Honolulu first responders participate in mass casualty incident training program

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Honolulu’s first responders are training for the kinds of emergencies no one wants to imagine.

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For the third year, Honolulu EMS is participating in a mass casualty incident training program in Waikiki.

“Because we live in an island state, because our help is 2,500 miles to the east and 2,500 miles to the west, we want to make sure we’re prepared to serve the people here in the state of Hawaii and in the City and County of Honolulu,” said Ian Santee, deputy director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.

Experts in medicine, law enforcement, and fire safety worked with state and federal agencies to put together the two-day conference.

“We are very fortunate and privileged to have experts from Memphis, Tennessee; Alaska; Chicago; and Tampa, Florida, as well as in our medical areas, that are able to explain to us the lessons learned from major events that they’ve been able to go on,” Santee said.

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Vendors also participate in the program, teaching emergency responders about new technology, such as the high water rescue vehicle that was able to access flooded areas during the March Kona Low storms.

Santee says this year has the highest attendance yet, with 180 attendees expected over two days.

“We have people from all the islands attending the conference,” Santee said. “We have EMS here on Oahu. We have law enforcement. We have fire departments. We have other agencies, federal and state agencies, also attending. So we have different people, all different levels of people, with different various backgrounds as well as the hospitals and the nurses and doctors.”

The annual conference is federally funded through an Urban Area Security Initiative grant.

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