wells and 2 pump stations
Energy
- 2k (3%) customers remain without power in Maui
- Approximately 100 utility poles will be needed to meet restoration priorities
Communications
- Maui County: o5 (-4) cell towers offline; 76% of cell towers restored
- Local cell providers deployed 15 assets to improve cellular service in West Maui
Transportation
- 3 (+1) Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) in effect for Maui County
- Access limited for Honoapi’ilani and Lahaina Bypass Roads for safety reasons
- USCG Safety Zone remains in effect; access authorized on a case by case basis
- Bus service resumed except for 4 West Maui routes which remain suspended
------------Response/Recovery Footprint----------------
State / Local Response:
- HI state EOC at Full Activation / Gov declared a SOE
FEMA / Federal Response:
- FEMA-4724-DR-HI approved Aug 10
- Region IX RWC continues to monitor
- IMAT-2 with ESFs 1 through 15 and DCE deployed to HI
- 1 LNO deployed to HI EOC (Oahu), 1 LNO in Maui
- 1 FCO in Maui, 1 in Oahu
HQ
- Region VII IMAT deployed to HI
- US&R: Blue IST, 3 NIMS Type 1 task forces, 1 NIMS Type 3 task force, 2 Mission Ready Packages -Canine Search, and 35 (-5) single resource Canine Search Teams
- MERS personnel deployed to HI
- Staging Management Team (SMT) and Incident Support Base (ISB) team deployed to Maui
- Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) open
- NWC continues to monitor in coordination with Region IX; the next update will be in the 5:00 p.m. ET FEMA National Situation Report
9 Likes
Maui’s Emergency Management Agency Administrator has resigned.
The Maui Emergency Management Agency had the authority to issue siren warnings that might have alerted people. After Andaya’s agency decided not to sound them, many survivors reported they only became aware of the fire when they saw and smelled smoke.
Andaya said sounding the sirens wasn’t an option officials considered because they’re “mainly used for tsunamis.” That’s why they’re mostly located on the coast, he said.
But the state’s own website says the sirens are useful for many kinds of emergencies.
“The all-hazard siren system can be used for a variety of both natural and human-caused events; including tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, hazardous material incidents, and more,” the site states.
Andaya wasn’t on the island when the fires started, and he hasn’t made any appearances at press conferences since the disaster occurred.
Asked about Andaya’s resume, David Hafner, a retired telecommunications planner for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, questioned whether his relative inexperience affected his agency’s performance in a crisis.
“It’s a good ol’ boy network,” Hafner said. “This time it cost lives.”
Hafner said it’s “absolutely essential” for emergency management leaders to have experience in the field so they make the right decisions both before and after disasters strike.
Not having it, he said, “can lead to grave mistakes in judgment.”
Was Maui’s Emergency Operations Chief In Over His Head? - Honolulu Civil Beat
5 Likes
Would be interesting to read the actual written policy for use of the devices in question
3 Likes
LA Times-5 years after the Camp Fire
Long article expressing the trauma and success of a mountain community destroyed and resurrected. Probably the same lays ahead for those in the wake of the Lahaina devastation.
7 Likes
100%! This guy is getting all this blame but its typically ops in the field calling for evacs and someone in a 24/7 ops/dispatch center activating evac solutions, EWA, reverse 911, im assuming these types of alarms. Would seem odd to me that an EM would be in the kill chain.
6 Likes
This is the general tendency and pattern among organizations, particularly governmental - types, who are paranoid about letting anybody (including actual SME’s) below them to make decisions. Case-in-point: today’s announcement of the appointment of a federal coordinator. What the heck is FEMA? Chopped liver? (Footnote: I’ve never been a fan of FEMA, but just sayin’.)
4 Likes
Who out there has all the necessary requisite skills, be it an operational or EOC position to handle a zero to hundred in a minute major train wreck? I would have to say there is no one who can. Most often you are making decisions with blinders on, there is no time for big picture decisions…This is an ugly as an incident as one can get…The physical damage to this community is immeasurable…But the emotional toll is beyond staggering…and for those of us that have been in this line of work for a career know exactly what I am talking about…not to sound cliche, but this was the perfect recipe for disaster, just like the old fire and all the recent mega destructive fires, what’s so very hard here is that maybe no one expected this on the islands, I sure as heck never…And I think it’s a very good thing to have a dedicated fed rep from FEMA be on site for the duration, someone who can make important and timely decision on the fly…no red tape…You have to maybe agree it’s been a very off year…Peace…
11 Likes
Well spoken my friend
3 Likes
Not sure if you agree or disagree with me, this reminds of me when I worked for you lol and all the fun discussions in the crew buggy driving across the country. My point is this was not just one person’s problem to solve (immediate evacs are typically called from the field and notifications are done from a command center type place) yet the news are just attaching it to this one EM manager as the responsible party. That is messed up. If you are an EM person this is in your wheelhouse to ensure your community is ready for the hazards they face and have plans in place. Literally that’s what you are paid for. It seems like they did have plans for those sirens but they seemed to use them for a Tsunami. Again its hard to put blame when you didn’t train for this event. It does look bad that the sirens say “all hazard” and list wildfire on their website. Regardless of this, I have got to think some fire ground person in a command capacity at one point said oh my god we have to evacuate and make notifications. What happened after that we will learn later and build on this lesson.
6 Likes
I suspect most of the senior (and junior) fire people on duty during this wild event, had never been any part of a mass fire evacuation situation, given where they were presumably born and raised.
4 Likes
Yep. Even if involved in evacs previously, specific situation matters, too. Think I-15 a few years ago. How are you going to make that better with an engine or 2? Routes out of Lahaina sound similar.
4 Likes
Yes ajohansson, of course I agree with your comments, absolutely. I think in time we will see that maybe certain island management practices will present as causal factors ie. water distribution, veg management, construction materials, structural density and maybe suppression tactics… who knows. Just speculation on my part…No doubt that all this stuff will be discussed…There are a lot of folks that will need answers as part of the healing process.
And just to be clear I am not at all suggesting that it’s ever okay to not at least try and get folks to evacuate and certainly they must have tried to do what they could under very extreme and overwhelming conditions, this is a very unique situation. has anyone determined the ROS, it had to be unprecedented, it only stopped when it hit the shore line…There will be many important lessons for a great many to be sure…
5 Likes