First, might I extend my heartfelt concern and love for all family, friends or colleagues that have suffered due to the Maui fires. It is an exceptionally fragile time for Hawai‘i and I know we are all working to find balance and purpose during this tragic time.
I want to again remind this governing body that rotational grazing is an instrumental piece of water sequestration and soil building and has been confirmed by scientists and through fire prevention education as a tool that will fight fire fuel such as dry grasses and open unattended range. This is a huge step to avoid desertification which we face in Central Maui today. It is critical to support our ranchers and more important to avoid the sad practice of animal eradication. Watershed conservationists must entertain alternative and improved methodologies, fencing out animals has clearly not made notable progress in watershed management. This ought to come as a requirement through CWRM to their watershed grantees.
While it may sadly be considered too late for Maui, please make sure that the newly appointed MEMA lead has these steps of action steps of preparation.
Most people never think about Mass Casualty Events (MCE) or Incidents (MCI) declared when there are more casualties than local emergency services can effectively manage.
The exact threshold for declaring an MCE varies depending on the location, resources, and protocols in place. Still, an MCE is generally declared when the number of casualties exceeds the capacity of local emergency response systems.
An MCE may be declared in a rural town if there are more than 5 injured people at once. In contrast, in an urban area with advanced medical facilities, an MCE may not be declared until there are ten or more casualties. Maui has certainly surpassed that.
Local emergency #management officials will declare an MCE in consultation with first responders and medical personnel on the scene. The goal is to ensure all casualties receive timely and appropriate medical care and that resources are effectively allocated to prevent further loss of life or injury.
A mass casualty plan typically includes several key components, which may vary depending on the specific location and context but generally have the following 7 Areas:
1️⃣ NOTIFICATION & ACTIVATION - Outline the procedures for notifying emergency responders, medical personnel, and other relevant personnel about the mass casualty event and activating the appropriate response teams
2️⃣ TRIAGE - Establish a system for quickly assessing the severity of injuries among casualties and prioritizing treatment based on the level of need
3️⃣ TREATMENT & TRANSPORT - Outline the procedures for providing initial treatment to casualties on scene and transporting them to appropriate medical facilities as needed
4️⃣ COMMUNICATION & COORDINATION - Establish communication channels and protocols among emergency responders, medical personnel, and other relevant personnel to ensure that information is shared quickly and effectively
5️⃣ STAFFING & RESOURCES - Outline the staffing levels and resources needed to effectively manage a mass casualty event, including medical supplies, equipment, and transportation
6️⃣ TRAINING & EXERCISES - include ongoing training & exercises to ensure emergency responders and medical personnel are prepared to respond effectively to a mass casualty event
7️⃣ RECOVERY - Outline the procedures for managing the recovery phase of the mass casualty event (i.e., provide ongoing medical care and support to survivors, address any mental health needs, and conduct a debriefing to review the response and identify areas for improvement
Mass casualty plans ensure emergency responders and medical personnel are prepared to effectively manage a large-scale emergency event and provide timely and appropriate care to those in need.
Again, while it may sadly be considered too late for Maui, please make sure that the newly appointed MEMA lead has these steps of action steps of preparation.
Aloha e Committee Chair Paltin and Honorable Committee Members,
My name is Jen Mather and I am submitting public comment on agenda item Drip-2(10) regarding Fire Prevention. First, the fires in Maui were not “natural disasters” - they were man made catastrophes that could have been avoided. I don’t purport to understand the magnitude of this issue and I am not a fire prevention expert, but I can say that those of us who were part of the disaster relief during the fires and floods of 2018 became proponents of better hazard mitigation, including fire prevention. I signed up with Team Rubicon, an international humanitarian disaster relief and response organization, got CERT certified, went back to college to get a certificate in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and availed myself of the various FEMA Independent Study (IS) courses available online. None of that helped when it came down to August 8. I’m hoping it will help in the recovery. What would have helped is following the fire prevention warnings in the July 2021 Cost of Government Commission’s Report on Wildfire Prevention, especially section VII subsections 2, 3, and 5 regarding poorly maintained, overgrown properties creating fuel for wildfires. The recommendation made to utilize HRS Chapter 132-6 and 132-7 to prevent fires needs immediate follow through as we are still in the fire season and we have other vulnerable areas throughout all of Maui County that are susceptible to wildfire. The same recommendations are made in the Western Maui Community Wildfire Protection Plan dated 2014 in the section entitled Hazard Reduction Priorities based on stakeholder meetings and historical wildfire data. Also highlighted in the 2020 Maui County Hazard Mitigation Plan - West Maui has had the highest proportion of wildfires in the last 20 years. It outlines for us the where, what, and why of wildfires in the entirety of Maui County and we need to use that framework to ensure the priority actions are implemented. How wildfire is a medium priority and down at action item #33 is baffling considering most of the community meetings regarding development in West Maui highlights fire as a major concern and our West Maui Community Plan Update of 2022 sets policy objectives regarding fire prevention and readiness. Besides the point, I guess at least it’s there and you can use it to leverage administrative action in tandem with the legal pathway of HRS 132-7.
Mahalo for your time and commitment to the safety of our community.
First, might I extend my heartfelt concern and love for all family, friends or colleagues that have suffered due to the Maui fires. It is an exceptionally fragile time for Hawai‘i and I know we are all working to find balance and purpose during this tragic time.
I want to again remind this governing body that rotational grazing is an instrumental piece of water sequestration and soil building and has been confirmed by scientists and through fire prevention education as a tool that will fight fire fuel such as dry grasses and open unattended range. This is a huge step to avoid desertification which we face in Central Maui today. It is critical to support our ranchers and more important to avoid the sad practice of animal eradication. Watershed conservationists must entertain alternative and improved methodologies, fencing out animals has clearly not made notable progress in watershed management. This ought to come as a requirement through CWRM to their watershed grantees.
While it may sadly be considered too late for Maui, please make sure that the newly appointed MEMA lead has these steps of action steps of preparation.
Most people never think about Mass Casualty Events (MCE) or Incidents (MCI) declared when there are more casualties than local emergency services can effectively manage.
The exact threshold for declaring an MCE varies depending on the location, resources, and protocols in place. Still, an MCE is generally declared when the number of casualties exceeds the capacity of local emergency response systems.
An MCE may be declared in a rural town if there are more than 5 injured people at once. In contrast, in an urban area with advanced medical facilities, an MCE may not be declared until there are ten or more casualties. Maui has certainly surpassed that.
Local emergency #management officials will declare an MCE in consultation with first responders and medical personnel on the scene. The goal is to ensure all casualties receive timely and appropriate medical care and that resources are effectively allocated to prevent further loss of life or injury.
A mass casualty plan typically includes several key components, which may vary depending on the specific location and context but generally have the following 7 Areas:
1️⃣ NOTIFICATION & ACTIVATION - Outline the procedures for notifying emergency responders, medical personnel, and other relevant personnel about the mass casualty event and activating the appropriate response teams
2️⃣ TRIAGE - Establish a system for quickly assessing the severity of injuries among casualties and prioritizing treatment based on the level of need
3️⃣ TREATMENT & TRANSPORT - Outline the procedures for providing initial treatment to casualties on scene and transporting them to appropriate medical facilities as needed
4️⃣ COMMUNICATION & COORDINATION - Establish communication channels and protocols among emergency responders, medical personnel, and other relevant personnel to ensure that information is shared quickly and effectively
5️⃣ STAFFING & RESOURCES - Outline the staffing levels and resources needed to effectively manage a mass casualty event, including medical supplies, equipment, and transportation
6️⃣ TRAINING & EXERCISES - include ongoing training & exercises to ensure emergency responders and medical personnel are prepared to respond effectively to a mass casualty event
7️⃣ RECOVERY - Outline the procedures for managing the recovery phase of the mass casualty event (i.e., provide ongoing medical care and support to survivors, address any mental health needs, and conduct a debriefing to review the response and identify areas for improvement
Mass casualty plans ensure emergency responders and medical personnel are prepared to effectively manage a large-scale emergency event and provide timely and appropriate care to those in need.
Again, while it may sadly be considered too late for Maui, please make sure that the newly appointed MEMA lead has these steps of action steps of preparation.
Aloha e Committee Chair Paltin and Honorable Committee Members,
My name is Jen Mather and I am submitting public comment on agenda item Drip-2(10) regarding Fire Prevention. First, the fires in Maui were not “natural disasters” - they were man made catastrophes that could have been avoided. I don’t purport to understand the magnitude of this issue and I am not a fire prevention expert, but I can say that those of us who were part of the disaster relief during the fires and floods of 2018 became proponents of better hazard mitigation, including fire prevention. I signed up with Team Rubicon, an international humanitarian disaster relief and response organization, got CERT certified, went back to college to get a certificate in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and availed myself of the various FEMA Independent Study (IS) courses available online. None of that helped when it came down to August 8. I’m hoping it will help in the recovery. What would have helped is following the fire prevention warnings in the July 2021 Cost of Government Commission’s Report on Wildfire Prevention, especially section VII subsections 2, 3, and 5 regarding poorly maintained, overgrown properties creating fuel for wildfires. The recommendation made to utilize HRS Chapter 132-6 and 132-7 to prevent fires needs immediate follow through as we are still in the fire season and we have other vulnerable areas throughout all of Maui County that are susceptible to wildfire. The same recommendations are made in the Western Maui Community Wildfire Protection Plan dated 2014 in the section entitled Hazard Reduction Priorities based on stakeholder meetings and historical wildfire data. Also highlighted in the 2020 Maui County Hazard Mitigation Plan - West Maui has had the highest proportion of wildfires in the last 20 years. It outlines for us the where, what, and why of wildfires in the entirety of Maui County and we need to use that framework to ensure the priority actions are implemented. How wildfire is a medium priority and down at action item #33 is baffling considering most of the community meetings regarding development in West Maui highlights fire as a major concern and our West Maui Community Plan Update of 2022 sets policy objectives regarding fire prevention and readiness. Besides the point, I guess at least it’s there and you can use it to leverage administrative action in tandem with the legal pathway of HRS 132-7.
Mahalo for your time and commitment to the safety of our community.
E Mālama,
Jen Mather