State and county agencies and local amateur radio operators should work together to develop an islandwide communication plan to respond to emergencies in case of blackouts, according to a Hawaii County Council proposal.
The resolution, drafted by Kohala Councilwoman Cindy Evans, cites a need for a “county radio plan” in the wake of natural disasters such as Hurricane Hone and the Lahaina wildfire and urges the mayor to develop one to improve radio communication infrastructure, particularly in the island’s remote areas.
Evans said residents involved in the county’s Community Emergency Response Team program already rely on walkie-talkies and ham radio operators to coordinate responses in rural areas, and said it would behoove the county to develop a more formal structure to integrate amateur operators into the county’s official emergency communications network.
“Look at it this way: If you don’t have electricity, if the power’s out … what could you do?” Evans said. “Probably, you go to your car, turn it on, and you get radio.”
Evans said the Lahaina wildfire further impressed upon her the need for such coordination, noting the disaster was exacerbated by breakdowns in communications among responders.
“After disasters, residents always tell us we need better communications,” Evans said.
The resolution — which, like all resolutions, is not legally binding — does not go into specifics about what the radio plan would specifically entail, but recommends that a working group be convened, comprised of members of the county Civil Defence Agency, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the Big Island Amateur Radio Club, and more.
Civil Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno said he has spoken with Evans about the proposal, but added that it might be redundant.
“Much of what she’s proposing is already in place,” Magno said, explaining that Civil Defense’s emergency response communication network already involves ham radio operators to get messages in and out of remote areas.
Magno said the resolution, if passed, would mostly just be “putting it in writing.”
But Evans said just having an official document will still be beneficial for the county in several ways. For one thing, having an official written plan makes it much easier for the county to apply for state or federal funding to improve county infrastructure in the future.
Evans also said an official document can become a template to follow in future disasters, and can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses in the county’s emergency response capabilities or identify particularly vulnerable communities.
For example, Evans said homestead communities makai of Highway 270 north of Kawaihae could easily become both physically and informationally cut off from the rest of the island during a disaster.
“In North Kohala, there’s a community-owned radio station, and it’s such a value for getting information to the community,” Evans said. “If every community on the island could have its own radio station, that would be amazing, but that’s very hard to do.”
A representative of the Big Island Amateur Radio Club did not respond to a request for comment in time for this story.
The council’s Committee on Governmental Operations and External Affairs will discuss the resolution today at 11:30 a.m.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
