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| Maui Emergency Management Agency | |
|---|---|
| Name | Maui Emergency Management Agency |
| Formed | 2004 |
| Jurisdiction | County of Maui |
| Headquarters | Wailuku, Maui |
| Chief1name | (Director) |
| Parentagency | County of Maui |
Maui Emergency Management Agency
The Maui Emergency Management Agency coordinates disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation for the County of Maui, including the islands of Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe. It works with federal, state, tribal, regional, and local partners to manage hazards such as wildfires, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanic activity, and pandemics. The agency interfaces with emergency operations centers, law enforcement, fire services, public health agencies, and transportation authorities during incidents.
The agency traces institutional roots to civil defense organizations active during World War II and the Cold War era, evolving through post‑statehood emergency management reforms influenced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, and the National Incident Management System. Key milestones include organizational reorganizations following the 1990s Pacific hurricane seasons, adoption of the National Response Framework after Hurricane Katrina, and modernization efforts following the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and the 2023 Maui wildfires. The agency has participated in exercises tied to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the United States Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Weather Service to refine multiagency coordination.
The agency operates under the executive branch of the County of Maui and coordinates with the Office of the Mayor, the Maui County Council, and county departments such as Fire and Public Works. Leadership typically includes a director appointed by county officials and a cadre of emergency planners, operations chiefs, public information officers, and administrative staff. It maintains relationships with external leaders at the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the United States Geological Survey, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for health emergency liaison. Mutual aid frameworks link the agency to the Honolulu Fire Department, Kauaʻi Emergency Management, Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency, and mainland partners including the National Guard and the Red Cross.
Primary responsibilities encompass hazard identification and risk assessment, emergency operations center activation, evacuation planning, shelter management, mass care coordination, continuity of operations planning, and recovery program administration. The agency delivers services such as incident action planning, damage assessment coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration, hazard mitigation grant administration, and public information dissemination in collaboration with the County of Maui Communications Office and the Hawaiʻi Department of Health. It supports interoperability with the Maui Police Department, Maui Fire Department, Maui County Civil Defense, and airport authorities including Kahului Airport and interisland ferry operators.
During incidents the agency activates the County Emergency Operations Center to implement the Incident Command System and to coordinate response among first responders, utilities (including Hawaiian Electric), hospitals such as Maui Memorial Medical Center, and state agencies. The agency interfaces with the National Weather Service for tropical cyclone response, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for tsunami advisories, and with the United States Geological Survey during volcanic or seismic events. Response actions have included evacuation orders, sheltering operations with the American Red Cross and faith‑based organizations, search and rescue coordination with the United States Coast Guard and Civil Air Patrol, and logistical support with the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Preparedness programming includes community emergency response team training, school preparedness initiatives with Maui School District, business continuity workshops with the Chamber of Commerce Maui, and outreach campaigns leveraging the National Weather Service and the Department of Homeland Security. Mitigation efforts pursue hazard mitigation plan updates, infrastructure hardening projects with the Army Corps of Engineers, shoreline resilience planning with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, and fuel reduction and vegetation management in partnership with the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. Resilience strategies incorporate climate adaptation planning, participation in FEMA mitigation grant programs, and collaboration with nonprofit partners such as the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.
The agency manages public warning protocols that integrate Emergency Alert System messages through broadcast partners, Wireless Emergency Alerts coordinated with the Federal Communications Commission, and tsunami siren networks informed by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Public information is disseminated via County of Maui websites, social media channels, press briefings, and multilingual outreach to Native Hawaiian communities and visitor populations. Interoperable radio communications and digital situational awareness tools are maintained in coordination with the Office of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and regional mutual aid partners to ensure coordination among hospitals, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and utility providers during complex incidents.
Notable incidents involving the agency include regional responses to tropical cyclones, tsunami advisories following Pacific earthquakes, the 2018 Kīlauea eruption impacts on interisland logistics, and the 2023 Maui wildfires that triggered large‑scale mutual aid, federal disaster declarations, and subsequent after‑action reviews. After‑action reports and improvement plans have emphasized evacuation route planning, shelter capacity, public warning timeliness, interagency communications, and recovery funding coordination with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Lessons learned have informed revisions to county emergency plans, hazard mitigation strategies, and community resilience investments with state and federal partners.
Category:Emergency management in Hawaii