Kaua‘i fire chief joins Gov. Green during Fire Prevention Week throughout Hawai‘i
Gov. Josh Green has proclaimed the week of Oct. 6 through 12 as “Fire Prevention Week” in the state of Hawai‘i. This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!”
Flanked by State Fire Council Chair Kazuo Todd, who also serves as Hawai‘i County Fire Chief, as well as fire chiefs from the city and county of Honolulu, county of Maui, Kaua‘i County and other stakeholders, Gov. Green signed the proclamation to heighten public awareness and promote proactive steps for preventing fires of all sorts, especially those in homes.
“Fire safety is about taking proactive steps to prevent fires before they start and not just responding to them when they occur,” said Kaua‘i Fire Prevention Chief Michael Gibson.
The Kaua‘i Fire Department, in partnership with the Kaua‘i Philippine Cultural Center, marked the start of 2024 Fire Prevention Week with a community event Oct. 5 at the Kaua‘i Philippine Cultural Center.
The National Fire Protection Association website offers life-saving information on installation and monthly testing of home smoke- and carbon monoxide detectors.
Awareness is especially high on Maui following the deadly wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023.
“Working smoke alarms play a crucial role in alerting residents to a fire in their home, giving them time to escape,” said Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety Chief Brad Ventura.
Numerous federal, state, county and nonprofit organizations are devoted to fire prevention and threat mitigation. These are just a few that can be contacted for additional information:
- National Fire Prevention Association
- State Fire Council (multilingual options)
- Honolulu Fire Department, Fire and Life Safety
- Maui Fire and Public Safety Department, Fire Education
- Kaua‘i Fire Department, Prevention Bureau
- County of Hawai‘i Fire Department, Fire Prevention Branch
- DLNR-DOFAW Wildfire Management
- Nonprofit Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization