Communication Number 2019-14 Waikoloa 2nd Access Rd Report

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Waikoloa Subcommittee's Second Access Road Report Emergency Exit Route off Hulu cannot accommodate a bus as the road is not wide enough or suited for bus travel. While employees usually park their vehicles on campus and theoretically could leave campus during an evacuation, the 825 students need supervision and assistance. Staff would be relied on to assure student safety. Also, even if staff's vehicles were used for an evacuation, it would be insufficient to accommodate the student body. If buses were used to evacuate the school on the Waikoloa Road, as many as 11-14 buses would be needed to accommodate students alone, and some would need to be handicapped -accessible. Parents could help with an evacuation if they can get to the school. Many could not in 2005. The number of parents available to assist on any given day is an unknown quantity. The school would need a tracking system to make certain that all students present on the day of the evacuation were accounted for, much as they do now with a fire drill. It is not only the emergency exit road that needs consideration. In the most recent fire (August, 2018), Waikoloa Road itself was closed at the Queen Kaahumana Highway, and all north bound traffic continued to the Kawaihae Road and was backed up for miles. There was another community debrief on this 2018 fire, which revealed that the fire had been handled much better than in 2005. Reports from all the officials demonstrated improve communications and implementation of damage control. The major concern raised by villagers who were not privy to these official, inter -agency communications is that they were confused and unclear about what they should or shouldn't do. Absent official notice, individuals relied on social media and the coconut wireless, neither of which is necessarily reliable. In the past 13 years, the emergency road has never been used for an evacuation, nor has it been tested during non -emergency times for its viability. The Village's population is estimated to have increased by 60+% since 2006. The only designated escape route is unproven yet needs to accommodate a larger population than when it was constructed. Recommendation: Out of prudence, Hawaii County should check the capacity and effectiveness of Waikoloa Village evacuation plans and routes. The Hawaii County Fire Department could have a "drill" for an evacuation of Wailoloa Village prior to an actual emergency, much like drills are practiced in public schools regularly. While this would be more predictable and orderly than an actual emergency evacuation, it would give villagers experience in the process and provide very valuable data on the time it takes to evacuation and the suitability of the road for such purposes with a variety of vehicles. Issues with coordination with Hawaii County Police, CERT, and Civil Defense could also be identified and improvements could be made before an actual emergency. With this data, the evacuation plans should be published, noting responsible agencies and points of contact. Communication protocols for getting accurate information and clear directions for safely evacuating to regular folks are a high priority for Waikoloa villagers. June 18, 2019 Page 11017