Episode 153: Members of FDNY and South Carolina State Fire on providing incident management assistance on O'ahu

On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, host Brandi Higa sits down with members of the incident management teams (IMT) from the New York Fire Department (FDNY) and South Carolina State Fire. They discuss the unique challenges we face here in the City and County of Honolulu and their advice for residents as we prepare for future disasters.

What is an Incident Management Team (IMT)

An Incident Management Team (IMT) is a group of trained personnel, operating under the Incident Command System (ICS), designed to manage large-scale, complex emergencies or planned events. Here on O‘ahu, incident management teams from New York and South Carolina helped with everything from mud and debris removal to standing up a Community Assistance Center at Waialua District Park.

“We travel around and we bring a kind of structure,” explained FDNY IMT Commander Mike Burke. He goes on to explain that his team consists of people who help with planning, public information, and even the financial aspects of emergency response and recovery.

For more on the FDNY IMT, please visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/fdny/index.page

For more on the South Caroline State Fire IMT, please visit https://statefire.llr.sc.gov/

O‘ahu’s unique challenges

Being an island state presents challenges in terms of evacuation planning and receiving resources. In addition, flooding can be more intense in coastal areas and at the base of our mountain ranges.

“The time frame for decision-making and preparation is much more compressed just because of the topography and how close the mountains are to the sea,” said South Carolina State Fire Marshal Jonathan Jones.

Depending on the cause, flooding can happen in low-lying areas prone to flooding, along streams and coastline, or in areas that have previously not experienced major flooding which is why preparation is so important. To find out if your home is at risk and ways to stay safe, please visit https://www.honolulu.gov/dem/flood/

Preparing for future disasters

Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management (DEM) coordinates preparedness and response plans for the island of O‘ahu.

“It’s following the lead of your local Department of Emergency Management,” added South Carolina State Fire Deputy Chief of Operations Matt Rhoton. “When they’re talking preparedness messages and sharing the information about being ready and their warnings, signing up for alerts, those are all key things.”

HNL Alert is the City and County of Honolulu’s official notification system used to alert residents and visitors about emergencies. To sign up for HNL Alert, visit www.hnlalert.gov