The County of Kauaʻi is hosting a full-scale, multiagency emergency response exercise at Nāwiliwili Harbor next week.
The Hawaiʻi National Guard’s 93rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team is organizing the exercise as part of a weeklong training series aimed at enhancing preparedness for hazardous materials incidents and natural or human-caused emergencies.
The full-scale exercise will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, with operations focused at Nāwiliwili Harbor in the parking lot area between the jetty and Nāwiliwili Park.
Other training activities will occur from July 25 through July 31 at multiple sites across the island, involving a variety of drills including hazardous materials decontamination, survey and triage operations, communications testing, and emergency operations coordination.
“Every exercise like this gives our first responders and emergency management partners the chance to practice how an initial response expands into a larger, multiagency operation as an incident grows in complexity,” said Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency Administrator Elton Ushio. “Training together under realistic conditions helps us identify gaps, strengthen working relationships, and improve the coordination and resource support we rely on when our community needs us most.”
Officials ask for the public’s cooperation and awareness near training areas, especially around Nāwiliwili Harbor, and to avoid areas with marked emergency vehicles and personnel.
The exercise on Thursday will include participation from a wide range of agencies and disciplines, including the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency, Kauaʻi Fire Department, Kauaʻi Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, American Medical Response, Wilcox Medical Center through the Hawaiʻi Healthcare Emergency Management Coalition, Matson Navigation Company, and the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, Harbors Division.
“Preparedness is one of the most important investments we can make for our island,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. “When our agencies and partners train side by side under realistic conditions, they build the trust and coordination that make all the difference when a real emergency strikes.”
For more information, please contact the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency at 808-241-1800 or KEMA@kauai.gov.
