(BIVN) – The Waimea community held a special town meeting on Thursday to discuss emergency readiness in the North Hawaiʻi region.
The Waimea Community Association presented “Emergency Preparedness: Lessons Learned and Preparing for the Future” at Kahilu Town Hall. It was a chance for attendees to hear directly from those involved in response and recovery efforts during recent wildfire and severe weather events.
Organizations participating in the discussion included representatives from Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, the statewide Hawaiʻi Advisory Council on Emergency Management, Hawaiʻi County Police, Fire, Parks and Recreation and Public Works Departments, Department of Water Supply, Waimea’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaiian Electric, and County Council leadership.
“This year we’ll be breaking ground and building an emergency evacuation center, which will also serve as a community center for Waimea,” said Nancy Carr Smith, president of the Waimea Community Association. “It will be equipped with things that are needed during emergencies.”
The event also discussed community resilience and infrastructure, featuring Vibrant Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Island Safety and Security Professionals Assn. (HISSPA) and Waimea Resilience Hub, as well as local churches and schools including Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy and Parker School.
“I’m very much thinking about this year’s hurricane season, and the kinds of impacts that we might be facing as an island this year with El Niño coming back online,” said Janice Ikeda of Vibrant Hawaiʻi, a community-driven organization dedicated to strengthening local resilience. “I think its great that we have these months ahead of that to really be preparing.”
Ikeda said Vibrant Hawaiʻi is hosting a resilience conference at the onset of the hurricane season. The Resilience Conference will take place Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.
The Waimea Community Association, serving the community for over 65 years, is welcoming new members. For more information, visit WaimeaTown.org.
