{"id":9921,"date":"2023-08-17T20:25:19","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T20:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/maui-shows-what-can-happen-when-crisis-safeguards-fail-or-are-ignored\/"},"modified":"2023-08-17T20:25:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T20:25:20","slug":"maui-shows-what-can-happen-when-crisis-safeguards-fail-or-are-ignored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=9921","title":{"rendered":"Maui Shows What Can Happen When Crisis Safeguards Fail Or Are Ignored"},"content":{"rendered":"
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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.<\/p>\n

A lot can be riding on the success or failure of those preparations, plans, and warning systems, including reputations, careers, credibility \u2014 and lives.<\/p>\n

Consider the circumstances around last week\u2019s tragic and devestating wildfires on Maui.<\/p>\n

Expertise<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHerman Andaya was not an expert in emergency management when he was hired to lead the Maui Emergency Management Agency in 2017,\u201d according to the Honolulu Civil Beat<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTrained 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, his main qualification was being chief of staff to then-mayor Alan Arakawa. But in that role, he told Civil Bea<\/em>t Tuesday, he assisted during emergency operations. And he said he participated in online FEMA trainings and workshops throughout the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fire Protection Plan<\/h2>\n

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\u2019s recommendations.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs 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,\u201d Clifford Oliver, a former assistant administrator of FEMA, said via email.<\/p>\n

He noted that \u201cthere 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.<\/p>\n

Emergency Notification<\/h2>\n

No Warning<\/h3>\n

According to the New<\/em> York<\/em> Times<\/em>, \u201cNone of the 80 warning sirens placed around Maui were activated by the island or the state\u2019s emergency management agencies in response to the devastating Lahaina fire, a spokesman confirmed on Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cResidents 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,\u201d the news organization reported.<\/p>\n

CNN<\/em> reported that \u201cAlthough the emergency response is still being reviewed, authorities believe the sirens were \u201cessentially immobilized\u201d by the extreme heat, Green told CNN on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor told CNN<\/em> on Tuesday that some of the sirens were broken, and that is part of an ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreen said he asked the state\u2019s attorney general \u201cto do a full review of everything: decisions, policies, policies on water, and then, of course, the sirens.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I do not” regret not sounding the sirens, Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya told CBS News<\/em> at a news conference Wednesday in his first public comments s<\/p>\n

The Accidental Warning<\/h3>\n

This was not the first time that there were issues with the state\u2019s emeregncy notifcation system.<\/p>\n

In January 2018, an alert was accidently issued warning citizens to take shelter becuse of an incoming ballistic missile. \u201cIt took nearly 40 minutes for officials to issue a correction. But after the shock wore off, many were left with frustration and angger,\u201d Hawaii News Now<\/em> <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n

Water Pressure<\/h2>\n

Making a bad sitaution even worse were water-pressure-related issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoping 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.,\u201d acording to the New York Times<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Then, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

When You See Something, Do Something<\/h2>\n

\u201cPrompted 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.,\u201d the Wall<\/em> Street<\/em> Journal<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d the commission\u2019s report concluded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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.,\u201d according to the news organization.<\/p>\n

Early Crisis Management Lessons<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Remember What\u2019s At Stake<\/h3>\n