HI-EMA clarifies that sirens can be used to warn of fire

A review of outdoor warning siren protocols following the Lahaina fire disaster has led the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to reiterate that fire is indeed one of the hazards that can prompt siren activation.

The agency on Wednesday released a summary of discussions with its emergency management partners in the wake of the Aug. 8 fire and clarified that the statewide network of sirens is an all-hazards system that, when sounded, means “seek more information.”

The meaning and use of the system came into question after sirens in Lahaina were not activated to warn residents about the wind-driven inferno that killed as many as 97 people and destroyed more than 2,000 structures, most of them homes.

“It was clear that there were differing opinions about what the sirens mean and when to use them, even from elected leaders,” said Adam Weintraub, HI-EMA spokesperson.

The Lahaina disaster led to the resignation of then-Maui Emergency Management Administrator Herman Andaya and was one of the reasons Gov. Josh Green ordered a formal review into the disaster response by the state attorney general’s office.

Following the fire and “in the interest of public clarity,” according to HI-EMA, it consulted with leaders of its emergency management partners around the state and produced a summary of major hazards and a brief guide to siren use, covering such things as which organizations have primary and secondary responsibility for activating alert systems and factors to consider in making the decision.

“These protocols haven’t changed, “HI-EMA Administrator James Barros said in a news release. “The sirens are an all-hazard alert system, and the state and county emergency plans address how to use all our alert and warning tools.”

Decisions during a hazard sometimes have to be made in a very short time, Barros added.

For fires, according to HI-EMA’s review, the priority is given to alert systems that send warnings out over radio and television and cellphones.

But when activating the sirens, consideration must be given to whether immediate action such as evacuation or shelter-in-place—is required of the public or whether warning the public exceeds the capability of first responders in the field.

In addition, the number of sirens available and estimated time to impact must also be considered.

County fire departments are the informing agency, with the mayors having the authority and the county emergency operations centers having the primary responsibility for siren activation and HI-EMA secondary responsibility, the review said.

Other hazards covered in the newly released summary include tsunamis, distant and local ; hurricanes; dam failure and flash flooding; volcanic eruption; and hazardous material exposure.