Hawaii a case study in cross-juristictional emergency cooperation

For emergency response planners, the difference between an earthquake and a hurricane is more than just a physical distinction. With the latter, there is typically ample warning time to arrange evacuations and medical treatment, deploy security forces, and rush forward with other predetermined responses. Earthquakes, however, offer no such warning. So when Harry Kim, the mayor of Hawaii County — the big island — felt the ground shaking late last year, he wasted no time rushing into action. Fortunately, he knew that as unpredictable as the earthquake had been, Hawaii was ready. After centries of inter-island cooperation, the state now sports a collaborative culture of response that often ignores jurisdictional boundaries. “On the islands, emergency response personnel have a plan and follow it, they appoint a leader and follow him,” reports Emergency Management, “and they seriously consider lessons they’ve learned along the way.”

The first to arrive at the Hawaii County Civil Defense office, Kim swung into actioon, first confirming the magnitude of the quake and asking meteorlogical authrties whether a tsunami should be expected. After that, “My job was to notify police and all districts that there was no tsunami threat, and immediately expedite ground people to spread the word and keep the public calm,” he said. He quickly posted details about the earthquake on an office bulletin board alongside a list of required duties from all emergency response personell. “Our plan for all hazards is we discuss whose responsibilities are what in certain situations,” Kim said. “We get in writing what everyone’s responsibility is, and our plan is designed so you don’t forget anything.”

Efforts to use the emergency alert system (EAS)to alert the public over the airwaves, however, were not as succesful. Hawaii educates its citizens overall that if an earthquake hits, they should move away from the coast, and Kim wanted to use it to tell the citizens that they need not do so. Unfortunately, as the EAS relies on radio and TV, those who lived in areas without power did not get the warning. Neverthless, said Kim, “Even though we were unable to communicate to part of the island, the fact that we didn’t sound the siren means no tsunami.”

In order to improve responses in the future, Hawaii has hired Los Angeles, California-based Blue Crane to revise its emergency operations plan so the state is in compliance with the National Incident Management System. The state also plans to purchase backup generators for the islands fifty radio stations. “We wanted to tell everyone there was no tsunami,” said one official. “We wanted to get the word out so people remained calm and knew their government was on duty. If you can’t get that out, then it’s a challenge.”

-read more in Chandler Harris’s Emergency Management report