HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

148

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE counties to work with the Civil Defense Division of the Department of Defense to develop methods of expediting the installation or construction of emergency warning sirens throughout the state to ensure public safety in the event of disaster.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, Hawaii is at risk from various types of natural disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and tsunami; and

 

     WHEREAS, it is vitally important to ensure the State is adequately prepared to deal with these disasters; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Civil Defense Division of the Department of Defense (Civil Defense), assists authorities in providing for the safety and welfare of residents, visitors, and animals in the state; and

 

     WHEREAS, Civil Defense continuously strives to maintain its readiness to respond to the needs of the people of Hawaii in the event of disasters, either natural or human-made; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Civil Defense's aging siren warning system continues to have coverage gaps; and

 

     WHEREAS, while Civil Defense and related private agencies have made great strides in becoming capable of handling a tsunami or hurricane disaster, more resources are needed to upgrade and decrease coverage gaps in the existing warning systems; and

 

     WHEREAS, it is critical to have effective warning systems to protect residents who, for example, live in areas of the state that lie in tsunami inundation zones during an emergency; and

     WHEREAS, in the event of a tsunami, the brief notice provided by a tsunami warning can mean the difference between reaching a safe area and remaining in the path of danger; and

 

     WHEREAS, as more and more areas of the state become developed for residential use, there is greater need for additional warning sirens; and

 

     WHEREAS, warning sirens are a critical piece of infrastructure in neighborhoods around the state; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that the counties are urged to work with the Civil Defense Division of the Department of Defense to develop methods of expediting the installation or construction of emergency warning sirens throughout the state to ensure public safety in the event of disaster; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Adjutant General, Director of Civil Defense, and the respective Mayors of the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and Honolulu.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Civil Defense Sirens; County Cooperation