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)
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 Jeremy Evert. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Wailuku Station. I have done this job for 11 years. I live in Wailuku . I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Jeremy Evert
Firefighter III
Maui Fire Department, Wailuku Station
11 years of service
Wailuku, Hawai‘i
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 Kamaui Aiona and I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Hana Fire Station. I have done this job for 14 years and I live in Hana. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Other firefighters will submit testimony explaining why a Haiku Fire Station is critical for those living in and near the new district boundaries that will come with adding a fire station and personnel to our operations. Let me agree and add that our Hana district will also be affected positively by the addition. Hana is a vast district with one engine company, a tanker driver, and one ambulance unit (Medic 6). When we are out working on a call, the remainder of the district is "wide open" subject to the nearest responding district resources (Paia E-2, Kula E-13, or perhaps Kahului R-10 aboard Air 1) and the time it will take them to respond. A new station in Haiku will undoubtedly help this situation.
Thank you for your time, and for the care you are giving this.
Kamaui Aiona
Firefighter III, Tanker 7
Maui Fire Department, Hana Station
14 years of service
Hana, Hawai‘i
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 Carson Chihara. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Lāhainā station. I have done this job for eight years. I live in Kahului. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Carson Chihara
As an Upcountry resident for more than 30 years, I strongly support the construction and staffing of the Haʻikū Fire Station to improve emergency coverage for our community.
I have also served as a firefighter for the past five years, responding to emergencies throughout our island. I have seen firsthand how critical every minute is during a fire, medical emergency, or rescue. Faster response times save lives, reduce property loss, and give people their best chance when seconds matter.
A fully staffed Haʻikū Fire Station will improve our standard of coverage, shorten response times, and provide additional personnel and resources for larger or more complex incidents. It will also strengthen our ability to protect the residents, visitors, and first responders who rely on a timely emergency response.
This is an investment in the safety of our community that is long overdue. The need is clear, and the time to move forward is now.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Ryan Dickson
Please please do what you have to do to build a new fire station. Currently firefighters and paramedics take approximately 15 minutes just to reach the proposed Haiku station from the Paia station. During this travel time members of our community can be saved or homes that are on fire can be saved. When members of our community need help who are further out the new Station will dramatically increase their rates of survival and lessen the time it takes to put out fires. Having a tanker truck and a paramedic to go with a fire engine will improve the safety of everyone in the Haiku area out to Keanae dramatically.
Thank you for the work that you do.
As a Haiku resident and Maui County Firefighter I support the opportunity to have additional emergency resources available to a community that has grown greatly since the second fire station built on Maui (Paia/station 2). The response time for engine 2 to get to most of the Haiku area is much longer than ideal already, and the growing population and frequency of calls requires additional resources to come in from much further locations with extremely long response times, this happens often when Paia is already at or responding to an emergency. Please allow this growing community to have better access to emergency response on their days when help is crucial.
Ha‘iku has been growing exponentially over the last 20+ years and the current station positioning and staffing does not adequately allot a reasonable response time. Ha‘iku and the further reaching district that is encompassed within is a long, taxing drive for both Paia and Makawao Stations to respond to. Ha‘iku can’t be overlooked as a sparsely populated remote area, should a child in need or a house on fire out here get less service because of its location?
As a Ha‘iku resident, I would like to see a better presence and response time for first responders in the north shore area with the amount of recreation, residence and visitor traffic every day.
Maui County hasn’t seen an addition of a station in 20 years while the population has grown nearly 20% in that same time period.
I believe this is an opportunity that cannot to be overlooked or turned down.
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 Ryan Dalut. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Kahului Station. I have done this job for 2 years. I live in Wailuku. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Ryan Dalut
Fire Fighter I
Maui Fire Department, Kahului Station
2 years of service
Wailuku, Hawai‘i
My name is Nicholas King , I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department. I have been a firefighter for the last 4 years and am currently assigned to the Wailea fire station. I am writing in strong support of HLU17 Bills 89,90 and 91.
As a resident of Ha’iku for the last 25 years I have seen and felt the increase in the amount of people who call Ha’iku home. Ha’iku is a large rural area with many residents, to have emergency response 10 to 15 minutes away when every second counts is irresponsible to the community not to mention the resources you are taking away from the residents of Paia and Makawao. This project has been 20 years in the making, now is your chance to make a difference that could save lives by supporting these bills to rezone and construct the Ha’iku fire station.
Mahalo for your time and consideration,
Nicholas King
My name is Kainalu Cadman I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Wailea fire station and I live in Haiku. I have done this job for 4 years. I strongly support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Haiku is a growing community in a large geographical area and the response times for Paia and Makawao fire station are far too long for the residents in Haiku. Minutes matter when it comes saving lives, with help from the closest fire stations being so far away the chances of life being viable for an unresponsive person go down drastically. As a long time resident of haiku with family and friends who live in haiku it is unsettling knowing how far away help is. Haiku has been in desperate need of a fire station for a long time.
Thank you for your time and concern into this matter.
My name is Justin Aubrey, and I am writing in support of HLU17 Bills 89, 90, and 91.
As a life long Maui resident, previously Lahaina resident, and now Haiku resident, it is apparent to me that expanding our Emergency Response Infrastructure must be made a top priority.
It would be greatly irresponsible to defer growth of our emergency response capabilities as our island community continues to grow at a rapid pace.
Allowing our community’s growth to outpace our emergency service’s growth is equivalent to downgrading our emergency service’s capabilities.
It is only a matter of time til Maui has its next extreme weather event, or other unanticipated hazard. Preparation should begin now, not after.
Aloha, My name is Damien Boone and I am born and raised in Pauwela, Maui and I am writing in strong support of the Ha'iku Fire Station and HLU-17 Bills 89, 90, and 91. I work as a fireman with Maui County and am stationed at Station 2 in Pa'ia so I know first hand the needs of my community. Response times to Ha'iku are at least 10 minutes if we are responding from station. And those response times have only gotten longer with all the new speed bumps along Hana HWY and the adjoining roads throughout Ha'iku/Upcountry. Minutes matter in an emergency, sometimes seconds matters in critical calls. And for anyone who lives in Ha'iku or further out towards Ke'anae they deserve the quickest response possible. Station 2's current district runs from Haleakala HWY to Honomanu along Hana HWY ! Not to mention up the hill and down to the ocean. Covering that district is a task we take pride in, but would be much better served with the additional resource of a Ha'iku station.
A question I often get when reaching a scene of a house fire or critical medical emergency is "what took you guys so long ?". It is not something you get use to hearing. We strive in doing our job at the highest level and serving the community myself and my family grew up in and still live in. So I humbly ask that you please approve the rezoning and construction of the Ha'iku Fire Station so that when someone in my family or yours has an emergency they aren't wondering "What took them so long?".
My name is Jacob Souki, and I am writing in strong support of HLU-17 Bills 89, 90, and 91.
I write not only as a 13-year member of the Maui Fire Department, but also as a Haʻikū resident of nearly 40 years. Over the years, we have all witnessed the tremendous growth and development of Haʻikū and many other areas throughout Maui County. Unfortunately, our first responder infrastructure has not kept pace with that growth.
As a new father and someone with aging parents who also live in Haʻikū, it is deeply concerning to know that the closest Maui Fire Department response can often take well over 10 minutes. That is only if the nearest crews are not already committed to an emergency within their own response district. In an emergency, those minutes can make all the difference.
I respectfully ask for your support of these bills and for the construction of the much-needed Haʻikū Fire Station. Our community deserves emergency services that reflect its size, growth, and needs.
We've also seen far too many speed bumps installed throughout Haʻikū and the surrounding areas. Please don't let the approval process become another obstacle by delaying this long-overdue project. Help move this essential fire station forward.
Thank you for your time, your consideration, and for the important work you do on behalf of our community.
Respectfully,
Jacob Souki
As a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department and a resident of the Haʻikū community, I understand the importance of timely emergency response. My family, friends, and neighbors live here, and every minute can make a difference during an emergency.
The need for a Haʻikū Fire Station has been recognized for many years. As our community continues to grow, so does the need for improved emergency response and public safety. This station will provide faster response times and greater protection for the residents and families who call Haʻikū home, as well as the many people who travel through and visit our community each day.
I respectfully submit this testimony in support of Bills 89, 90, and 91.
As a firefighter and a resident of the Haʻikū community, I understand firsthand the importance of timely emergency response in the place my family and I call home.
I have personally experienced waiting for emergency responders to arrive from Kahului when the Pāʻia station was already committed to another call. Those experiences reinforced how important additional emergency resources are for our community. A Haʻikū Fire Station will improve response times, strengthen public safety, and provide greater protection for the residents, families, and the many people who travel through and visit Haʻikū area. Most importantly, it will improve the chances of help arriving when it is needed most.
Chair and Members,
My name is Andrew Perry. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Kahului Fire Station as a Hazmat Technician. I have done this job for 5 years. I live in Hali’imaile and I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Here is your chance to be our hero. This is an opportunity to look at the facts and make a rational decision to improve the safety of the community and the fire fighters with the support of bills 89,90, and 91.
Now is the time to do what no other county officials have been able to accomplish in two decades. To begin with, complete the Haiku Fire Station. Take care of each other and build several more single engine company stations staffed with 5 fire fighters per apparatus.
General Patton said, "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week." The choice is clear and simple. Thank you for serving the community!
My name is Samuel David Barlahan Jr. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Wailea Station. I have done this job for 2 years and I live in Makawao. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that every minute saves lives. 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. Everything we carry, all the training, all the equipment, only matters if we are there in time to use it. Ha‘iku has been sitting on the far end of both Paia and Makawao’s district. Pa‘ia is 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 should we need them. 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.
Samuel David Barlahan Jr
Fire fighter I
Maui Fire Department, Wailea Station
2 years of service
Makawao, Hawai‘i
Aloha Chair and Committee. I am humbly reaching out to you to support bills, 89, 90 and 91
When we measure Maui County against the national four-minute response standard, fewer than 1/3 of our residents have a fire station within this parameter
I am in full support of the Haiku Fire Station. This was needed long before I am writing in support of this today. We identified the need for this station in 2006, twenty years ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it dates back into the 90’s. We are already behind the ball - this needs to happen as soon as possible.
Mahalo for your time
FFIII Carter Suzuki
Fire Training Bureau
8 years service
My name is Keanu Catugal, I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to the Kihei Station. I have done this job for 4 years. I live in Pukalani. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Keanu Catugal
Firefighter I
Maui Fire Department, Kihei Fire Station
4 years of service
Pukalani, Maui
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 Jeremy Evert. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Wailuku Station. I have done this job for 11 years. I live in Wailuku . I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Jeremy Evert
Firefighter III
Maui Fire Department, Wailuku Station
11 years of service
Wailuku, Hawai‘i
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 Kamaui Aiona and I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Hana Fire Station. I have done this job for 14 years and I live in Hana. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Other firefighters will submit testimony explaining why a Haiku Fire Station is critical for those living in and near the new district boundaries that will come with adding a fire station and personnel to our operations. Let me agree and add that our Hana district will also be affected positively by the addition. Hana is a vast district with one engine company, a tanker driver, and one ambulance unit (Medic 6). When we are out working on a call, the remainder of the district is "wide open" subject to the nearest responding district resources (Paia E-2, Kula E-13, or perhaps Kahului R-10 aboard Air 1) and the time it will take them to respond. A new station in Haiku will undoubtedly help this situation.
Thank you for your time, and for the care you are giving this.
Kamaui Aiona
Firefighter III, Tanker 7
Maui Fire Department, Hana Station
14 years of service
Hana, Hawai‘i
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 Carson Chihara. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Lāhainā station. I have done this job for eight years. I live in Kahului. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Carson Chihara
Aloha Council and Committee,
As an Upcountry resident for more than 30 years, I strongly support the construction and staffing of the Haʻikū Fire Station to improve emergency coverage for our community.
I have also served as a firefighter for the past five years, responding to emergencies throughout our island. I have seen firsthand how critical every minute is during a fire, medical emergency, or rescue. Faster response times save lives, reduce property loss, and give people their best chance when seconds matter.
A fully staffed Haʻikū Fire Station will improve our standard of coverage, shorten response times, and provide additional personnel and resources for larger or more complex incidents. It will also strengthen our ability to protect the residents, visitors, and first responders who rely on a timely emergency response.
This is an investment in the safety of our community that is long overdue. The need is clear, and the time to move forward is now.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Ryan Dickson
Please please do what you have to do to build a new fire station. Currently firefighters and paramedics take approximately 15 minutes just to reach the proposed Haiku station from the Paia station. During this travel time members of our community can be saved or homes that are on fire can be saved. When members of our community need help who are further out the new Station will dramatically increase their rates of survival and lessen the time it takes to put out fires. Having a tanker truck and a paramedic to go with a fire engine will improve the safety of everyone in the Haiku area out to Keanae dramatically.
Thank you for the work that you do.
Aloha Chair and Members,
I am writing in support of HLU bills 89, 90, 91.
As a Haiku resident and Maui County Firefighter I support the opportunity to have additional emergency resources available to a community that has grown greatly since the second fire station built on Maui (Paia/station 2). The response time for engine 2 to get to most of the Haiku area is much longer than ideal already, and the growing population and frequency of calls requires additional resources to come in from much further locations with extremely long response times, this happens often when Paia is already at or responding to an emergency. Please allow this growing community to have better access to emergency response on their days when help is crucial.
Aloha Chair and Members,
I am writing in support of HLU bills 89, 90, 91.
Ha‘iku has been growing exponentially over the last 20+ years and the current station positioning and staffing does not adequately allot a reasonable response time. Ha‘iku and the further reaching district that is encompassed within is a long, taxing drive for both Paia and Makawao Stations to respond to. Ha‘iku can’t be overlooked as a sparsely populated remote area, should a child in need or a house on fire out here get less service because of its location?
As a Ha‘iku resident, I would like to see a better presence and response time for first responders in the north shore area with the amount of recreation, residence and visitor traffic every day.
Maui County hasn’t seen an addition of a station in 20 years while the population has grown nearly 20% in that same time period.
I believe this is an opportunity that cannot to be overlooked or turned down.
Mahalo.
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 Ryan Dalut. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Kahului Station. I have done this job for 2 years. I live in Wailuku. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Ryan Dalut
Fire Fighter I
Maui Fire Department, Kahului Station
2 years of service
Wailuku, Hawai‘i
Aloha Chair and Members,
My name is Nicholas King , I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department. I have been a firefighter for the last 4 years and am currently assigned to the Wailea fire station. I am writing in strong support of HLU17 Bills 89,90 and 91.
As a resident of Ha’iku for the last 25 years I have seen and felt the increase in the amount of people who call Ha’iku home. Ha’iku is a large rural area with many residents, to have emergency response 10 to 15 minutes away when every second counts is irresponsible to the community not to mention the resources you are taking away from the residents of Paia and Makawao. This project has been 20 years in the making, now is your chance to make a difference that could save lives by supporting these bills to rezone and construct the Ha’iku fire station.
Mahalo for your time and consideration,
Nicholas King
My name is Kainalu Cadman I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Wailea fire station and I live in Haiku. I have done this job for 4 years. I strongly support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Haiku is a growing community in a large geographical area and the response times for Paia and Makawao fire station are far too long for the residents in Haiku. Minutes matter when it comes saving lives, with help from the closest fire stations being so far away the chances of life being viable for an unresponsive person go down drastically. As a long time resident of haiku with family and friends who live in haiku it is unsettling knowing how far away help is. Haiku has been in desperate need of a fire station for a long time.
Thank you for your time and concern into this matter.
Respectfully,
Kainalu Cadman
Aloha Chair and Members,
My name is Justin Aubrey, and I am writing in support of HLU17 Bills 89, 90, and 91.
As a life long Maui resident, previously Lahaina resident, and now Haiku resident, it is apparent to me that expanding our Emergency Response Infrastructure must be made a top priority.
It would be greatly irresponsible to defer growth of our emergency response capabilities as our island community continues to grow at a rapid pace.
Allowing our community’s growth to outpace our emergency service’s growth is equivalent to downgrading our emergency service’s capabilities.
It is only a matter of time til Maui has its next extreme weather event, or other unanticipated hazard. Preparation should begin now, not after.
Mahalo for your consideration,
Justin Aubrey
Aloha, My name is Damien Boone and I am born and raised in Pauwela, Maui and I am writing in strong support of the Ha'iku Fire Station and HLU-17 Bills 89, 90, and 91. I work as a fireman with Maui County and am stationed at Station 2 in Pa'ia so I know first hand the needs of my community. Response times to Ha'iku are at least 10 minutes if we are responding from station. And those response times have only gotten longer with all the new speed bumps along Hana HWY and the adjoining roads throughout Ha'iku/Upcountry. Minutes matter in an emergency, sometimes seconds matters in critical calls. And for anyone who lives in Ha'iku or further out towards Ke'anae they deserve the quickest response possible. Station 2's current district runs from Haleakala HWY to Honomanu along Hana HWY ! Not to mention up the hill and down to the ocean. Covering that district is a task we take pride in, but would be much better served with the additional resource of a Ha'iku station.
A question I often get when reaching a scene of a house fire or critical medical emergency is "what took you guys so long ?". It is not something you get use to hearing. We strive in doing our job at the highest level and serving the community myself and my family grew up in and still live in. So I humbly ask that you please approve the rezoning and construction of the Ha'iku Fire Station so that when someone in my family or yours has an emergency they aren't wondering "What took them so long?".
My name is Jacob Souki, and I am writing in strong support of HLU-17 Bills 89, 90, and 91.
I write not only as a 13-year member of the Maui Fire Department, but also as a Haʻikū resident of nearly 40 years. Over the years, we have all witnessed the tremendous growth and development of Haʻikū and many other areas throughout Maui County. Unfortunately, our first responder infrastructure has not kept pace with that growth.
As a new father and someone with aging parents who also live in Haʻikū, it is deeply concerning to know that the closest Maui Fire Department response can often take well over 10 minutes. That is only if the nearest crews are not already committed to an emergency within their own response district. In an emergency, those minutes can make all the difference.
I respectfully ask for your support of these bills and for the construction of the much-needed Haʻikū Fire Station. Our community deserves emergency services that reflect its size, growth, and needs.
We've also seen far too many speed bumps installed throughout Haʻikū and the surrounding areas. Please don't let the approval process become another obstacle by delaying this long-overdue project. Help move this essential fire station forward.
Thank you for your time, your consideration, and for the important work you do on behalf of our community.
Respectfully,
Jacob Souki
Aloha Chair and Members,
I respectfully support Bills 89, 90, and 91.
As a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department and a resident of the Haʻikū community, I understand the importance of timely emergency response. My family, friends, and neighbors live here, and every minute can make a difference during an emergency.
The need for a Haʻikū Fire Station has been recognized for many years. As our community continues to grow, so does the need for improved emergency response and public safety. This station will provide faster response times and greater protection for the residents and families who call Haʻikū home, as well as the many people who travel through and visit our community each day.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Shaun Walsh
Maui Firefighter & Haʻikū Resident
Aloha Chair and Members
I respectfully submit this testimony in support of Bills 89, 90, and 91.
As a firefighter and a resident of the Haʻikū community, I understand firsthand the importance of timely emergency response in the place my family and I call home.
I have personally experienced waiting for emergency responders to arrive from Kahului when the Pāʻia station was already committed to another call. Those experiences reinforced how important additional emergency resources are for our community. A Haʻikū Fire Station will improve response times, strengthen public safety, and provide greater protection for the residents, families, and the many people who travel through and visit Haʻikū area. Most importantly, it will improve the chances of help arriving when it is needed most.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Dennis Walsh
Haʻikū Resident and Firefighter
Chair and Members,
My name is Andrew Perry. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Kahului Fire Station as a Hazmat Technician. I have done this job for 5 years. I live in Hali’imaile and I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Mahalo Nui Loa,
FFII Andrew Perry
Aloha Chair and Committee members,
Here is your chance to be our hero. This is an opportunity to look at the facts and make a rational decision to improve the safety of the community and the fire fighters with the support of bills 89,90, and 91.
Now is the time to do what no other county officials have been able to accomplish in two decades. To begin with, complete the Haiku Fire Station. Take care of each other and build several more single engine company stations staffed with 5 fire fighters per apparatus.
General Patton said, "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week." The choice is clear and simple. Thank you for serving the community!
Mike Mullalley
Kihei, Engine 6 Captain
Chair and Members,
My name is Samuel David Barlahan Jr. I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to Wailea Station. I have done this job for 2 years and I live in Makawao. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that every minute saves lives. 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. Everything we carry, all the training, all the equipment, only matters if we are there in time to use it. Ha‘iku has been sitting on the far end of both Paia and Makawao’s district. Pa‘ia is 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 should we need them. 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.
Samuel David Barlahan Jr
Fire fighter I
Maui Fire Department, Wailea Station
2 years of service
Makawao, Hawai‘i
Aloha Chair and Committee. I am humbly reaching out to you to support bills, 89, 90 and 91
When we measure Maui County against the national four-minute response standard, fewer than 1/3 of our residents have a fire station within this parameter
I am in full support of the Haiku Fire Station. This was needed long before I am writing in support of this today. We identified the need for this station in 2006, twenty years ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it dates back into the 90’s. We are already behind the ball - this needs to happen as soon as possible.
Mahalo for your time
FFIII Carter Suzuki
Fire Training Bureau
8 years service
Chair and Members,
My name is Keanu Catugal, I am a firefighter with the Maui Fire Department, assigned to the Kihei Station. I have done this job for 4 years. I live in Pukalani. I support Bills 89, 90 and 91.
Every firefighter in this county knows that minutes save lives.
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. 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.
Keanu Catugal
Firefighter I
Maui Fire Department, Kihei Fire Station
4 years of service
Pukalani, Maui