‘WILDFIRE REFLECTIONS’ ON WAIMEA TOWN MEETING AGENDA
Recent horrific wildfires – fanned by hurricane Dora and weather patterns exacerbated by climate change – have challenged emergency responders and communities here in North and South Kohala and devastated Maui. As all of Hawai’i grapples with extraordinary grief and horror, an outpouring of aloha has swept the state for those who perished and their ohana, and for those who have lost so much - their homes, businesses, schools, livelihoods, and more including Lahaina’s rich history and sense of place.
Hawai’i has been changed forever and residents have dug deep to contribute in small ways and large to help, and public and private organizations and individuals have committed hundreds of millions to support a recovery that will take decades.
“For Waimea and Kohala, coinciding with this shock and extreme sadness is a deep awareness of and gratitude for our first responders. Not diminishing the heroic efforts of Maui’s responders, our Hawai’i Island responders went above and beyond despite life threatening wind that kept pushing the fires across extremely dry land, sometimes even jumping the fire over them,” said Waimea Community Association President James Hustace.
“How do we honor and thank first responders and what are we learning as a community here in South Kohala going forward?”
Answering these questions, WCA will host its annual MAHALO First Responders dinner on Wed., Nov. 15, 2023 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Mana Christian ‘Ohana’s Kahilu Town Hall and everyone is invited. “But for now, it’s time to reflect on initial lessons learned,” Hustace said.
‘Wildfire Reflections’ will top the agenda for Waimea Community Association’s Sept. 7, 2023 Town Meeting from 5:30-7 p.m. in person at Tutu’s House and streamed live on WCA’s Facebook page and YouTube. Attendees will hear from a chain of community leaders involved in the federal, state and county emergency response as well as representatives from Hawai’i Wildfire Management Organization which focuses on community preparedness and prevention. Also sharing thoughts will be Hawai’i County’s fire and police chaplain who regularly provides counseling and other supports for first responders and who has already spent time supporting responders on Maui.
Beginning the conversation will be Hawai’i County Fire Chief Kazuo Todd and Civil Defense Director Talmage Magno, followed by U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, who immediately flew to Maui to provide direct support for constituents needing federal assistance or who had lost personal documents in the fires. Rep. Tokuda has held federal resource fairs in Kihei and Lahaina that included FEMA, the Social Security Administration, the State Department for replacement of U.S. Passports, the Small Business Administration, U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture as well as Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs. She will speak briefly about this experience including the visit by President Joe Biden.
Also in the lineup will be State Sen. Tim Richards and Rep. David Tarnas, followed by Cyrus Johnasen who is heading up Mayor Mitch Roth’s Maui Recovery Assistance Task Force.
A representative of Hawai’i Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO) will follow. Started right here in West Hawai’i, HWMO today extends its programming across the state and western Pacific as a non-profit that collaborates with many federal, state, county and community organizations – all to prevent, mitigate and plan for wildfire.
Included in HWMO’s extended network are recognized grassroots Firewise USA communities – neighborhoods that have committed to enhance wildfire preparedness of their own homes and neighborhood year-round. There are 10 Firewise USA communities in North and South Kohala and three more in the process of securing recognition. Current Firewise USA communities include Kohala by the Sea, Kanehoa, Waikoloa Village, Waialea, Kailapa, Kohala Waterfront, Waiki’i Ranch, Pu’ukapu Pastoral, Pu’uanahulu and Puako. Communities seeking Firewise USA recognition include Kamuela View Estates, Anekona and Kohala Ranch.
“HWMO started right here and expanded county wide, then statewide and now extends across the western Pacific as a leading edge model for being proactive and collaborative with wide-ranging stakeholders, informed by and in partnership with fire and forestry agencies,” said Hustace. “We appreciate them joining the town meeting to briefly share their thoughts about the recent fires and what warrants attention now,” said Hustace.
Last but not least on the agenda will be Renee Godoy, who works year-round to provide trauma informed counseling as the Chaplain for Hawai’i County Fire and Police, supporting this island’s first responders. To complement and support this work, she also heads up the Friends of First Responders Big Island (FOFRBI). This non-profit will be hosting its first couples retreat for Hawai’i Island first responders next weekend and will include several just back from helping on Maui.
There is no charge to attend WCA Town Meetings and everyone is invited, said Hustace.
As usual, WCA’s town meeting will be in person and concurrently streamed “live” on WCA’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WaimeaCommunityAssociation) and may also be viewed “live” via YouTube by going to www.WaimeaTown.org for a link. The meeting will be saved to Facebook and YouTube for on-demand viewing thereafter.
Also on the town meeting agenda will be an update by Waimea Community Policing.
For more info about the meeting or community association, including the WCA-hosted MAHALO First Responders free dinner gathering on Nov. 15, and the 63rd Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade on Dec. 3, email WCA President Hustace at WaimeaCommunityAssociation@gmail.com or go to www.WaimeaTown.org.
