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I. Rural Fire
Prevention and Control (RFPC)
A. Goal. To
provide protection for forest, brush, natural areas, and
grassland to the extend needed to hold fire damage below the
level at which it would interfere with high-level, sustained
yield of products and services from these lands.
B.
Objectives.
1. Provide fire protection coverage on 3,360,000 acres
throughout the State.
a.
Prevention
Mission. To minimize man-caused fires by improving
DOFAW's prevention program via training and adoption of
contemporary techniques for public education measures.
1. Carry out the 1998 CFFP Campaign, e.g. brochures,
posters, signing, etc.
2. Participate in fire prevention activities, e.g. Smokey
Bear appearances at various parades, schools, farm fair
venues, etc.
3. Conduct fire prevention meetings on Kaua'i and
implement the Kaua'i Fire Prevention Plan as part of the
post-hurricane wildfire mitigation effort.
4. Conduct fire prevention meetings on Maui and formulate
a fire prevention plan similar to that of Kaua'i.
Accomplishments:
- We continued to provide fire safety and prevention
brochures to the State's hispanic communities. In that
same vein, we expanded our message to include the
filipino community. The two brochures, "Outdoor Fire
Safety" and "The Brush Fire Connection" was
translated into two filipino dialects, Visayan-Cibuano
and Ilocano. We hope to expand our message to other
ethnic groups as well.
- Smokey prevention signs were erected along State
highways in the leeward areas across the state.
- Brochures, posters, pencils, and other Smokey
paraphernalia were also distributed during Smokey
appearances statewide.
- Smokey made various appearances throughout the State
over the course of the fiscal year. He appeared at the
four schools on Kaua'i, made a visit to the Honolulu Zoo
and visited the 3rd grade class at Kamehameha
Elementary School during Fire Prevention Week. He
participated in the 4th of July parade in
Makawao, Maui as well as an appearance at the Maui County
Fair. This was done in conjunction with the Maui Fire
Department's (MFD) Prevention Section. Smokey also made
an appearance during the Pearl Harbor community Security
Watch program (sponsored by the U.S. Navy) and the Pride
in Public Service venue at the Department of Land &
Natural Resources.
- Smokey participated in the MFD-sponsored Fire
Prevention Week Display at the Ka'ahumanu Shopping Center
during Fire Prevention Week. Smokey arrived at the event
via a helicopter rescue basket. The event attracted over
1,300 children and adults. Wildland-urban interface
brochures were also distributed at this venue.
- Smokey made four appearances on the island of
Hawai'i. He appeared in Kailua-Kona during Fire
Prevention Day, did a stint at Haili School, the Waimea
Christmas Parade and the ARC in Hilo.
- Support was also lent to MFD's prevention education
efforts on the island of Moloka'i.
- The fire prevention meetings held on Kaua'i was a
continuation of a prevention program that began last
fiscal year. It started in January 1997 with a series of
meetings held over a course of four months. A Kaua'i Fire
Prevention Coordinating Group meeting was held on March
4, 1997 with nine county and state agencies represented.
A fire prevention workshop was held on July 17, 1997 for
the Koke'e and West Kaua'i communities. Nancy Porter for
Region 5 provided technical assistance.
- As a finale to this particular fire prevention
program, a workshop was held on November 3-7, 1997.
Teresa Winovitch, Fire Prevention Specialist from the
Mammoth Lakes Ranger District, spearheaded that effort.
Using a burn table demonstration, her message was well
received by the Koke'e lessees. She also held a fire
prevention education workshop for the DOFAW Fire Cadre as
well as for the Kaua'i Fire Department.
Other
accomplishments:
- In February 1998, the Maui County Dept. of Water
Supply declared a 10% water restriction for East Maui due
to the lack of surface runoff in the domestic watershed.
The public was reminded that the long-term weather
forecasts do not predict adequate rainfall, and that the
weather will return to its normal weather pattern in late
summer. As result, Maui Protection Forester Glenn
Shishido did a prevention analysis of lands under DOFAW
jurisdiction and prioritized prevention activities should
long-term drought occur.
- In March 1998, Protection Forester Shishido visited
the Lana'i Game Management Area to enact a Wildland
Prevention plan for the 1,497 registered hunters during
the axis deer season. The activity focused on prevention
handouts and a spoken fire prevention message to hunter
groups as they checked in during each of the 19 weekend
hunt days.
- Public highway quality prevention signs were posted
at the Kula Forest Reserve and the Lahaina Pali trail.
The "Stop, Talk, and Handout" prevention technique was
implemented during periods of high fire danger at the
one-way entrance to Kula Forest Reserve.
- Patrick Costales, O'ahu DOFAW Branch Manager and
former State Protection Forester, received the National
Smokey Bear Award for Fire Prevention excellence. He
received the award from Mr. Ray Quintanar, R5 Assistant
Regional Forester, on behalf of U.S. Forest Service Chief
Mike Dombeck. Mr. Costales is credited with introducing
innovative technology to the fire management program. He
also served as State Chair of the Smokey Bear
50th Anniversary campaign.
b.
Presuppression
Mission. To improve the response and firefighting
capability of the DOFAW organization and to integrate fire
management as an integral part of natural resource
management programs.
1. Continue to improve and maintain the RAWS capability
on Kaua'i/O'ahu/Maui/Hawai'i
2. Conduct basic firefighting training statewide, based
on Branch needs; collaborate with other fire agencies in the
development and use of joint training opportunities.
3. Participate in the Council of Western State Fire
Managers and California-Nevada-Hawai'i Forest Fire Council
meetings as well as the Hawai'i State Fire Council and the
Hawai'i Fire Chief Association meetings.
4. Conduct in-house statewide fire management core group
meetings as needed to resolve protection issues, consolidate
training, etc.
5. Continue to manage and use all Federal Excess Personal
Property (FEPP) equipment statewide in accordance with
program regulations; conduct onsite reviews; complete
physical inventory once every two years.
6. Continue to integrate fire protection with other
resource management programs, e.g .ecosystem management
concepts.
7. Cooperate with the State Civil Defense, State Fire
Council, and USDA Forest Service to augment fire data
gathering and simulation, resource tracking and assignments,
supporting technologies, etc.
8. Provide funding to the Hawai'i County Fire Department
in order to acquire firefighting equipment to augment their
rural fire protection program.
Accomplishments:
- Information gathering on Kaua'i and Maui continues.
The Maui DOFAW Branch is continuing their weather data
retrieval with the cooperation of the Hawai'i Commercial
& Sugar company. The monitoring of fire weather
indices through the Scripps Predictive models are also
continuing.
- The RAWS station on Hawai'i had developed problems
and still continues to have them. The station should be
operational by the end of the year.
- A basic Wildland Fire Training course was taught by
the DOFAW Fire Cadre on Kaua'i in September 22-26, 1997.
It was attended by the 1997 recruit class of the Kaua'i
Fire Department (9), as well as employees of DOFAW (3),
and the Division of Conservation and Resources
Enforcement (4).
- A basic course was taught by the Kane'ohe Marine
Corps Base Hawai'i during the week of May 23-29, 1998.
Two DOFAW employees attended the class.
- Due to a mainland travel restriction placed on state
employees by the Governor, DOFAW did not participate in
the Western States Fire Managers meeting which was held
in Oregon in March 1998. However, we fully participated
in the tele-conferences held quarterly.
- Mr. Galen Kawakami, Kaua'i DOFAW Protection Forester,
represented Hawai'i at the California-Nevada-Hawai'i
(CNH) meeting held in Sparks, NV in October 1997. Mr.
Kawakami made a pitch for the 1998 Spring CNH meeting
which was held in April 1998 on Kaua'i.
- The Seventh Bi-Annual Hawai'i meeting of the CNH
Forest Fire Council was held on Kaua'i on April 22-24,
1998. Over 80 people participated in the 3-day conference
which included a field trip to Koke'e.
- DOFAW did not participate in the Hawai'i Fire Chiefs
Association meeting this year.
- The annual Fire Core Group meeting was held on March
30-31, 1998 in Keanakolu, Hawai'i. The DOFAW Cadre spent
two days reviewing the fire program which included the
budget for FY99, accomplishments, training, and the
review of cooperative partnerships with our agency
counterparts.
- In-house inspections were conducted statewide on the
FEPP equipment. One van was disposed of on the O'ahu
Branch and 40 hand-held Bendix King radios were acquired.
The radios went to Kaua'i (15) and Maui (25).
- Screening of equipment was done periodically at the
Barbers Point DRMO on O'ahu for excess personal property.
DOFAW assisted in the acquisition of two engines for the
Marshall Islands.
- The Maui DOFAW Branch painted two Model 41 engines. A
training session on the operation and maintenance of the
engines is being scheduled.
- The Hawaii DOFAW Branch acquired two Model 41
engines. They also maintained their fleet of equipment
and vehicles including 5 gammas, 4 tankers and 1-5,000
gallon tanker trailer. An extensive inventory of the fire
cache was also completed.
- DOFAW staff reviewed over 120 environmental
assessments, EISs, conservation district use applications
and film permits. Comments and recommendations were made
to these reviews to ensure fire issues were identified
and resolved before approval is given.
- DOFAW was involved in the annual Makani Pahili
(Hurricane) exercise which is conducted by the State
Civil Defense. Various local, county, state, and federal
agencies are involved in this important exercise. This
exercise is a measuring stick on where we stand in
disaster preparedness.
- The Hawaii County Fire Department was the recipient
of the RCFP grant this year. A combination pumpter/tanker
was acquired.
Other
Accomplishments:
- DOFAW was a participant in the H-3 Freeway Disaster
Exercise prior to the opening of the freeway. In August
1997, a disaster exercise (Operation Ko'olau),
spearheaded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA)
and the State Civil Defense Agency, was conducted for
emergency response agencies. This exercise was a
requirement by the FHA to see how effective and how well
prepared the emergency response agencies were in
responding to a disaster on the H-3 Freeway. The agencies
who participated included the military (Air Guard, Army),
the Honolulu Fire Department, DOFAW, Dept. of Health
Environmental Response Team, Dept. of
Transportation-Highways Division, State Civil Defense,
O'ahu Civil Defense Agency, and emergency ambulance
services. Over 150 participants were involved.
- Like any exercise of a large magnitude involving a
large number of people, it had its breakdowns and pinch
points. However, the exercise was successful. Areas of
concern were identified and resolved at a follow-up
meeting a few days later.The H-3 Freeway was opened in
December 1997.
- A fuel hazard reassessment team, consisting of the
State Protection Forester, the Kaua'i DOFAW Protection
Forester, and Fuels Management Specialist Kathy Murphy
from Truckee Ranger District, convened in April 1998 to
determine if the impacts of Hurricane Iniki are still
evident after six years on the island of Kaua'i. Two
previous surveys were done in September 1992 and May
1993. Some areas of the island still show dead and dying
vegetation, while other areas show very little effect.
[a copy of the report entitled "Kaua'i Fuel Hazard
Reassessment: Six Years After Hurricane Iniki" is on
file]
- A chainsaw class (S-212 "C" Unlimited Faller) was
conducted on June 15-19, 1998 on the Big Island of
Hawai'i. The class was taught by a three-member training
cadre consisting of Mr. D. Douglas Dent, Mr. Norm Walker,
and Mr. Rocky Opliger. The instruction was excellent.
[a copy of the training report is on file].
- A statewide effort by the DOFAW Fire Cadre was made
to assist the local county civil defense agencies in the
development of a wildland fire mitigation plan. The
mitigation plan development was a directive to the
counties by the State Civil Defense agency due to the El
Niño weather pattern that had the State of Hawai'i
suffering through a long-term drought.
- A Fire Danger Period as outlined by Chapter 185,
State Land Fire Protection Law, was enacted by the DOFAW
Administrator. As a result, signs were posted in priority
areas of our forest reserves.
- Maintenance (clearing of brush and other fuels) was
done on a fire break road in the Kuaokala Forest Reserve
and Game Management Area (O'ahu). Also, 11.6 miles of
firebreak was completed on Mauna Kea as well as 8 miles
in Pu'u Wa'awa'a on the Big Island. Fuel hazard reduction
was also done around threatened and endangered plant
exclosures.
- The Hawai'i DOFAW Branch did an aerial survey of
Mauna Kea to determine areas with a heavy fuel load and
high fire danger. They also held two training sessions on
wildland-urban interface issues to the Hawai'i County
Fire Department and the Hawai'i Civil Defense
Agency.
c.
Suppression
Mission. To suppress wildfires in a safe manner
and at a minimum cost consistent with land and resource
management objectives and fire management direction.
1. Continue to gather statewide fire data and add to the
existing database for data analysis and reporting fire
history for each Branch.
2. Respond to each wildfire incident in a timely manner
with appropriate forces as mandated by the provisions of the
Land Fire Protection Law (Chapter 185, Hawai'i Revised
Statutes).
Accomplishments:
- During FY98, 150 fires were reported statewide
totaling 15,772 acres. Seven fires were reported on
Kaua'i, 20 on O'ahu, 43 on Maui, and 80 on Hawai'i.
- To say that we had a busy fire season is an
understatement. This fiscal year has been the busiest for
DOFAW since 1988. Due to the El Niño weather
pattern, Hawai'i suffered its worst drought in recent
years. Drought conditions began in November 1997 when the
state began receiving less than normal rainfall. By
January 1988 the average rainfall across the state was
less than 50-65% normal. The National Weather Service's
outlook was below normal average rainfall through the
summer and long term rainfall deficit will persist past
the normal summer dry season.
- On January 30 1998, Mayor Steven Yamashiro of the
County of Hawai'i proclaimed and declared that a state of
emergency existed in his county and banned all outdoor
fires except for those exempted under the authority of
the State Department of Health.
- At the same time, Maui Mayor Linda Lingle , through
the County Fire Chief, declared Maui a hazardous fire
area. This meant that outdoor fires were severely
restricted. Citizens were asked to provide necessary
safeguards to prevent any occurrences of escaped
fires.
- In March 1998, DOFAW declared a fire danger period
for all islands, pursuant to the Land Fire Protection
Law, Chapter 185, Hawai'i Revised Statutes. The fire
danger period applies to all forest reserves, wildlife
and plant sanctuaries, natural area reserves and public
hunting areas. Fire restriction notices were posted in
these areas.
- On March 4, 1998, a consortium of federal, state, and
local emergency and fire response agencies met at the
State Civil Defense office in Diamond Head Crater. The
meeting was held to update all agencies on the impacts of
El Niño and what to expect for the rest of the
year. A DOFAW briefing paper was presented at the meeting
to let the participants understand our commitment to
wildland fire suppression and our limitations. [
- On March 11, 1998, a briefing was held for the
Governor and his cabinet. A commitment was made by the
Governor to continue to support the counties in their
fire suppression efforts.
- Between January 14 and May 11, 1998, DOFAW
participated in 12 fires, occurring on Kaua'i, O'ahu,
Maui, and Hawai'i. These fires burned 13,000 acres
costing DOFAW $272,000.
- Two fires qualified for federal reimbursement under
the Fire Suppression Assistance (FSA) grant through the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These fires,
Hawaiian Beaches and Leilani Estates, threatened over
2500 homes as well as a nursery business. The FSA process
was long and tedious. However, with the cooperation of
the HI County Civil Defense Agency as well as the State
Civil Defense Agency, the FSA grant was approved by FEMA
in only a few hours. Timing was critical in obtaining
approval, so it was pertinent that all agencies
cooperated in a timely manner. Mr. Dennis Orbus was the
Principal Advisor to FEMA and he provided information and
input as needed. Mr. Orbus also inspected the Hawaiian
Beaches site during his follow-up as Principal
Advisor.
- The State hopes to recover over $2 million in
reimbursement costs for the County as well as for
DOFAW.
II. Rural
Community Fire Protection (RCFP)
A. Goal. To organize, train, and equip
the Hawai'i County Fire Department firefighting force to
efficiently and effectively prevent, control, and suppress
fires in remote areas.
B. Activities.
The Hawai'i County Fire Department (HiCFD) used the RCFP
grant to acquire a combination tanker/pumper. This
tanker/pumper is stationed at the Keauhou Fire Station,
where the surrounding communities are susceptible to
wildland fires.
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