Learn how to prepare for emergencies at the West Maui Disaster Preparedness Expo September 8, 2016 Lahaina News WAILUKU - The Maui County Civil Defense Agency will co-sponsor a West Maui Disaster Preparedness Expo in partnership with the West Maui Taxpayers Association on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lahaina Cannery Mall. The public is invited to learn how to prepare for the unique safety issues associated with West Maui, and how to prepare for emergencies that can affect residents' homes and families. West Maui Taxpayers Association is co-sponsoring this event. WMTA members have been advocates of the West Maui community for 37 years and have the health and welfare of this community as part of their mission statement. They have been lobbying for disaster preparedness and public safety with such accomplishments as: Facilitator Group of the Pacific Disaster Center to develop a self-reliant Civil Defense plan; lobbied for an emergency trailer to house supplies next to the Lahaina Fire Station; lobbied for the approval of the Certificate of Need for the West Maui Hospital; lobbied for the approval of the Maalaea Emergency Assistance Vehicle as an added resource for West Maui; and lobbied for the return of the Maui County Air Ambulance system. Event prize drawings will be held at 12:30 p.m., and exhibits and displays at the expo will provide information to help prepare for emergencies and disasters. There will be free tickets to the prizes that will be raffled off between speakers and grand prizes from 12:45 to 1 p.m. Prizes include gift certificates, emergency equipment and West Maui restaurant certificates. The American Red Cross will have a shelter display depicting the limited space designated per person in a hurricane shelter. Talk to volunteers about what you need to bring to a shelter if you have to evacuate from your home. Maui County Health Volunteers, sponsored by the state Department of Health, will offer free blood pressure screenings. Sign up to receive Maui County Emergency Notifications from the Maui County Civil Defense Agency. CERT: Community Emergency Response Team, Civil Air Patrol, National Guard, and Ace Hardware will also offer information. Educational presentations will be offered throughout the event at center stage, including "West Maui Community Safety" by Joe Pluta of the West Maui Taxpayers Association; "Hawaiian Hazards Awareness & Resilience Program" by Sharon Mielbrecht, a hazard mitigation specialist with the Pacific Disaster Center; "Understanding Electrical Hazards and Your Safety" by Maui Electric's Safety Team; "Flood and Hurricane Insurance: Do You Have Enough Coverage?" by Mahealani Strong of Insurance Associates West Maui; "Makaala: Maui County's Emergency Alert System" presented by Anna Foust of the Maui County Civil Defense Agency; Maui Police Department on "Neighborhood Watch and Police Mitigation in an Emergency Event;" Maui Fire Department on fire prevention preparedness of your home and environment; and the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College/Simpson Strong-Tie on "Homeowner's Guide to Disaster Preparedness." "When it comes to emergencies and disasters, West Maui has some unique challenges to face," said Foust, Maui County's emergency management officer. "The West Maui Disaster Preparedness Expo will focus on many of these issues and emphasize the need for West Maui citizens to be better informed and better prepared for any potential hazard." For more information, contact the Maui County Civil Defense Agency at 270-7285. This is a very timely event, presented for the first time especially for the West Maui community. This is just the start of the West Maui Taxpayers Association's 2016 efforts for the improvement of the West Maui community's health and welfare. http://www.lahainanews.com/page/content.detail/id/533042/Learn-how-to--prepare-for--emergencies-at-the-West-Maui-Disaster-Preparedness-Expo.html THE RECENT NEWS IS AN ALARMING WAKE UP CALL FOR ALL OF US ON MAUI.
THE UTTER DISREGARD FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF MAUI RESIDENTS AND VISITORS CANNOT BE IGNORED. THE STATE GOVERNMENT RECENTLY ANNOUNCE THE "DISCOVERY OF $1 BILLION Dollars! We respectfully suggest that a portion of this money be immediately made available to HHSC to use to restore Full Bed Access and Services to Maui Memorial Medical Center! THE WMTA WILL BE SEEKING THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO BE REMINDED OF HIS NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY, AND THAT IS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII. THAT MEANS MAUI TOO! CUTTING SERVICES FOR MAUI IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE OPTION. The Maui Now article below was re-transmitted from Mental Health America-Maui Branch. Joseph D Pluta, V.P. WEST MAUI TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION INC. WWW.WESTMAUI.ORG ----- A Sad Week For Maui After facing what they called a “dismal outlook” of the hospitals’ operations without a public-private partnership, the Hawai‘i Health Systems – Maui Region’s Board of Directors decided in an afternoon meeting Wednesday, to enact phased closures of beds and potential hospital services. The State and the UPW hit another impasse in negotiations over the weekend. Kaiser Permanente has stated that it will not be able to transition to take over operations of the Maui Region until July 1, 2017. Hawai‘i Health Systems – Maui Region’s Board of Directors release the following statement: “In light of the letter sent to Governor Ige on August 28, 2016 by Kaiser Permanente, and the UPW initiated injunction, further deferring the transition date to July 1, 2017, the Maui Region Board of Directors has been forced to evaluate the hospitals’ ability to continue to provide safe patient care for this community. It has been decided that if the State cannot reach agreements with both UPW and HGEA to the satisfaction of HHSC and Kaiser we will begin public hearings and notification to the Legislature, effective immediately, of Maui Region’s Phase I of its contingency plans to include: · Reduction in capacity through bed closures – closing 8 Intensive Care Beds and 12 Medical/Surgical Beds. · Review closures of an additional 30 more beds in other units. · Begin Phase II planning which may include multiple service closures throughout the Region. The impact of the bed closures will mean a decreased capacity with critical services such as Stroke, Heart, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Trauma and other critical care needs requiring transport to Oahu. The delay in transitioning Maui Region to Kaiser Permanente has led to a high volume of staff vacancies, increased use of travelers and temporary workers, and an inability to attract staff and physicians, this first phase of closures will be the first step in addressing a dire situation to protect and preserve our patients and staff.” Information on public hearings regarding possible service closures will be released when available. Above Is A Maui Now Article - 09/01/16 |
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