Morgue Timeline Highlights

August 9 4:30 p.m. Unofficial count of recoveries: 34

Permissions obtained to utilize vacant properties adjacent to the forensic facility

August 10 ANDE Rapid DNA assessment team on site

Electrical connections for expanded morgue outside area

Three refrigerated shipping containers on site

August 11 First forensic exam in morgue autopsy suite

ANDE Rapid DNA instrument on site at morgue

Temporary barrier walls constructed around expanded morgue containers area

Gravel parking lot installed on sandy soil to allow vehicle access to containers

August 12 FBI Honolulu ERT on site

First identifications by fingerprints (Hawaii Driver License) and DNA

DMORT assessment team on site

August 13 DMORT full team arrived on Maui

5:30 p.m. Unofficial count of recoveries: 86

August 14 M.I.N.T. official first meeting

Tents in place for morgue outdoor extension and black barrier sheeting installed on rear fence

August 15 Two additional refrigerated shipping containers on site

DMORT begins forensic exams in autopsy suite

August 16 DMORT fully functional (admitting stations under tents and sally port, including x-ray,

fingerprinting, photography, personal effects, anthropology, dental)

FEMA generator installed for morgue overflow containers

Shelving installed into refrigerated containers: morgue capacity now 300

Anthropologists from California (CA) State University of Chico at recovery site

August 17 DPAA anthropologists on site at morgue

FBI fingerprint analyst on site at morgue

6:10 p.m. Unofficial count of recoveries: 110

August 18 Additional ANDE Rapid DNA instruments from California on site at morgue

August 20 5:20 p.m. Unofficial count of recoveries: 126

HECO and US Army Corps of Engineers on site to explore transition to electric power

August 28 ANDE Rapid DNA instrument training for MPD team

DMORT VIP System training for MPD team

DPAA anthropologists, x-ray technician, and odontologists on site at morgue

August 29 MPD team conducted first rapid DNA analyses

August 30 DMORT last day on site

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September 5 First shipment to ANDE for advanced DNA analyses

September 15 Number of decedents reconciled to 97

October 3 HECO powering containers

November 17 Final area searched: draining of parking structure, no additional recoveries

99 decedents identified of the 100 recoveries

Four unaccounted for persons cases

The unaccounted for persons as well as the unidentified are still in process as of the time of this

writing.

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XI.Equipment and Technology

A. Tools

MPD officers created escape routes that were otherwise inaccessible on the day of the fire in Lahaina. One officer

utilized his own straps to tie to a fence and his police vehicle to pull a fence down. Congested traffic used this newly

created escape route. Fallen trees were blocking potential escape routes.

B. Personal Protective Equipment

All officers are issued equipment relative to their police duties. In addition, officers were issued personal protective

equipment (PPE) in the form of masks, eye protection, gloves and other tools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On August 8, 2023, not all officers had proper PPE, especially relative to a fire of this magnitude.

In the following days, officers were provided with additional PPE and other tools that were required in their search

and recovery efforts.

C. First Aid

MPD officers carry their own personal medical supplies such as a tourniquet, and each police beat has an AED and

first aid kit.

Of all the responding officers and partner agencies who responded to the initial and subsequent operational periods,

there was one line of duty officer injury upcountry with smoke inhalation on August 8, 2023, and one on the August

10, 2023, in Lahaina.

D. Technology

A Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) camera is more than a camera capturing video. The system is able to detect and

alert the presence of smoke and fire. To have cutting edge technology would not only reduce crime and response

times to crimes but also to be able to detect smoke would provide the community with assurance that they are safer

than ever before.

RECOMMENDATION 29 – Equip every supervisory police vehicle with a

breaching kit to be able to remove debris such as a downed tree from

roadways blocking any exit to ensure lives are preserved.

RECOMMENDATION 30 – Create go-bags of PPE for each motorized beat

for response to fire events and other unusual occurrences.

RECOMMENDATION 31 – Installation of real time crime center cameras

throughout Maui County at key points.

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Due to the wind gusts up to 60 to 80 mph, drones and aircraft were unable to assist and unable to be deployed.

Officers are assigned an APX 6000 Motorola portable radio and an APX 6500 mobile radio. These radios were the

only source of communication.

RECOMMENDATION 32 – Evaluate the cost for IT hardware, software, file

storage and expanded wi-fi, satellite connections. Develop a plan to

procure in emergencies to ensure it’s provided as timely as possible.

Survivor Accounts

Survivor Account 1

A Kaanapali hotel employee shared his perspective of August 8, 2023. He also manages a popular news source social

media account.

As he drove through Launiupoko Beach Park and Puamana Beach Park, he witnessed the extent of the damage

caused by fallen power poles and lines. When he learned of a fire on Lahainaluna Road through a police radio

scanner at 6:35 a.m., he decided to document the incident for social media by capturing photos and videos.

He then reported to work and faced challenges as the hotel lost power and communication. Visitors sought to leave

Kaanapali due to the current weather conditions. Recognizing that he will be needed at the hotel much longer after

his shift, he informed his boss he needed to briefly return home to Kahului.

While attempting to leave Lahaina, he encountered a large plume of smoke coming from Lahaina town. Stopped in

traffic, he noticed a police officer blocking southbound traffic on Honoapiilani Highway and Leialii Parkway, allowing

vehicles to exit but not enter Lahaina town.

He witnessed the scale of the fire and heavy traffic leaving Lahaina and headed north on Honoapiilani Highway. He

also noted heavy southbound traffic, headed toward Lahaina town. He decided to return to the hotel but was halted

when high winds knocked down multiple power poles right in front of him in the area of Honoapiilani Highway and

Leialii Parkway.

He assisted by informing a police officer that was posted at the Honoapiilani Highway and Leialii Parkway traffic post

about the impassable highway. He described the traffic congestion and chaos on Honoapiilani Highway, as

thousands of individuals attempted to leave Kaanapali toward Lahaina, while thousands more attempted to

evacuate Lahaina from the fire.

He posted a video on Facebook detailing his experience and combating the disinformation that had been circulating

on social media and in the news. A popular source for information in Maui County, with over 250,000 followers

across its platforms, the post drew attention for the roles of first responders. He experienced retaliation for his first-

hand accounts in defense of first responders. Through research, he found that none appeared to have connections

to Maui County.

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Survivor Account 2

A retired Maui firefighter who resides off Lahainaluna Road, provided an account of the August 8, 2023. He described

the day as the most severe weather conditions and fire he had ever experienced. Strong winds, reaching what he

believed to be 70 to 80 mph, intensified throughout the day, causing significant damage to his property and the

entire surrounding neighborhood.

He noticed the fire's onset at around 3:30 p.m. when white smoke turned into thick black smoke, in what he knew

was indicative of hydrocarbons and suggesting homes and cars were ablaze. Despite attempting to create a

“defendable space” around his home with the help of a friend, he realized the severity of the situation and decided

to flee as flames got too close.

Sometime after 4:15 p.m., while trying to escape the fire in his vehicle, the vehicle malfunctioned. He was forced to

break the front passenger window to escape. To stay out of the thick black smoke, he crawled on the ground to seek

safety, sustaining burns to his arms/hands as a result. He reported being found and rescued by a police officer, as

he escaped his home in the area of Mill Street. He and the police officer later located another severely burned

victim.

Maui police officers transported them to the emergency shelter for treatment.

Survivor Account 3

A resident of Kanakea Loop in Lahaina, recalled the day starting with a power outage at around 5:00 a.m.,

accompanied by strong winds carrying debris into his home. His family woke up with blackened faces due to the

airborne particles. Around noon, while taking his wife to work, he observed severe damage to homes on Lahainaluna

Road and in the Kelawea Mauka neighborhood. He described roofing material on homes completely being ripped

off the frames due to the strong winds. While passing the Lahainaluna Road and Honoapiilani Highway intersection,

he noticed a police officer directing traffic in the intersection.

After returning home, he secured his house against the high winds. Around 3:00 p.m., he witnessed white and grey

smoke blowing from the same location of the morning fire. He then accounts the fire intensifying. He then witnessed

a police officer evacuating the Kelawea Mauka neighborhood using sirens and the P.A. System. He prepared his

family for evacuation. Attempting to leave, they encountered heavy traffic on Kalena Street. As they waited, the

wind shifted north causing nearby homes to rapidly catch fire. With the fire nearing, he turned back and headed

back to his home, believing they were safe. Shortly after, he noticed they were going to be blocked in by the fire.

He, along with other neighbors got to the dead-end on Kanakea Loop and cut the locks off of the gate to allow cars

to escape. They were then encountered with another gate, and a vehicle at a stop, blocking the escape route. He

then observed a police officer sprint toward the gate and use his body’s force, freeing the gate and allowing the

vehicle to continue. He used a garden hose to fight a structure that was on fire adjacent to the gate, allowing multiple

vehicles to evacuate the area.

They were able to escape using the bypass to the south. He did not know his wife’s whereabouts and could not

contact her. He attempted to head back in to find his wife, but was stopped by police. Coincidentally, he was on

the highway south of Lahaina, when he observed his wife running toward him. She had escaped to safety and out

of Lahaina on foot.

He observed the disinformation circulating on social media regarding police blocking people in. He did not

experience or see those accounts, but instead he observed police, firefighters and civilians helping save lives.

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Survivor Account 4

A Lahaina resident was working construction on the Kaanapali Hillside, when operations ceased due to the escalating

winds. While headed home, he got stuck in traffic in Kaanapali. He noticed a thick black smoke cloud rising from

Lahaina town, prompting him to rush home.

Encountering traffic restrictions near Honoapiilani Highway and Kikowaena Street, he attempted to bypass officers

but was stopped by police at Honoapiilani Highway and Leialii Parkway. He was informed that Honoapiilani

southbound traffic was closed. He parked at the Lahaina Post Office and ran on foot to help his family evacuate their

residence on Huea Street. While passing the Honoapiilani Highway/Fleming Road traffic intersection, he observed

vehicles exiting Front Street and headed north onto Honoapiilani Highway. Reaching home, he found his family

already leaving, prompting him to head south on an electric scooter to aid others.

At around 5:00 p.m., he observed the fire engulfing Taco Bell and encountered downed power lines near the Front

Street Apartments. He assisted in evacuating Old Lahaina Center and Dirty Monkey, witnessing police efforts to

evacuate businesses and transporting evacuees. As he walked north on Front Street, he informed motorists of the

downed utility poles and lines, while noting the fire was already igniting the Outlets of Maui. He observed people

beginning to abandoned their vehicles on Front Street and flee on foot. He observed police officers evacuating the

Front Street Apartments area, using their P.A. System to alert the community.

Community Response

MPD acknowledges the incredible response from our Maui community following the fires of August 8, 2023.

Countless numbers of volunteers gave their time and energy at the multiple disaster shelters setup across the island.

Individuals and groups donated non-perishable food items, toiletries, diapers, and clothing from their homes and

even emptied the shelves of Maui’s retail, wholesale, and grocery stores to provide items for those who lost

everything in the fires. Churches opened their grounds for off-island volunteers to stay. MPD received food and

drink donations from multiple restaurants – three meals a day, seven days a week for at least the first month

following the fires. Families and friends invited those who were displaced to stay with them and helped with the

financial and emotional process of starting over. MPD also wants to thank the visitors who left the island

immediately following the fires and those who postponed their vacations here, allowing Maui to focus on healing,

taking care of our families, and coping with our new lives as we move forward. A big mahalo to those off-island who

sent material and monetary donations as well, doing everything they could from afar to show their support. MPD

could not have accomplished everything in the timeframe we did without the love and support of our families and

friends. The Maui community took care of each other and took care of the police department and outside agencies

that came to help us. We know that “Maui no ka `oi, Maui is the best,” and no one better exemplified that than our

Maui ohana.

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XIV.Employee Wellness and Resilience

“Past, Present, & Future”

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines wellness as the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively

sought goal. The ability to recover from or adjust easily to adversity or change is resiliency. In law enforcement, we

train to serve and protect, we train to respond to the worst of situations. What we don’t train for is how we deal

with the trauma we experience. That trauma is not new to law enforcement, it has always existed from its very

inception.

The history of established law enforcement in America goes back to the 1800’s, when cities began creating official

police departments, establishing organized and preventative policing. The structure followed the professional

hierarchy and discipline like that of military forces. City police departments were essentially born out of unrest due

to social tensions. So, from their beginnings, police were injected into tense situations regarding race, ethnicity,

politics, and economic class. There were high rates of turnover along with minimal training, little professional

supervision, and little stability for new police officers. Police often faced hostility, suffered physical attacks, and

several officers died in the line of duty every year from 1850 onward (Duchess, H. et al., 2020).

Law enforcement in Hawaii was established under the reign of King Kamehameha III. Public safety in Hawaii was

codified under Article V of the 1864 Kingdom of Hawaii Constitution.

Now fast forward to policing in the 21st century. Law enforcement faces an increase in mass shootings, cybercrimes,

and threats of international and domestic terrorism, in addition to the regular work of maintaining safety in

communities through tasks such as patrol and criminal investigations with the expectation that law enforcement

officers also need to be social workers, parents, teachers, and counselors. All the while, fighting against the notions

of legacies of corruption and violence. Restricted by tight budgets, struggles of recruiting new officers, and struggles

with retaining current officers; the responsibilities demanded of police officers continue to increase with no

consideration of how to help their safety and health (Duchess, H. et al., 2020).

Police work operates in three social interaction arenas, the streets, the police department, and their family and

personal life, which are unique to police officers. What police officers don’t know when they begin their career is,

the better they are at what they do at work, the more likely they are to struggle or fail in all their significant

relationships. These three social interaction arenas pull a police officer in three different directions. Officers are

told to embrace a vision or program that teaches them how to behave and why. However, they are not educated

on the possible ramifications that disaster may strike in the form of poor professional performance, unsuccessful

personal relationships, and occasional suicides (Rufo, 2015).

A career in law enforcement is associated with increases in many forms of stress, including physical, psychosocial,

and anticipatory stress. Police officers are exposed to traumatic calls for service daily. Continued exposure to these

stressors may be directly related to the development of mental illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic

stress disorder, and burnout (Jetelina, K. et al., 2020).

The Maui Police Department’s Wellness Program has evolved through the years and has taken a holistic approach

following the devastating Lahaina wildfires. This is “where we were to where we want to be”:

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MPD’s Wellness Program and Training in place prior to the Lahaina wildfires:

1) Peer support

2) Chaplaincy program

3) County employee assistance program

4) CORDICO wellness mobile phone software application

5) Contracted psychologist private sessions provided three times a month

6) Officer wellness curriculum in annual recall

7) Officer wellness curriculum in recruit academy

8) Emotional survival added to recruit academy

9) Acadia health training

10) Active assailant and mindset training

11) Performance protocol coaching and mentoring

Crisis support provided to MPD personnel during the Lahaina wildfires:

1) Multiple psychologists on site at the Lahaina police station and morgue

2) Multiple clinicians on site at the Lahaina police station

3) Multiple physicians on site at the Lahaina police station and morgue

4) Small groupings of critical debriefs

5) Monetary donations for personnel effected by the Lahaina wildfires

6) Donations of necessities for personnel effected by the Lahaina wildfires

7) Replacement of gear damaged or loss within the Lahaina wildfires

8) Donation of food for all personnel assisting with the Lahaina wildfires

9) Breathing apparatus provided for all personnel working in Lahaina

10) Performance protocol coaching and mentoring provided to all MPD personnel

MPD’s wellness and resiliency initiative post Lahaina wildfires:

1) Establishment of the Maui Police Department’s wellness unit

2) Contracted psychologist private sessions increased to eight times a month

3) Paid daily wellness respite

4) Performance Protocol Coaching and Mentoring continued for all MPD personnel

5) Development and implementation of the Maui Police Department’s wellness and resilience response

protocol

6) Frequent wellness events for MPD personnel and their families

7) Implementation of wellness best practices developed in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Valor

Initiative specific for the Maui Police Department