Disability and Communication Access Board
State of Hawaii
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Emergency Preparedness E-News
for Individuals with Disabilities and Special Health Needs
March 2010 Issue 6
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Greetings!
We hope you were safe and prepared during the recent tsunami warning at the end of February. Thinking ahead, planning and remaining calm based on past experience is the best way to handle an emergency. Preparing ahead of time is the key to facing an emergency or disaster situation effectively. In tsunami situations, remember to stay in place if you are in a safe area and follow directions from State Civil Defense. Statewide, many people went out early to get gas and supplies. We can't control natural forces, but we can control how we confront them. It was fortunate that recently, there were tsunami exercises on the Big Island so they are prepared if a large wave does hit there. Thank you to those who sent me information for this issue. Keep the information coming so we can present you with the most current information possible. Please e-mail items to me at debbra.jackson@doh.hawaii.gov. Your feedback and comments are also appreciated!
Aloha,
Debbie Jackson
Planner
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Tsunami Warning
 February 27, 2010, tsunami warning for the state was in place. Sirens sounded at 6:00 a.m. and 30 minutes later when updated information was available. Civil Defense and Governor Lingle both were on television talking about the possible tsunami that may be hitting the islands at approximately 11:05 a.m. on the south shore of the Big Island. A similar situation that occurred in 1960 when a tsunami hit the state after an earthquake off the coast of Chile.
After all of the practice with preparing emergency evacuation kits and sheltering in place, hopefully people were prepared. Personal preparedness is the first step to being ready for an emergency. Remember that when you hear the tsunami siren, the first alert is to let us know that we need to turn on the radio or tv to get more information. All the news stations on tv and the radio kept the public informed with the most current information.
For more information about preparing your emergency evacuation kit, contact DCAB at (808) 586-8121 V/TTY. If you live in another county, there are toll free phone numbers listed at the end of this issue.
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| Big Island Tsunami Follow-up
West HI CSE Staff
 | The County of Hawaii, Parks and Recreation Department, Elderly Activities Division's (EAD) mission is to assist Hawaii County Civil Defense during an emergency/disaster to evacuate individuals, especially seniors and individuals with disabilities. Transportation is provided to take individuals to designated evacuation centers and/or shelters. Staff was activated by the recent statewide tsunami threat on February 27, 2010. Individuals on EAD's evacuation list were informed of the tsunami warning and to verify the need for assistance. Transportation services were provided for 19 individuals.
East HI CSE Staff
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If you are in need of such assistance, this is a good time to consider being included on EAD's Emergency Evacuation Assistance list. Call the Coordinated Services Information and Assistance number at (808) 961-8777 in East Hawaii or (808) 322-1812 in West Hawaii. Individuals contacted and/or served were grateful for Hawaii County providing this very essential service.
Article written by: Harold Bugado, Director, County of Hawaii, Department of Parks and Recreation, Elderly Activities Division
Photos sent by: Alisa Mitchener, County of Hawaii, Department of Parks and Recreation
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Kai Mimiki Distant Tsunami Regional Exercise
 State Civil Defense is involved with two (2) tsunami exercises annually, along with other interested agencies. One involves a tsunami that is generated from an earthquake originating at a distant point and the other is a locally-generated event.
The purpose of this exercise is to improve the effectiveness of the tsunami warning system. It is also an opportunity for emergency management organizations in the Pacific Area Region to practice lines of communications, review tsunami response procedures and promote tsunami preparendess. This year's exercise is based on a hypothetical earthquake originating in Alaska that generates a tsunami that would hit Kauai first then work down through the Hawaiian Island chain hitting the Big Island last. This is a regional exercise involving officials from Alaska, Washington, California, Guam and Samoa.
The event usually coincides with the testing of the tsunami alert sirens, but will occur earlier this year. This exercise is scheduled for March 24, 2010. An event involving a locally-generated earthquake causing a tsunami is planned for October.
For more information about the exercise, contact State Civil Defense at (808) 733-4300. |
Makani Pahili Exercise
Makani Pahili is an annual hurricane exercise that occurs at the beginning of hurricane season. It is an interagency and cooperative event designed to review and improve existing emergency operations plans and hurricane preparedness; evaluate interagency operations outlined under the Hawaii Catastrophic Hurricane Operations Plan (OPLAN); and strengthen the roles and responsibilities by partner agencies. Makani Pahili is scheduled to begin on May 24th and continue through June 4th.
Agencies participating in Makani Pahili include State Civil Defense, City and County of Honolulu-Department of Emergency Management, University of Hawaii, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaiian Telcom, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Department of Health, U.S. Postal Service, American Red Cross, U.S. Department of Transportation-Highways, State Farm Insurance Company, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, and DCAB. Each agency develops its own activities related to hurricane preparedness. Collaboration occurs between agencies on specific activities.
For more information about Makani Pahili, contact State Civil Defense at (808) 733-4300. |
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Get Ready DVD
 The DCAB Get Ready
emergency preparedness DVD that we wrote about in last issue is still available. If you are
an agency working with individuals with disabilities and conducting
emergency preparedness training for your program participants or the
public, please contact DCAB for a free copy of the DVD. Once you receive it, feel free to burn copies. The DVD is higher resolution, so
you will provide a better quality DVD by copying the disk instead of
downloading it from the Internet.
The videos are also on YouTube and can be viewed on the Internet. For more information or to receive a copy of the DVD contact Debbie Jackson by calling (808) 586-8121.
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Contact Information
Disability and Communication Access Board
919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 101
Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: (808) 586-8121 (V/TTY)
Fax: (808) 586-8129
E-mail: DCAB General Delivery
Website: DCAB Home Page County of Hawaii: 974-4000, ext. 6-8121# Couny of Kauai: 274-3141, ext. 6-8121# County of Maui: 984-2400, ext. 6-8121# Molokai & Lanai: 1-800-468-4644, ext. 6-8121# | |
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