Governor Josh Green, M.D.

GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA

GOVERNOR GREEN PROCLAIMS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK STATEWIDE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2024

HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green, M.D., has proclaimed the week of October 6 through 12, 2024, 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 (SFC) 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, Governor Green signed the proclamation to heighten public awareness and promote proactive steps for preventing fires of all sorts, especially those in homes.

“Something everyone can do at home is check their smoke alarm batteries once a month. Once a year, get a new battery in there and make sure it works. Everyone can do that — and please help a neighbor who may be a kupuna to make sure theirs are in working order.”

The National Fire Protection Association website offers life-saving information on installation and monthly testing of home smoke- and carbon monoxide detectors.

“The State Fire Council appreciates the Governor’s annual Fire Prevention Week Proclamation as it is a vital reminder to our residents and visitors to always stay fire safe,” said SFC Chair Chief Kazuo Todd. “We urge every Hawai‘i residence or building to ensure they have functioning smoke alarms, which can often alert occupants of a potential fire and allow them to safely escape from harm’s way.”

In the City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu Hale will be illuminated in red from sundown on Sunday, October 6 through sunrise on Monday, October 7 to launch Fire Prevention Week.

“The Honolulu Fire Department is committed to protecting the communities we serve. The Governor’s annual Fire Prevention Week proclamation helps us highlight the importance of fire safety,” said Honolulu Fire Department Fire Chief Sheldon K. Hao. “The Honolulu Fire Department also remains focused on preventing potential wildland fires and we urge everyone to learn more about fire safety and prevention.”

Awareness is especially high on Maui following the deadly wildfires of August 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. “The Maui Fire Department has partnered with the American Red Cross to install 235 smoke detectors in the homes of Maui’s kūpuna and lower-income residents so far in 2024.”

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.

“Governor Green’s proclamation is an important reminder that fire prevention requires everyone’s effort, especially as the threat of wildfires continues to grow,” said Kaua‘i Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson. “Fire safety is about taking proactive steps to prevent fires before they start and not just responding to them when they occur. With the rise in wildfires across our island and state, it’s more important than ever for our community to be vigilant, ensure their homes are protected and stay informed.”

In addition to Hawai‘i residents arming themselves with smoke detectors, Governor Green acknowledged the work being done to heighten awareness of the crucial importance of fire prevention and mitigation.

“Our own state departments like DLNR are participating, running public service announcements, trying to make sure that people are aware of the many facets of this challenge, he said. “Sometimes, it is firefighting, sometimes it’s prevention, sometimes it’s invasive species. It is all work toward making sure that we deal with those hazards. And as we have all seen, these are the real challenges that we face in the modern day. We’re even talking about climate, the concerns of storms, Red Flag Warnings and more. People are learning a great deal about these many threats and I’m glad to see that.”

The proclamation signing video may be viewed here.
Photos of the proclamation signing, courtesy Office of the Governor, are here.
A copy of the proclamation is here.

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

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Media Contacts:   
Erika Engle
Press Secretary
Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
Phone: 808-586-0120
Email: [email protected]

Makana McClellan
Director of Communications
Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
Cell: 808-265-0083
Email: [email protected]

Gary Lum
Administrative Specialist
Hawaiʻi State Fire Council
Phone: 808-723-7160
Email: [email protected]