Maui (HI) Hiring Expert for After-Action Report on County’s Response to Deadly Wildfire

FILE – Photos of victims are displayed under white crosses at a memorial for the August 2023 wildfire victims, above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

May 9, 2024 11:22 PM – 236 words
Associated Press

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — Nine months after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century struck Maui, Mayor Richard Bissen says the county will hire an outside expert to assess how its emergency management agency performed during the disaster.

The Aug. 8 wildfire killed 101 people and destroyed much of the historic town of Lahaina.

Maui’s police and fire departments have already conducted after-action reports. Bissen said in a statement Wednesday that the county is inviting proposals from “qualified experts” to evaluate the performance of the emergency management agency to better prepare for future responses.

See also  Oklahoma, Kansas Wildfires Contained

The agency isn’t able to perform its own “after-action report” because of staffing shortages, the county said in response to an AP email Thursday seeking details on the request.

The fire department’s report was put together by the Western Fire Chiefs Association, the county noted, while the police evaluation was conducted internally.

Many of the recommendations in the police preliminary after-action report released in February call for better equipment and updates to technology — from getting officers earpieces they can use when high winds make it hard to hear their radios to equipping patrol cars with breaching kits to remove downed trees or utility poles from roadways.

See also  Trial Ordered for Man Who Started Colorado Wildfire

The fire department report released last month identifies challenges firefighters faced, including poorly stocked fire engines, a lack of mutual aid agreements between Hawaii counties and limited equipment.

Topics

Subscribe to Our Monthly Newsletter

Stay in the loop with our wildland newsletter.

May 9, 2024 11:22 PM – 236 words Associated Press WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — Nine months after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century struck Maui, Mayor Richard Bissen says the county will hire an outside expert to assess how its emergency management agency performed during the disaster. The Aug. 8 wildfire killed […]

Get The Wildland Firefighter Newsletter

Related Articles

How Civil Is Your Station?

How Civil Is Your Station?

Years ago, I was at a national fire leadership meeting for the Forest Service. The fire organization was being accused of having a “hard shell” around it, and the non-fire administrators saw this as detrimental to our values as an organization. We were too tough they...

Forest Service Halts CA Prescribed Burns

Forest Service Halts CA Prescribed Burns

Jackson Guilfoil - Times-Standard, Eureka, Calif. Last Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service halted all its prescribed burns in California right as the wet season was set to begin. Citing the need to keep as many staff members and firefighting equipment on hand in the...