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Why were sirens not sounded during Maui wildfires? Emergency Management chief Herman Andaya defends decision during presser

Maui's Emergency Management head Herman Andaya noted loud sirens are generally used for tsunami warnings

MAUI, HAWAII: Despite reports that the system could have saved scores of lives, Maui's Emergency Management Agency head insisted on Wednesday, August 16, that he had no remorse about not sounding the warning sirens as the catastrophic wildfires ripped through the island.

The Maui County Emergency Management Agency's head, Herman Andaya, stated that sirens are utilized in Hawaii to warn residents of tsunamis.

Lahaina, on the island of Maui, was destroyed by a fire last week, killing at least 110 people. Some locals were unaware that their town was in danger until they saw the flames.

Why was Maui's emergency siren not sounded during wildfires?

Adam Weintraub, a spokesman for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said that messages on television and radio stations along with alerts for mobile phones were among the levels of the emergency warning system that were activated.

According to Maui's Emergency Management Agency head Herman Andaya, the loud sirens are generally used for tsunami warnings. Hawaiians are instructed to flee to higher ground when they are activated.

Instead, Andaya noted, Maui used two distinct alert systems that delivered texts to phones and broadcast emergency alerts on television and radio.

The sirens would have been pointless to residents on higher ground, he claimed, adding that had they been used during the fire, it might have encouraged people to flee in the wrong direction.

As a reporter questioned the chief, both Mayor Richard Bissen and Hawaii Governor Josh Green intervened to defend Andaya, with Green stating that he too would anticipate a tsunami if he heard the sirens.

Although rescue workers have only looked for survivors in 38% of the devastated area, Green revealed on Wednesday that at least 110 people were killed in the horrific wildfire.

According to officials, the exact number of fatalities is as yet unknown and is expected to rise over the next few weeks.

Who is Herman Andaya?

Chief Herman Andaya is the head of Maui's Emergency Management Agency, who served as a chief of staff to the former mayor.

Chief Andaya defended his choice to limit alert distribution to mobile devices, radio, television, and the county's opt-in citizen alert system after a reporter questioned his prior experience and suitability for the high-profile job, as per Daily Mail.

Andaya stated, "Had we sounded the siren that night, we’re afraid that people would have gotten mauka [toward the mountains] and if that was the case, then they would have gone into the fire."

"I should also note that there are no sirens mauka, or on the mountainside, where the fire was spreading down. So even if we sounded the siren, we would not have saved those people out there on the mountainside," Andaya further added.

Is Herman Andaya qualified to head Emergency Management Agency?

Andaya responded to the query after a contentious exchange in which a reporter quoted multiple survivors who asserted their loved ones and neighbors could have been rescued if a clear warning had been given before they saw the flames advancing toward their homes.

Along with questioning Andaya's resume, the reporter inquired as to whether he might think about giving over the reins to someone else given that he had no prior expertise in emergency management when he first signed on his current position in 2017.

Andaya declared that it is "not true" that he lacked experience prior to taking on his current role.

He said that among his previous jobs were those in the housing department and the mayor's office, where he allegedly "reported to the emergency operation centers."

Andaya added, "Also during a time we went through numerous trainings as well. And so to say that I am not qualified, I think is incorrect."

Tens of thousands of houses and businesses still lack electricity, while thousands of displaced inhabitants have been housed in shelters, hotels, and Airbnb accommodations.