HONOLULU — Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 6 through 12, has been proclaimed across the State of Hawaii and the City and County of Honolulu after Gov. Josh Green issued a proclamation on Sunday and Mayor Rick Blangiardi issued a proclamation for the city on Monday at the Kakaako Fire Station.

What You Need To Know

  • This year’s nationwide Fire Prevention Week theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!”

  • Blangiardi kicked off the week with the illumination of Honolulu Hale Oct. 6 through 7

  • The National Fire Protection Association provides information on installing and the monthly testing of home smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

The State Fire Council Chair Kazuo Todd, who also serves as Hawaii County Fire Chief, fire chiefs from the City and County of Honolulu, counties of Maui and Kauai and others on Sunday joined Green to sign the proclamation to raise public awareness and promote action to prevent fires, especially those in homes, according to a news release.

This year’s nationwide Fire Prevention Week theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!”

“Something everyone can do at home is check their smoke alarm batteries once a month,” Green said in the release. “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 provides information on installing and the 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,” Todd said. “We urge every Hawaii 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.”

Honolulu Fire Department Fire Chief Sheldon K. Hao said the HFD remains focused on preventing wildland fires and urges all residents to learn about fire safety and prevention.

Following the devastating wildfires of Aug. 2023, Maui is especially alert to fires. Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety Chief Brad Ventura said working smoke alarms are critical in alerting residents and giving them time to escape. “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,” Ventura said.

The Kauai Fire Department kicked off Fire Prevention Week with a community event on Oct. 5 at the Kauai Philippine Cultural Center.

Especially as the threat of wildfires continues to grow, fire prevention requires effort from everyone said Kauai Fire Prevention 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,” Gibson said.

Blangiardi kicked off the week with the illumination of Honolulu Hale Oct. 6 through 7, and on Monday signed a proclamation declaring Fire Prevention Week for the City and County of Honolulu.

On his Facebook page, Blangiardi said, “Did you know that roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with no working smoke alarms and that working smoke alarms decrease the risk of dying in reported home fires almost in half? Smoke alarms save lives!”

 

 

Sarah Yamanaka covers news and events for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.

Editor’s note: The article has been updated with information on Mayor Blangiardi’s proclamation of Fire Prevention Week. (October 8, 2024)