HLU-17 BILL 89 (2026) BILL 89 (2026), BILL 90 (2026), AND BILL 91 (2026), DISTRICT BOUNDARY AMENDMENT, COMMUNITY PLAN AMENDMENT, AND CHANGE IN ZONING FOR A 6.097-ACRE PORTION OF TAX MAP KEY (2) 2-7-007:008, HAMAKUALOA, HAWAI?I (HA?IK? FIRE STATION) (HLU-17)
My name is Kaikane Beam. I have been a firefighter with MFD for 6 years. Having a fire station will cut down response times and help serve the community of Haiku properly. I strongly support this bill.
From: Michael McDonald <mike_mcdonald27@hotmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 8, 2026 3:43:02 PM (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
To: HLU Committee <HLU.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Haiku Fire Station
You don't often get email from mike_mcdonald27@hotmail.com. Learn why this is important
Aloha HLU Committee Members,
I am writing to express my strong support for the Haiku Fire Station, a project that has been delayed for nearly 20 years. It is difficult to accept that this station could have already been protecting our community and making a real difference for many years. That history only adds to the importance of getting it done now.
The Paia and Makawao Fire Stations currently serve Haiku with response times that are far from ideal. In areas with limited water supply—which includes much of Haiku—reaching a fire even a few minutes earlier can make a tremendous difference in protecting lives, homes, and property.
Response times are also being affected by changing road conditions. Speed tables have been installed in many areas, creating additional challenges for emergency vehicles. AMR ambulances now use AI-based camera systems that can limit a driver’s ability to exercise reasonable judgment regarding speed. Getting earlier CPR or knocking down a fire before it spreads can save a victim of cardiac arrest or contain a fire to a single room. Haiku’s narrow roads, long driveways, limited access, and other geographic challenges, delay the timely arrival of the first emergency resource. A Haiku Station is game changing.
Community infrastructure and planning have significantly lagged behind Maui’s growth and development. The consequences of that lack of planning will continue to affect the livability and safety of our communities for local families and future generations unless we make these investments now.
Consider how much Maui has grown over the past 25 years. During that entire period, the only new fire station added on the island of Maui was the Wailea Fire Station, which opened near the beginning of that timeframe. Meanwhile, our population, housing, traffic, and demands on emergency services have continued to increase.
The Haiku Fire Station is not simply another proposed government project. It is essential public-safety infrastructure for a community that has waited nearly two decades for it. We should not allow another generation of Haiku residents to wait for something our community already should have had.
I strongly urge the County to prioritize the Haiku Fire Station and move this long-delayed project forward.
My name is Brian Park and I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department. I’ve been assigned to Kahului Station and have been a firefighter for the past five years. Though I live in Wailuku, I understand the importance in having another station in Haiku and fully support it. I’m writing to you in support of Bills 89, 90 and 91.
You don’t need to be a first responder to understand that time and resources matter in emergencies. Minutes could make the difference in saving a life, mitigating fire spread and so much more. Having another station not only puts more resources in the area, it could drastically reduce the response time to the scene. This applies not only to the district they serve, but to adjoining ones as well. Kahului’s district borders Paia’s and there are times when we are called to support during bigger calls or even cover Paia’s district when they are responding. There are instances when our response time could be well over 20 minutes given the remoteness and roads in Haiku. I’ve also been on fires where an additional engine could have been helpful where water supply was limited, both by standpipe limitations and distance to the scene.
These are just some examples of how an additional station can help us better serve the communities in the area. More broadly speaking, we need more resources to keep up with the growing population in Maui county.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Mahalo,
Brian Park
Maui Fire Department, Kahului Station
To the Maui County Mayor and County Council:
I am writing to strongly urge the committee to prioritize and allocate funding for a dedicated fire station in Haiku. As our North Shore community continues to grow, relying on emergency response units dispatched from Paia and Makawao leaves our residents vulnerable to critical delays when seconds matter most.
Haiku presents unique geography and operational challenges: expansive rural terrain, steep gulches, high rainfall, and narrow roads that frequently flood or become obstructed by fallen trees during severe weather. When responding to a sudden medical emergency, residential fire, flash flood rescue, or wildland fire threat, waiting for crews to travel from neighboring districts drastically reduces the margin of safety for both our residents and our first responders.
Establishing a Haiku Fire Station is an essential investment in life safety, property protection, and long-term community resilience for the North Shore. I respectfully ask that you support funding for this vital facility to ensure that all Maui residents receive the rapid emergency protection they deserve.
Thank you for your leadership and dedication to keeping our island safe.
Respectfully submitted,
Dana Anderson
FFIII Lahaina station
TO: Honorable Chair and Members, Housing and Land Use Committee
RE: HLU-17, Bills 89, 90, and 91 (2026) – Ha‘iku Fire Station
POSITION: SUPPORT
Chair and Members,
My name is Timothy Herrick. I have served the County of Maui as a firefighter for the last 24 years, and I currently live in Makawao and am assigned to the Kahului Station. I am writing in strong support of Bills 89, 90, and 91.
When responding to critical medical emergencies—such as someone who is unresponsive and not breathing—minutes, and even seconds, save lives. Regardless of our advanced training and specialized equipment, it only matters if we are able to arrive in time to deploy them. Nothing can replace time, especially when fighting against traffic, speed bumps, and call-processing lag.
Ha‘iku sits at the edge of one of Maui’s largest fire districts, with the closest help located six miles away in Pa‘ia and eight miles away in Makawao. Those are precious minutes that community members in Ha‘iku simply do not have when they are in distress. Furthermore, a single call to Ke‘anae at the end of the Pa‘ia district pulls that crew out of service for an average of two hours per call, leaving both the Ha‘iku and Pa‘ia districts completely unguarded. As noted in a Planning Department report: Pa‘ia town has adequate fire protection, while large areas beyond Ha‘iku do not.
I was hired 24 years ago when Maui County's last new station—Wailea Station—was built. Constructing a station in Ha‘iku would establish much-needed infrastructure and personnel on the ground, creating additional resources that can also be rapidly dispatched to major incidents across the island.
Over the past 24 years, Maui’s emergency call volume has more than doubled, yet fewer than one-third of Maui County residents currently live within the national standard four-minute response time of a fire station. Adding a fire station in Ha‘iku is a vital step toward closing this gap and meeting national safety goals.
Thank you for your time, your leadership, and the care you are giving to this critical public safety issue.
Mahalo,
Timothy Kamaiki Herrick
Battalion Chief, Maui Fire Department
Kahului Station (24 Years of Service)
Makawao, Hawai‘i
As a resident of Haiku and an Emergency Management professional with a concentration in Mitigation, I struggle to comprehend anyone’s opposition to this bill. We need to prioritize making our community as safe as we can.
Mitigation is the act of reducing how severe, harmful, or painful something is. It means taking action to make a risk, damage, or bad situation less intense before or after it happens.
Why wait until something bad happens to build haiku station? The property was bought with the intention of it becoming a fire station. Why is there hesitation? We have the opportunity to be prepared. We have the opportunity to do what is right.
Paia and Makawao cover large districts with many narrow roads (covered in speed bumps) every second counts. Haiku deserves to be protected, supported and safe.
Please do the right thing and pass Bill 89, 90 and 91.
My name is Brayson Faafiti-Oviedo. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Kihei Station. I have done this job for 2 years. I live in Kahului. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every one of us knows exactly what minutes cost.
When we are called to someone who is unresponsive and not breathing, the clock did not start when the tones dropped. It started before that. We are behind from the moment the call comes in. Everything we carry, all the training, all the equipment, only matters if we are standing there in time to use it. There is no tool on that apparatus that gives back the minutes we spent driving.
Ha‘iku has been sitting on the far end of that drive for a long time. The closest help is Pa‘ia at six miles and Makawao at eight, and neither one is always there waiting. A single call out to Ke‘anae takes Pa‘ia out of its own district for two hours, there and back. Your own Planning Department report says it plainly: Pa‘ia town has adequate fire protection, and large areas beyond Ha‘iku do not. And a station there is one more crew that can be sent anywhere on this island on the worst day.
Measured against the national four minute response standard, fewer than a third of Maui County residents live within four minutes of a fire station today. Fourteen more stations, roughly doubling this department, would bring that to about two thirds.
Thank you for your time, and for the care you are giving this.
I support the building of the Haiku fire station. With such a rural and isolated area, this will only benefit the community allowing first responders to arrive quicker to any emergencies such as fires, urgent medical needs, and major vehicle accidents. Mahalo
We’ve needed a Haiku fire station for decades. Now that we have a way bigger population this side of Malioo Gulch our community desperatelyneeds a lot faster fireman/police help when needed! Please pass this through for approval A.S.A.P.! Mahalo!!
Long overdue to construct the Haiku fire station. Population keeps growing and first responders are needed. The Paia station has enough to look after already. It’s time to expand capabilities.
Haiku needs this/as the community continues to grow along with the need of paramedic and fire men & women who know how to be of real help on emergency situations.
I strongly support moving forward with the Haʻikū Fire Station.
Haʻikū has needed its own fire station for a long time. The community has grown significantly, and expecting crews from Paʻia, Makawao, or other areas to cover Haʻikū adds valuable minutes when people are dealing with a fire, medical emergency, accident, or other life-threatening situation.
This is also about strengthening emergency response for the entire North Shore. A station in Haʻikū would provide faster response locally while reducing the burden on neighboring fire stations and allowing those crews to better serve their own districts.
After years of planning and discussion, I believe it is time to move this project forward. Public safety should be the priority, and having firefighters and emergency resources located closer to the Haʻikū community is a common-sense investment that will benefit residents for decades to come.
Please support Bills 89, 90, and 91 and allow the Haʻikū Fire Station to move forward.
From: Kai Evermore <kaievermore@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 7, 2026 2:00:16 PM (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
To: HLU Committee <HLU.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Haiku Fire Station Testimony
You don't often get email from kaievermore@gmail.com. Learn why this is important
To Whom it May Concern,
This letter comes to you to reinforce support for the future Haiku Fire Station.
As a 14-year veteran of the Maui Fire department and one who served half of my career at Paia Station, I can speak on to the importance of this expansion.
This area of Maui has seen substantial growth over the past years and response volume with it.
With response times as long as 45 minutes to the edge of district 2 at Honomanu, they're clearly needs to be another presence in between.
When Engine 2 (Paia) is tied up on another response, whether it be a mountain rescue, brush fire, or medical call deep in the bushes, a lot of the time Engine 14 out of Wailea or Engine 5 out of Makawao will have to cover Paia/Haiku district or be ready to respond and be pulled away from their already taxing responsibilities.
Please do everything in your power to make Haiku Fire Station a reality, ASAP as we know it will take time to come to fruition as is.
Mahalo,
Firefighter III Kai Evermore
Kula Fire Station
Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety
This is a NEED, not a want! The Ha’iku Fire Station has been needed for years. With response times being over 20 minutes in some instances, what would you say to a friend, loved one, or just a neighbor, that, “Sorry, we had the chance to place help closer but choose to go another route!” We NEED a Station in Ha’iku!
Aloha!
My name is Kaikane Beam. I have been a firefighter with MFD for 6 years. Having a fire station will cut down response times and help serve the community of Haiku properly. I strongly support this bill.
Mahalo!
I support this rezoning
From: Michael McDonald <mike_mcdonald27@hotmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 8, 2026 3:43:02 PM (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
To: HLU Committee <HLU.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Haiku Fire Station
You don't often get email from mike_mcdonald27@hotmail.com. Learn why this is important
Aloha HLU Committee Members,
I am writing to express my strong support for the Haiku Fire Station, a project that has been delayed for nearly 20 years. It is difficult to accept that this station could have already been protecting our community and making a real difference for many years. That history only adds to the importance of getting it done now.
The Paia and Makawao Fire Stations currently serve Haiku with response times that are far from ideal. In areas with limited water supply—which includes much of Haiku—reaching a fire even a few minutes earlier can make a tremendous difference in protecting lives, homes, and property.
Response times are also being affected by changing road conditions. Speed tables have been installed in many areas, creating additional challenges for emergency vehicles. AMR ambulances now use AI-based camera systems that can limit a driver’s ability to exercise reasonable judgment regarding speed. Getting earlier CPR or knocking down a fire before it spreads can save a victim of cardiac arrest or contain a fire to a single room. Haiku’s narrow roads, long driveways, limited access, and other geographic challenges, delay the timely arrival of the first emergency resource. A Haiku Station is game changing.
Community infrastructure and planning have significantly lagged behind Maui’s growth and development. The consequences of that lack of planning will continue to affect the livability and safety of our communities for local families and future generations unless we make these investments now.
Consider how much Maui has grown over the past 25 years. During that entire period, the only new fire station added on the island of Maui was the Wailea Fire Station, which opened near the beginning of that timeframe. Meanwhile, our population, housing, traffic, and demands on emergency services have continued to increase.
The Haiku Fire Station is not simply another proposed government project. It is essential public-safety infrastructure for a community that has waited nearly two decades for it. We should not allow another generation of Haiku residents to wait for something our community already should have had.
I strongly urge the County to prioritize the Haiku Fire Station and move this long-delayed project forward.
Sincerely,
Michael McDonald
Aloha Chair and Members,
My name is Brian Park and I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department. I’ve been assigned to Kahului Station and have been a firefighter for the past five years. Though I live in Wailuku, I understand the importance in having another station in Haiku and fully support it. I’m writing to you in support of Bills 89, 90 and 91.
You don’t need to be a first responder to understand that time and resources matter in emergencies. Minutes could make the difference in saving a life, mitigating fire spread and so much more. Having another station not only puts more resources in the area, it could drastically reduce the response time to the scene. This applies not only to the district they serve, but to adjoining ones as well. Kahului’s district borders Paia’s and there are times when we are called to support during bigger calls or even cover Paia’s district when they are responding. There are instances when our response time could be well over 20 minutes given the remoteness and roads in Haiku. I’ve also been on fires where an additional engine could have been helpful where water supply was limited, both by standpipe limitations and distance to the scene.
These are just some examples of how an additional station can help us better serve the communities in the area. More broadly speaking, we need more resources to keep up with the growing population in Maui county.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Mahalo,
Brian Park
Maui Fire Department, Kahului Station
To the Maui County Mayor and County Council:
I am writing to strongly urge the committee to prioritize and allocate funding for a dedicated fire station in Haiku. As our North Shore community continues to grow, relying on emergency response units dispatched from Paia and Makawao leaves our residents vulnerable to critical delays when seconds matter most.
Haiku presents unique geography and operational challenges: expansive rural terrain, steep gulches, high rainfall, and narrow roads that frequently flood or become obstructed by fallen trees during severe weather. When responding to a sudden medical emergency, residential fire, flash flood rescue, or wildland fire threat, waiting for crews to travel from neighboring districts drastically reduces the margin of safety for both our residents and our first responders.
Establishing a Haiku Fire Station is an essential investment in life safety, property protection, and long-term community resilience for the North Shore. I respectfully ask that you support funding for this vital facility to ensure that all Maui residents receive the rapid emergency protection they deserve.
Thank you for your leadership and dedication to keeping our island safe.
Respectfully submitted,
Dana Anderson
FFIII Lahaina station
TO: Honorable Chair and Members, Housing and Land Use Committee
RE: HLU-17, Bills 89, 90, and 91 (2026) – Ha‘iku Fire Station
POSITION: SUPPORT
Chair and Members,
My name is Timothy Herrick. I have served the County of Maui as a firefighter for the last 24 years, and I currently live in Makawao and am assigned to the Kahului Station. I am writing in strong support of Bills 89, 90, and 91.
When responding to critical medical emergencies—such as someone who is unresponsive and not breathing—minutes, and even seconds, save lives. Regardless of our advanced training and specialized equipment, it only matters if we are able to arrive in time to deploy them. Nothing can replace time, especially when fighting against traffic, speed bumps, and call-processing lag.
Ha‘iku sits at the edge of one of Maui’s largest fire districts, with the closest help located six miles away in Pa‘ia and eight miles away in Makawao. Those are precious minutes that community members in Ha‘iku simply do not have when they are in distress. Furthermore, a single call to Ke‘anae at the end of the Pa‘ia district pulls that crew out of service for an average of two hours per call, leaving both the Ha‘iku and Pa‘ia districts completely unguarded. As noted in a Planning Department report: Pa‘ia town has adequate fire protection, while large areas beyond Ha‘iku do not.
I was hired 24 years ago when Maui County's last new station—Wailea Station—was built. Constructing a station in Ha‘iku would establish much-needed infrastructure and personnel on the ground, creating additional resources that can also be rapidly dispatched to major incidents across the island.
Over the past 24 years, Maui’s emergency call volume has more than doubled, yet fewer than one-third of Maui County residents currently live within the national standard four-minute response time of a fire station. Adding a fire station in Ha‘iku is a vital step toward closing this gap and meeting national safety goals.
Thank you for your time, your leadership, and the care you are giving to this critical public safety issue.
Mahalo,
Timothy Kamaiki Herrick
Battalion Chief, Maui Fire Department
Kahului Station (24 Years of Service)
Makawao, Hawai‘i
Overdue!
Community, County, and island safety. First and foremost
Aloha,
I am in FULL support of Haiku Fire Station.
As a resident of Haiku and an Emergency Management professional with a concentration in Mitigation, I struggle to comprehend anyone’s opposition to this bill. We need to prioritize making our community as safe as we can.
Mitigation is the act of reducing how severe, harmful, or painful something is. It means taking action to make a risk, damage, or bad situation less intense before or after it happens.
Why wait until something bad happens to build haiku station? The property was bought with the intention of it becoming a fire station. Why is there hesitation? We have the opportunity to be prepared. We have the opportunity to do what is right.
Paia and Makawao cover large districts with many narrow roads (covered in speed bumps) every second counts. Haiku deserves to be protected, supported and safe.
Please do the right thing and pass Bill 89, 90 and 91.
My name is Brayson Faafiti-Oviedo. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Kihei Station. I have done this job for 2 years. I live in Kahului. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every one of us knows exactly what minutes cost.
When we are called to someone who is unresponsive and not breathing, the clock did not start when the tones dropped. It started before that. We are behind from the moment the call comes in. Everything we carry, all the training, all the equipment, only matters if we are standing there in time to use it. There is no tool on that apparatus that gives back the minutes we spent driving.
Ha‘iku has been sitting on the far end of that drive for a long time. The closest help is Pa‘ia at six miles and Makawao at eight, and neither one is always there waiting. A single call out to Ke‘anae takes Pa‘ia out of its own district for two hours, there and back. Your own Planning Department report says it plainly: Pa‘ia town has adequate fire protection, and large areas beyond Ha‘iku do not. And a station there is one more crew that can be sent anywhere on this island on the worst day.
Measured against the national four minute response standard, fewer than a third of Maui County residents live within four minutes of a fire station today. Fourteen more stations, roughly doubling this department, would bring that to about two thirds.
Thank you for your time, and for the care you are giving this.
I support the building of the Haiku fire station. With such a rural and isolated area, this will only benefit the community allowing first responders to arrive quicker to any emergencies such as fires, urgent medical needs, and major vehicle accidents. Mahalo
Please support the building of the Haiku Fire Station. With a growing island, we need more resources to better serve our community.
Mahalo,
Nohea Williams
Mahalo,
Nohea Williams
Mahalo,
We’ve needed a Haiku fire station for decades. Now that we have a way bigger population this side of Malioo Gulch our community desperatelyneeds a lot faster fireman/police help when needed! Please pass this through for approval A.S.A.P.! Mahalo!!
Long overdue to construct the Haiku fire station. Population keeps growing and first responders are needed. The Paia station has enough to look after already. It’s time to expand capabilities.
Much needed.
Haiku needs this/as the community continues to grow along with the need of paramedic and fire men & women who know how to be of real help on emergency situations.
I strongly support moving forward with the Haʻikū Fire Station.
Haʻikū has needed its own fire station for a long time. The community has grown significantly, and expecting crews from Paʻia, Makawao, or other areas to cover Haʻikū adds valuable minutes when people are dealing with a fire, medical emergency, accident, or other life-threatening situation.
This is also about strengthening emergency response for the entire North Shore. A station in Haʻikū would provide faster response locally while reducing the burden on neighboring fire stations and allowing those crews to better serve their own districts.
After years of planning and discussion, I believe it is time to move this project forward. Public safety should be the priority, and having firefighters and emergency resources located closer to the Haʻikū community is a common-sense investment that will benefit residents for decades to come.
Please support Bills 89, 90, and 91 and allow the Haʻikū Fire Station to move forward.
Mahalo!
From: Kai Evermore <kaievermore@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 7, 2026 2:00:16 PM (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
To: HLU Committee <HLU.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Haiku Fire Station Testimony
You don't often get email from kaievermore@gmail.com. Learn why this is important
To Whom it May Concern,
This letter comes to you to reinforce support for the future Haiku Fire Station.
As a 14-year veteran of the Maui Fire department and one who served half of my career at Paia Station, I can speak on to the importance of this expansion.
This area of Maui has seen substantial growth over the past years and response volume with it.
With response times as long as 45 minutes to the edge of district 2 at Honomanu, they're clearly needs to be another presence in between.
When Engine 2 (Paia) is tied up on another response, whether it be a mountain rescue, brush fire, or medical call deep in the bushes, a lot of the time Engine 14 out of Wailea or Engine 5 out of Makawao will have to cover Paia/Haiku district or be ready to respond and be pulled away from their already taxing responsibilities.
Please do everything in your power to make Haiku Fire Station a reality, ASAP as we know it will take time to come to fruition as is.
Mahalo,
Firefighter III Kai Evermore
Kula Fire Station
Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety
Haiku is in dire need of a fire station. with its curvy roads and limited access, its needed for this community to be able to have those resources!
This is a NEED, not a want! The Ha’iku Fire Station has been needed for years. With response times being over 20 minutes in some instances, what would you say to a friend, loved one, or just a neighbor, that, “Sorry, we had the chance to place help closer but choose to go another route!” We NEED a Station in Ha’iku!