STATE OF HAWAII – In an attempt at minimizing the impact of natural disasters, the state of Hawaii, in 2013, through a collaborative partnership between Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) and Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), initiated a program aimed at helping communities prepare to be self-reliant during and after natural hazard events, improve their ability to take care of their own needs, and reduce the negative impacts of disasters – the Hawaii Hazards Awareness & Resilience Program (HHARP).
“Hawaii has been fortunate over the past thirty years to not experience severe impact from natural disasters, but we are always reminded of historical tsunami and hurricane that has taken human life across our islands. The development of HHARP is based on the understanding that being isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean means we need to be prepared and resilient to take care of our citizens in the case of the most extreme disaster that could paralyze infrastructure and critical life sustaining supply chains,” said John Vierra, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Community Outreach Lead. “We place a strong emphasis on community involvement and education by conducting outreach programs, workshops, and training sessions to educate residents about the specific hazards they may face and the actions they can take to reduce the impact. This community-driven approach fosters a sense of shared responsibility and resilience.”
Becoming a HHARP community involves completion of HHARP training and community activities and meeting the criteria for the National Weather Service which requires being storm and tsunami ready.
“We are currently identifying how we can more clearly identify support cost to our HHARP. Currently the cost of starting and operating an HHARP is minimal but as we enhance our capability and support systems, we will be looking at cost requirements moving forward albeit cost will be at a minimum to the community as HIEMA takes on majority of funding requirements,” said Vierra.
HIEMA’s Office of Community Outreach oversees multiple HHARP’s across the state and each HHARP is overseen by community leaders determined by that community. The HIEMA Community Outreach team works closely with the community leads to continuously communicate and facilitate HHARP workshops and training opportunities.
To increase the awareness of hazards, HHARP is structured on six modules that include resources, presentation templates and worksheets that enhance community group activities.
Module One acquaints communities with the benefits of participating in the program. HHARP’s goal is to enhance community resilience through education and outreach sessions that build awareness and understanding of hazard mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. State and county emergency management agencies have partnered to administer HHARP in support of community leaders willing to implement the program.
Module Two involves hazard awareness. Each HHARP community identifies the potential hazards that the community is most concerned with and determines their community needs for workshops, trainings, and exercises to promote community engagement in planning and preparedness. The HIEMA Community Outreach team supports by providing information, SMEs, and resources. Historical impacts and official warning systems. The community goes through a three-part group activity – Part 1: Hazard Identification (identifying the hazards that impact the community and assigning a general likelihood of occurrence to those hazards; Part 2: Hazard Profile (identifying hazard strength and severity, frequency of occurrence, where they are likely to occur and what impacts are likely; and Part 3: Hazard Zones (documenting known hazard for the community.
Module Three focuses on personal preparedness. Each HHARP goes through community activities to personally prepare themselves and their families. Activities include discussions on the importance of planning and determining what goes in the plan as well as how to stay informed in an emergency, creating an emergency contact and communication form, generating an emergency supply list and be knowledgeable regarding evacuation and sheltering.
Module Four relates to risk assessment. Group activities are executed to resource maps to include individuals, organizations, and formal institutions within the HHARP community. Each HHARP engages stakeholders to develop a Community Risk Profile. The goal is to have community members identify people, places and resources within the community that are exposed to hazard impacts. As a part of the process community members learn about specific characteristics and conditions that make these resource more susceptible to hazard impacts and the skills, resources and abilities that may be leveraged to help manage disaster impacts.
Module Five involves disaster planning. Each community is required to develop an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The Office of Community Outreach works with each HHARP across the state regarding disaster planning. The topics covered include:
- Why Plan? What’s in a plan?
- The Planning Process
- Advancing the Planning Process
- Elements of the Plan
- Drafting a Communicating Plan
- Validating the Plan
- Planning Resources
Module Six is inclusive of strengthening the program and guidelines. Once the EOP is created Community Outreach continues to work with the HHARP community in sustaining preparedness and training.
The program ensures that residents receive timely and accurate information in the event of an impending hazard. This includes the integration of technological solutions, such as alert systems and mobile apps, to reach a wide audience quickly. By providing advanced notice of potential hazards, early warning systems enable individuals, communities, and organizations to take appropriate measures to minimize the potential impact of disasters.
