The unfolding crisis on Maui is a timely reminder for business leaders that all the planning and safeguards in the world are useless for preventing or warning about an emergency or disaster if those plans and safeguards fail or are ignored.
A lot can be riding on the success or failure of those preparations, plans, and warning systems, including reputations, careers, credibility — and lives.
Consider the circumstances around last week’s tragic and devestating wildfires on Maui.
Expertise
When appointing someone to oversee the preparation and management of a crisis, make sure they are properly and fully qualified and are the best person for the job.
“Herman Andaya was not an expert in emergency management when he was hired to lead the Maui Emergency Management Agency in 2017,” according to the Honolulu Civil Beat.
“Trained in political science and the law, he has no formal education in disaster preparedness or response. And prior to his current role, he never held a full-time job dedicated to emergency management.
“Instead, his main qualification was being chief of staff to then-mayor Alan Arakawa. But in that role, he told Civil Beat Tuesday, he assisted during emergency operations. And he said he participated in online FEMA trainings and workshops throughout the years.”
Fire Protection Plan
In 2014, government officials in Hawaii approved a Western Maui Community Wildlife Protection Plan. But, as NPR reported, the state has struggled to implement the report’s recommendations.
“As with all government budget processes, there is never enough money to go around, so elected officials, usually with community input, set priorities, and the money runs out before you get to the lower priority items,” Clifford Oliver, a former assistant administrator of FEMA, said via email.
He noted that “there are over 100 community-provided recommendations, [in the plan] many of which cost money to implement. To make these mitigation actions a higher propriety would mean lowering the priority of others, what many might consider more urgent needs, such as schools, police protection, etc. Getting state and local elected officials to make this difficult decision requires true leadership and a political commitment.”
The Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.
Emergency Notification
No Warning
According to the New York Times, “None of the 80 warning sirens placed around Maui were activated by the island or the state’s emergency management agencies in response to the devastating Lahaina fire, a spokesman confirmed on Saturday.”
“Residents who survived the fire have wondered aloud why no one activated the sirens, which emit noises at a higher decibel level than a loud rock concert and can be heard from more than half a mile away,” the news organization reported.
CNN reported that “Although the emergency response is still being reviewed, authorities believe the sirens were “essentially immobilized” by the extreme heat, Green told CNN on Monday.
“The governor told CNN on Tuesday that some of the sirens were broken, and that is part of an ongoing investigation.
“Green said he asked the state’s attorney general “to do a full review of everything: decisions, policies, policies on water, and then, of course, the sirens.”
“I do not” regret not sounding the sirens, Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya told CBS News at a news conference Wednesday in his first public comments s
The Accidental Warning
This was not the first time that there were issues with the state’s emeregncy notifcation system.
In January 2018, an alert was accidently issued warning citizens to take shelter becuse of an incoming ballistic missile. “It took nearly 40 minutes for officials to issue a correction. But after the shock wore off, many were left with frustration and angger,” Hawaii News Now reported.
Water Pressure
Making a bad sitaution even worse were water-pressure-related issues.
“Hoping to control the blaze as it took root among homes along the hillside nearly a mile above the center of town, fire crews encountered water pressure that was increasingly feeble, with the wind turning the streams into mist.,” acording to the New York Times.
‘Then, as the inferno stoked by hurricane-force gusts grew, roaring further toward the historic center of town on the island of Maui, the hydrants sputtered and became largely useless.”
When You See Something, Do Something
“Prompted by the increase in wildfires, a Maui county government commission in July 2021 examined the local prevention and response system and warned county and state officials of the growing fire threat.,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
“The investigation found that the number of incidents from a combination of wild/brush/forest fires appears to be increasing, and that this increase poses an increased threat to citizens, properties, and sacred sites,” the commission’s report concluded.
“The report said not enough was being done to address the concerns. It recommended a number of solutions, including better management of vegetation around power lines and creating fuel buffers around the lines.,” according to the news organization.
Early Crisis Management Lessons
Although the wildfire crisis on Maui will more than likely be the focus of local, state, and federal investigations, hearings, and reports, the early crisis management lessons for business leaders are clear.
Remember What’s At Stake
- Remember what’s at stake for your company or organization if you do not have a crisis management plan in place — or have not updated it to reflect the dangers your businesses could face.
Assume Nothing
- When it comes to preparing for a crisis, don’t assume that your crisis management plan will work when needed.
- Make sure that the crisis early warning sytems you have in place for your company are functioning. This includes monitoring and being notified immediately about critical comments about your bsuiness on social media platforms that could be an early warning of a pending crisis.
- Take steps to practice the plan on a regular basis and ensure that you have the resources necessary to implement the plan.
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