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-

KAUAI News

Kiloho earthquake 1-year anniversary
tomorrow - State issues response, recovery measure updates

by THE GARDEN ISLAND

State officials have released a summary
of key recommendations for improving emergency communications
statewide, in anticipation of the year anniversary of the Oct.
15, 2006, Kiloho earthquake.

The following is a
breakdown of that list, which was issued in a prepared
statement from Gov. Linda Lingle’s office yesterday.

• Update Hawai’i
Emergency Alert System Plan. The updated plan to allow
non-emergency, but informative, civil emergency messages to be
broadcast, was approved by the end of 2006.

• Media
Center/Joint Information Center. The facility in Diamond Head
crater will be turned over to State Civil Defense on April 1.
In the interim, its foyer and kitchen will be made available
as a workspace. Power will be available as SCD has backup
generators and a wireless network is available for media
use.

• Dedicated phone lines to Civil Defense broadcast
stations. This phase is complete; lines are tested on a
minimum monthly-basis.

• Frequent media updates during
emergencies, targeting every 30 minutes. SCD will update as
frequently as possible every 30 minutes, as every 30 minutes
might not be realistic. An electronic status board will have
the latest situation update to which all media will have
access.

• Availability of public affairs officers. Ray
Lovell, Dave Curtis and Maj. Chuck Anthony will be the
media-assigned liaisons during emergencies in conjunction with
Lingle’s communication team.

• TV and radio
automatically transmit civil emergency messages using the
Emergency Alert System. This phase is complete; messages were
used during the Thanksgiving aftershock on the Big Island,
Japan earthquakes and Solomon Island earthquake and
tsunami.

• Dedicated Web site for the media to receive
updates online. In progress. Establishing the firewall and
protocols need more work.

• Cell phone text messages.
Working with cell phone companies.

• Use of electronic
message signs on the freeways. Complete. Department of
Transportation will display the message when requested. The
boards were previously used for Maile Alerts related to child
abduction.

• Public awareness and training. News
directors and supervisors participated in work-shopping with
the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and O’ahu Department of
Emergency Management

• Inform foreign visitors and
non-English speaking citizens. Grant-in-Aid currently
requested from the Legislature to fund Japanese and all other
foreign languages so backup generators so can translate
emergency messages.

• Sign language translators and
other special-needs communications. Sign language personnel on
staff at SCD. Recent tsunami exercise provided sign language
messaging in the TV broadcast.

• Priority in
restoration of power to news outlets during loss of power.
Hawaiian Electric will prioritize restoration of electric
circuits serving major news outlets to the greatest extent
possible, taking into account overall electric system
stability and potential risk of damage to the grid in the
process.

• News outlets and telecommunication providers
do not have adequate supply of fuel for their generators.
Hawai’i National Guard will be mobilized during an emergency
and the fueling unit will provide fuel to organizations that
need it.

To learn more, go to www.hawaii.gov.

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index

Related Links:

Kiloho
earthquake 1-year anniversary tomorrow - State issues
response, recovery measure updates

Lingle
promises more of same

Judge
docks Superferry

State:
Wilcox meets needs

Letters
for Thursday, September 27, 2007

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