(NewsNation) — Nearly six months after the wildfire that devastated Lahaina, the Maui Police Department released a preliminary report on its response.
The department said it’s working on improving its response to future tragedies, including by obtaining better equipment and stationing a high-ranking officer in the island’s communications center during emergencies.
The changes are among 32 recommendations listed in a preliminary “after-action” report that looks at what went well and what didn’t during the chaotic events of Aug. 8, when the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century leveled Lahaina, the one-time capital of the former Hawaiian Kingdom, and killed at least 100 people.
Alice Lee, chairwoman of the Maui County Council, said the council has not had a chance to discuss the report in depth, but “there aren’t that many surprises.”
“There are several things that stand out — one is the communications issue. That is an area that really has to be addressed. It’s no fault of the police department, but we just have to improve our communications because that’s the only way you can effectively coordinate with all the multiple agencies involved as first responders,” she said.
The report also stated that the police department was understaffed. Lee said that the issue hasn’t been remedied “because it’s an ongoing issue.”
“The Maui Police Department was hamstrung by insufficient resources because they’re short — they’re sharing about 100 positions. The workforce there is like 300 officers and they’re short about 100, so that shows you how hard it is. So, these folks had to work double, triple time, to deal with the fire,” Lee said.
Many of the report’s recommendations call for better equipment and updates to technology, from getting officers earpieces they can use when high winds make it hard to hear their radios to equipping patrol cars with breaching kits to remove downed trees or utility poles from roadways.
Others focus on improving communications between emergency personnel and officers themselves, such as stationing a high-ranking officer — a lieutenant or higher — in the communications center to help relay information to police commanders. The report also suggested giving officers in the field more briefings during recovery efforts.
