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EXHIBIT A: INCREASE IN DISASTERS X WILDFIRE RISK
<br />The Hawaii Fire Department (HFD) requires steadfast support in the implementation of a comprehensive
<br />strategy that includes an in -progress Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover, and a Master and
<br />Strategic Plan. This critical endeavor was recommended in the March 2022 HFD Audit Report, along with a
<br />call to work towards achieving CFAI Accreditation. The Audit states that, "while the department generally
<br />delivers an adequate "all -hazards " response to fires, medical emergencies, rescues, hazardous material
<br />incidents, natural and manmade disasters, it is subjecting itself and by extension the public, to undue risk,
<br />because it lacks the fundamental building blocks necessary to support best practices. "
<br />The demand for HFD's services has risen significantly, with a notable increase from 24,954 in 2020 to 29,598
<br />in 2022, marking an 18.6% increase. Recent events include the Kilauea volcanic eruption and Hurricane Lane
<br />in 2018, and the Mana Road Brushfire in 2021 underscore the department's critical role in responding to
<br />disasters. Hawaii County has had six Presidential Disaster Declarations in the last decade, encompassing two
<br />tropical storms, two hurricanes, and two volcanic eruptions. The wildfire threat hazard risk is substantial,
<br />affecting 62,065 people, equivalent to 24.4% of the island's population, and property replacement values
<br />totaling $18.5 billion. In addition, there are 11,500 identified archeological sites (with only 5% of island
<br />surveyed), 131 federally listed threatened or endangered species, 1.3 million acres of designated conservation
<br />lands, and 1 million acres of agricultural lands, all of which must be protected.
<br />Wildfires are increasing in frequency, size, and severity across the Hawaiian Islands, posing threats to
<br />communities, agricultural lands, and natural resources. Annually, the area burned by wildfires is on the rise
<br />while activities for prevention, mitigation, and suppression have not kept pace with the escalating fire hazard,
<br />exponentially increasing fire's negative impacts. The surge in wildfires is endangering human safety,
<br />infrastructure, agricultural production, cultural resources, native ecosystems, watershed functioning, and
<br />coastal resources throughout the state.
<br />Many neighborhoods in Hawaii face extreme fire hazard challenges, including ingress and egress routes,
<br />narrow streets, few fire truck turnaround options, unmanaged and untended fire fuels in developed areas, and
<br />constrained firefighting access and water resources. These hazards hinder fire suppression efforts and promote
<br />the rapid spread of fires, endangering our communities.
<br />Resources for wildfire firefighting are extremely limited, with budgets barely covering annual firefighting
<br />costs, leaving minimal capacity for proactive measures like prevention, mitigation, public outreach, fuels
<br />management, and enhancing firefighting access and water infrastructure.
<br />As we witness and live through fires of unprecedented scale, not only in Hawaii but worldwide, it is evident
<br />that no city, community, or wildland area is immune from the threat of fire. Factors such as climate change,
<br />declining forest health, and the expanding Wildland-Urban Interface continue top fuel wildland-urban
<br />disasters. What was once a seasonal occurrence has become a year-round challenge, with megablazes now
<br />more common than ever. These blazes are a wake-up call to the new, pervasive danger wildfires present. In
<br />many communities, they pose the most significant threat to the quality of life, affecting and degrading the air
<br />we breathe, harming the environment, impairing the economy, destroying neighborhoods, and in some cases,
<br />taking the lives of the citizens we are sworn to protect and serve.
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