West Maui Hospital Special Report

For an analysis of how these proposed property taxes break down as a percentage of property taxes paid, please click on our hyper link FY'05 Property Taxes Analysis 4-8-04.xls (46 KB). This is an Excel file and you may have difficulty downloading this depending on your security settings. An Adobe PDF file is also available (141 KB).

The chart showing returns is on the second page of the worksheet. Alternative tax rate scenarios are on page 3 of the worksheet. I guess you can say that West Maui made some progress since the return went from below 10% to over 15%. Still pretty poor but we're ahead of poor South Maui who is really getting cut short. As page 3 of the spreadsheet shows, by "not raising tax rates", the County is actually raising rates by an average of 79cents per thousand (due to higher valuations).

See the County of Maui Web Site Link: www.co.maui.hi.us.
 

Air Ambulance Update

A report to the West Maui Taxpayers Association by Scotty Schaefer, Mobile Intensive Care Technician, Paramedic Facilitator, Maui EMSAC

Ka'anapali 2020 Newsletter

The February 2003 issue of the Ka'anapali News outlines the goals and objectives of the Ka'anapali 2020 project.

Download the printable pdf file newsletter. (PDF file Requires Adobe Acrobat 5 to view)
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Link to Kaanapali 2020 site: www.kaanapali2020.com

WMTA REQUESTS A CALL TO ACTION! PLEASE JOIN IN WITH US!

Follow this link to a letter that was sent to all of the federal, state, and county governmental representatives listed to urge them to act responsibly for the health and safety of Maui's visitors and residents as well as the economy.

Please contact them directly yourselves as well. Every letter and every phone call counts. This is an Election Year! Links for names and addresses of these governmental representatives appear on our web site on the Maui links page. If you have any difficulty, do not hesitate to contact us.

Today is the Day to Act, and Now is the Time to Act!

Warmest Aloha,
Joseph Pluta
WMTA - President

Resolution for West Maui Acute Care Medical Facility Adopted.

A resolution to utilize the West Maui Improvement Foundation (WMIF) as the spearhead organization for the planning and design funds for a West Maui 24 hour Acute Care Emergency Medical Facility was adopted May 9th 2002.

Read the resolution.

View the Power Point presentation in PDF (Adobe Acrobat format) that was given to the West Maui Community May 9, 2002.

Download Presentation

(PDF file Requires Adobe Acrobat to view)
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Contribute to the West Maui Improvement Foundation

It Should Not Take A Tragedy

The people in West Maui are one "ohana". On any given day the total de facto population here in West Maui is about 46,000. This includes residents, commuters and visitors. All 46,000 of us are at risk as we do not have access to emergency care within the "golden hour" timeframe that is so critical to effective emergency medical treatment.

Are you aware that a 24-hour, 7 day-a-week Acute Care Facility does not exist on this side; that ambulances must take all emergencies 25 to 35 miles to Maui Memorial Hospital; that Maui Memorial facilities are over-crowded; and that some people are going to Honolulu for care? The present situation is not only inadequate, it represents a clear and present danger to the public health and safety.

We need a facility that is open to everyone and is sensitive to all medical needs whether for a heart attack, a stroke, dialysis treatment or trauma. It is outrageous that people who need dialysis treatment cannot get immediate care here on Maui. We simply do not have enough beds available at our two centers. This means that patients have to go to Honolulu to get treatment!
Pain, whether physical or mental, can be a huge motivator. It should not take a tragedy or loss of a loved one to get people to stand up and demand better emergency care in West Maui.

We need your help and feedback! Please read the attached page and circle all the healthcare services that you think are needed in West Maui and return it to us in person, by fax or e-mail.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE ! !
Malama Pono Ame Mahalo.

808-661-7990 office
808-661-7992 fax
wmta@maui.net

See also: 

• West Maui Isolation Plan
• Acute Care Facility Feedback Form

West Maui Taxpayers Association Acute Care Facility (ACF) Community Feedback Form

We need your feedback on the kinds of healthcare services needed in West Maui given that our nearest emergency center is located at Maui Memorial Medical Center, which is 45 minutes away via an increasingly crowded two-lane road, and given the recently-reported overcrowded conditions at that facility. Please circle the healthcare services on the form that you believe are needed on West Maui and thank you for your feedback.

Acute Care Facility

For information on the need for a medical emergency facility on west Maui, click here.

LAHAINA / WEST MAUI ISOLATION PLAN

(Dated 9.17.01)

Natural Disasters in West Maui

Natural events – such as strong winds and hurricanes, storm surge, tsunamis, flooding, and wildfires – can cause disruptions, damage and casualties in communities. West Maui is vulnerable to all of these hazards.

Those who believe that the islands of Lana‘i and Moloka‘i protect Lahaina and West Maui from natural disasters need only look at historical data to realize the real vulnerabilities faced by the coastal area from Olowalu to Kapalua.

West Maui has faced high wind events of 50 miles per hour or more in 1886, 1906, 1916, 1923, 1930, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1979, 1980, and 1993.

Tsunamis hit West Maui in 1837, 1841, 1877, 1896, 1903, 1946, 1957, and 1960. The 1903 tsunami brought a wall of water 27 feet high into Honolua Bay. In 1877 a 12 foot tsunami hit the town of Lahaina. And Ka‘anapali faced a 15 foot tsunami in 1946.

Stream flooding and flash flooding occurred in 1916, 1950, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1987, 1988 and 1997. Twenty-four inches of rain fell in 48 hours in 1968 at Napili, Honolua and Pa'akea, while 5 to 8 inches of rain in five hours fell on Lahaina in 1972.

It is clear it is not a question of if a natural disaster will strike West Maui, but when the next disaster will strike and how serious it will be.

Taking Action Against Isolation

A major outcome of some of these natural disasters is that West Maui is isolated for hours or, in a few cases, days at a time. Traffic in and out of Lahaina may be blocked, hampering emergency response to the disaster. It is important that citizens take measures to prepare for these events and protect themselves, their families and their property until help is available.

At the same time, it is important that government and the community work together to better prepare for and deal with the isolation that may be faced. The following suggestions and actions have been developed by a citizen's committee as part of the Project Impact program to assist the West Maui community.

Personal Safety

In an emergency, citizens of West Maui will help assure their own safety, the safety of their family and their community by taking the following actions.

1. For natural hazards, all individuals and families are encouraged to create an emergency evacuation and communication plan and prepare an emergency supply kit, to include food, water, first aid kit, medicines, battery-operated radio, extra batteries, money and other essentials. Be sure all family members are familiar with the emergency plans.

2. Review the disaster preparedness information in the Maui telephone book for suggested emergency supplies, evacuation procedures, and how to receive communication alerts and notifications.

3. Keep a bottle of water in your car at all times in case you are stranded.

4. If a natural disaster seems imminent, be sure your car is filled with gas and stock an adequate supply of water in your home for drinking and personal use.

5. Review the hazard mitigation cards provided by Project Impact. Take all safety precautions required for the particular hazard faced. For example, if very strong winds are predicted, move inside all outdoor items that could become airborne and cause damage.

6. In the event of a tsunami, move to high ground immediately. If driving and the road is blocked by traffic, pull over, leave your car and walk to high ground.

7. Prepare your home or business to withstand high winds or flooding. Create a "safe room" in your home, if possible. Or become familiar with the location of the community shelters in your area.

8. Remember that if you evacuate to a community shelter, you should take pillows, blankets, a sleeping pad, medicines, extra clothes and personal toiletries with you. Shelters generally do not supply these items. In a serious disaster, West Maui could be isolated for several hours to several days. Take whatever items you feel you will need.

9. Pets are not permitted in community shelters. Develop a plan for how you will keep your pets safe in a disaster.

10. Community members are encouraged to take CPR or first aid training, offered through Kaiser and EMTS, so they can assist family members or others in an emergency.

Emergency Communications

1. During a natural disaster, Civil Defense will provide the public with updates and instructions over radio, television, and cable TV systems.

2. Civil Defense will maintain ongoing communications via the 800 MHZ system with the police, fire department, and other county agencies, regarding the emergency and actions to be taken.

3. The public will be able to receive pre-recorded updates regarding the emergency by telephoning the County at 986-1200. The County's dedicated emergency line is menu driven. The message will direct you to dial "1" for Civil Defense information.

4. Two radio stations, KPOA FM 93.5 and KMVI AM 55, have been designated as emergency information stations. Updates on the emergency will be provided on a regular basis.

5. Akaku - Maui Community Television will broadcast live information about emergency situations.

6. Information on emergency situations will be posted on the County of Maui website at www.co.maui.hi.us/departments/civildef/warnings.html.

7. After December 1, 2001, during disasters, if regular forms of communications are not functioning, ham radio operators located in West Maui are asked to communicate with Civil Defense to provide information regarding the severity of the emergency, current situation, and any need for assistance.

Emergency Medical Services

1. If the south road out of West Maui is closed, patients requiring ambulance transport to Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku will be met at the other side of the closure either by an ambulance.

2. If the governor or president declares a West Maui disaster, the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) can set up a small field hospital in West Maui to stabilize injured persons.

3. In a declared disaster, the U.S. Coast Guard can medivac up to four people at a time by a helicopter based in Honolulu. Also, a C-130 aircraft could be deployed to Kapalua Airport to transport 20 to 30 people requiring medical attention at a time. Oahu's MAST, a military helicopter, can also be sent to Maui in a life or death situation.

4. Aloha Family Practice Clinic, located at 180 Dickenson Street in Lahaina, will attempt to provide routine medical care during a disaster, unless hampered by damage or lack of utilities.

5. Emergency medical services can also be provided by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics at the fire departments and ambulance station.

Container of Emergency Supplies for Community Shelters

1. A container of emergency supplies will be housed next to the Lahaina Fire Station. The container is the property of the Maui Civil Defense Agency.

2. Under an agreement with the Maui Civil Defense Agency, volunteers will assume responsibility for inspecting the supplies on a regular basis, rotating the stock as needed, and, on a monthly basis, maintaining the emergency generators in the container.

3. The container will be locked, and the key or combination to the lock will be provided to Civil Defense, the Fire Station, and the American Red Cross.

Road Closures

1. The Police Department will install electronic signs in two strategic locations on either side of the road closure to alert drivers to the situation. The signs will be located in areas providing a turn-around space for cars.

2. The Pacific Radio Group will issue regular updates regarding the status of the closed road, and the community should tune to KPOA at FM 93.5 or KMVI at AM 55.

3. In the event of a road closure, the Police Department will attempt to find alternate routes, such as cane haul roads or routing through Kahakuloa, to facilitate traffic movement.

4. When Kahakuloa is used as an emergency route, police will provide traffic control. Generally, only traffic outbound from Lahaina and West Maui will be permitted through the Kahakuloa area. Radios stations KPOA at FM 93.5 or KMVI at AM 55, as well as the County's telephone advisory system (986-1200), will announce when the Kahakuloa route will be open for outbound traffic only from West Maui.

Flooding

1. Property owners and others are reminded not to dump branches or other rubbish in streambeds or gullies. Such debris can clog streams and culverts resulting in flooding during rains.

2. The public is asked to advise the County Department of Public Works at 661-0501 of any streams or culverts in need of maintenance or clearing of debris to prevent flooding. If there is no answer, call Civil Defense at 270-7285 or the Maui Police Department at 661-4441.

Citizen Involvement in Disaster Planning

Roads

1. The citizens of West Maui are urged to continue to lobby the State Department of Transportation and County Department of Public Works to:

a. Create alternate ingress and egress routes for West Maui.

b. Move the highway further inland so it is not vulnerable to high surf.

c. Assure completion of the Lahaina Bypass to diminish congestion in the Lahaina area during an emergency.

d. Identify and complete an alternate ingress and egress route to the schools on Lahainaluna Road to facilitate traffic flow to these schools that are used as community shelters during disasters.

2. Support the creation of a public/private plan to transport visitors and others by sea during road closures lasting more than five hours.

Flood Control

1. Provide input to the Department of Public Works' consultant Michael Munekiyo of Munekiyo, Arakawa & Hirago, Inc., for the environmental assessment (EA) on the Lahaina Flood Control Project.

2. Upon completion of the EA, work with the Natural Resources Conservation Services to secure funding to complete the Lahaina Flood Control Project.

3. Support the work of community groups and organizations to replant agricultural lands above Lahaina to prevent dust, erosion and flooding.

Medical Emergencies

1. Encourage medical personnel living in Lahaina to assist in providing services during disasters.

2. Support the work of VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active In Disasters), with the cooperation of Maui Civil Defense Agency, to create an emergency medical plan that includes West Maui.

Community Shelters

1. Citizens are asked to work with the County of Maui administration and County Council to secure capital improvement project (CIP) funds to increase usable West Maui shelter space for residents and visitors during high wind events, including space at schools and County facilities such as the Civic Center.

CLOSING NOTE: From November 2000 through September 2001 a number of West Maui citizens gave generously of their time and expertise to examine issues related to emergencies and natural disasters in Lahaina and West Maui. Their guidance and assistance in developing this plan is gratefully acknowledged.

WMTA Phone Numbers