Waimea event celebrates first responders

U.S. Army Garrison Pohakuloa Training Area first responders, along with many Hawaii County and volunteer agencies, were recognized at the Waimea Community Association annual “Mahalo to First Responders” event Nov. 16 at the Kahilu Town Hall.

Certificates of appreciation and bags of thank you notes from local students were presented to participating agencies.

“We are grateful to be able to host this in-person this year, after two years of a virtual mahalo,” Nancy Carr Smith, secretary of Waimea Community Association and coordinator of the event, said in a press release. “It was important to come together in person and acknowledge these great community contributors face to face.”

The PTA commander Lt. Col. Kevin Cronin, PTA Fire Chief Travis Stewart and Assistant Fire Chief Karl Hopkins, firefighter Lothian Brown, and police officer Sgt. Lance Stevens, along with their families, attended the event.

“Our PTA Fire and Emergency Services team does incredible work,” Cronin said in the press release.

The PTA Fire Department won the 2021 Small Fire Department of the Year in the U.S. Army Installation Management Command-Pacific’s competition.

“We’re also proud to support the public through mutual aid agreements with county agencies to respond to emergencies off of PTA,” Cronin said.

PTA provides emergency support to the community within a 500-square mile radius on the Daniel K. Inouye Hawaii and is often the first to arrive on scene for accidents and other incidents. So far this year, the PTA Fire Department has responded to more than 120 emergency calls ranging from lost hikers, wildland fires, motor vehicle accidents, to injured persons.