The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said in a news release that the monthly emergency siren test set to take place in September has been canceled. 

The regularly scheduled test for the Statewide Outdoor Warning Siren System would have been on Friday at 11:45 a.m. 

Instead, a 15-minute moment of prayer and remembrance to honor those killed or missing as a result of the Maui wildfires is planned for that date and time. 

HI-EMA did not organize the moment of prayer and remembrance, according to Adam Weintraub, the spokesperson for HI-EMA.

On Thursday, Maui County announced a statewide, day-long vigil would be held on Friday to honor the victims of the fires. The Hawaii Executive Collaborative, a nonprofit organization, is spearheading the vigil, which can be streamed online or attended in-person at multiple locations.  

HI-EMA will conduct the Live Audio Broadcast segment of the Emergency Siren System on Friday, as it is required by the Federal Communications Commission.  

The next siren test will be conducted on Oct. 2 at the regularly scheduled time. 

After the wildfires, the Maui Emergency Management Agency came under attack for not sounding the sirens to alert people in Lahaina about the fires. Then-MEMA Administrator Herman Andaya defended the decision to not sound the sirens at a press conference about a week after the fires. The following day, he resigned from his position, citing health reasons. At some point during the Aug. 8 fire, HI-EMA personnel reminded MEMA that sirens could be sounded, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with information about the vigil. (Aug. 31, 2023)