HAIKU, MAUI, HAWAII — The Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission issued a statement early Friday (8/18) in response to the devastating wildfires that have impacted thousands of residents on the island of Maui, and provided an update to the public on the agency’s efforts to support local disaster assessment and recovery efforts.
Speaking from Washington, Jessica Rosenworcel, who once worked for the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, noted that she experienced firsthand “the kindness and collective spirit of Aloha that guides the people who call Hawai’i home.”
Rosenworcel added that the FCC has staff on the ground in Maui assessing the impact on communications services and infrastructure to help local, state, and federal authorities to identify how to best support restoration and emergency response.
“We have been issuing daily public communications status reports that track the restoration progress, with 17 out of 21 cell sites now restored, the Maui 911 call center now functional, and broadcasters continuing to operate and share important community updates and news,” she said. “Also, more than 10,000 cable and wireline subscribers have had service restored, but more work remains. We will continue to work closely with local, state, and federal partners as families and residents all over the island begin to rebuild and recover from these devastating wildfires.”
The Commission is supporting communities impacted by the Maui wildfires in a variety of ways, including the deployment of FCC staff to Kahului to determine the impact to public safety and emergency alerting communications capabilities.
The FCC is also enabling wireless providers to deploy temporary microwave stations to the affected area to support wireless service, and monitoring the operational status of communications services and infrastructure on Maui and coordinating with government partners, industry, and public safety to support their restoration efforts.
Furthermore, the Commission is enabling the County of Maui, which encompasses the entire island, to use additional frequencies to support public safety communications.
And, the FCC is activating a tailored version of its Disaster Information Reporting System to obtain targeted, granular communications status information to aid emergency responder decision-making.
Meanwhile, the FCC has created a dedicated webpage (www.fcc.gov/HawaiiWildfires) that includes tips for the public when communicating during an emergency.
The FCC also will be performing remote High Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF) scans to determine and share operational status of AM stations that support public safety communications, Rosenworcel said.
However, AM radio consumption on Maui has been very low in recent years, with the majority of those who tune to local radio stations consuming FM stations owned by Pacific Media Group, led by Chuck Bergson. Bergson’s Lahaina residence was lost in the wildfires, along with all Front Street businesses, including that of omnipresent local resident Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.
With respect to regulatory deadlines and filing needs for licensees and applicants on Maui, the FCC will work with these broadcasters so they can focus on the response.
Rosenworcel also notes that the FCC’s Operations Center is available 24/7 to assist public safety and industry with communications needs related the response and restoration on Maui.
While West Maui suffered the worst of the wildfires, flames came dangerously close to South Maui residences in Kihei. Additionally, an Upcountry Maui wildfire damaged areas of Kula, near the base of Haleakala, the famed crater that is home to a national park.
RBR+TVBR’s presence on Maui returned on August 2, as family associated with Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson reestablished residency after a pandemic-era absence. Ethan Hunt and Bodhi Hunt are providing local updates for RBR+TVBR from Makawao, Paia and Haiku on relief efforts, which are focused today on ensuring potable water is available. On Friday morning, air quality became a concern, as wildfire smoke remained a hazard for those with sensitivities.
