LIVE VIDEO: Governor’s Address, Executive Order and Appointee Named

Governor’s Address on False Alert

January 15, 2018

I want to begin by offering my personal apology for the fear, anxiety and heartache the false alert on Saturday created for you. It was terrifying for all of us – our families, visitors, and especially, the children of Hawaiʻi.

My number one priority is the safety and security of the people of Hawaiʻi and our visitors. Our everyday heroes are protecting our state, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

I thank them for their dedication and sacrifice.

I will not stand for scapegoating of our emergency management personnel when a number of unfortunate errors caused this event. Death threats are completely unacceptable and not how we do things here.

I am the governor and these good, decent emergency personnel work for me. I am ultimately responsible.

I wish I could say there was a simple reason for why it took so long to get the correction to the false alert out.

While we got to Twitter, TV and Facebook fairly quickly, we were hamstrung by a number of factors making it difficult to get a timely cancellation out to cell phones.

It is clear what happened Saturday revealed the need for additional safeguards and improvements to our state
system.

I already directed the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to cease their ballistic missile defense internal warning drill until a full review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the false alert is concluded.

We created an immediate process with a pre-scripted cancellation and false alert message.

We imposed a two-step, two-person rule for all TV, radio and wireless activation.

And we established better protocols and lines of communication across our emergency management network.

Moving forward, there is much to fix, plan for and do.

Today, I signed an Executive Order appointing Brigadier General Kenneth Hara, the Deputy Adjutant General, to oversee a comprehensive review of our emergency management enterprise and to immediately implement needed changes.

He will be working closely with General Miyagi and the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency team.

General Hara is also tasked with helping us, government, businesses, families and individuals know what to do, where to go and how to prepare. Children going down manholes, stores closing their doors to those seeking shelter and cars driving at high speeds cannot happen again. We will do a better job of educating the public.

General Hara will give me an initial action plan within 30 days and a formal report in 60 days.

We’ve already made a number of fixes.

On Saturday, we went to work immediately to implement improvements to our emergency management system, staffing, and procedures to fix these problems. Let me be clear, false notifications – and waiting for what felt like an eternity – will not happen again. You have my promise on this.

I have also been pushing for the ability to test the cellular alerts, just as we do the monthly siren test. But it has been blocked nationwide. This has prevented us from testing the cell phone warning alert system.

Long before Saturday, I signed a formal opt-in agreement with FirstNet. This is a nationwide broadband network for the first responder community being built across the state.

FirstNet makes it possible to exchange critical information instantly among all of Hawaiʻi’s responder community.

They will have the latest and most accurate information and will be able to respond more quickly.

FirstNet will continue to function should telephone circuits and cell systems be overloaded.

I look forward to partnering with the legislature and our Congressional delegation to make sure we provide you
with the tools and resources you need to keep you and your families safe.

We are a resilient community. We look out for and help each other.

Hawaiʻi knows how to stand strong and defend itself. But we must also work for a more peaceful world. We must demand a de-escalation with North Korea, so sirens and warnings become a thing of the past.

In the words of Martin Luther King, Junior, who we remember today, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Thank you and aloha.

Executive Order:

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 18-01

By the authority vested in me as Governor by the Constitution and laws of the
State of Hawaii, in order to provide alerts, response, and relief for emergencies,
damages, losses, and suffering, and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the
people, I, DAVID Y. IGE, Governor of the State of Hawaii, hereby determine and order
as follows:
WHEREAS, Hawaii, with a population of approximately 1.4 million residents
across eight inhabited islands, are susceptible to a myriad of natural and man-made
hazards; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii is located in the most remote location on Earth separated by
great distances and travel time from the continental United States; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii’s location in the Pacific makes it a highly strategic location
for government and military interests which necessitates additional emergency
management coordination and preparation; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii’s location and vulnerability to multiple hazards has helped
Hawaii continue to develop an emergency management system intended to protect the
public from all natural and man-made hazards; and
WHEREAS, as part of Hawaii’s preemptive and protective measures, Hawaii
officials have been actively working on warning and response plans that include alerting
the public as early as possible in order to maximize preemptive and protective actions to
protect the public; and
WHEREAS, on January 13, 2018, an emergency warning of an actual ballistic
missile launch was inadvertently issued during a shift change drill conducted by the
State Warning Point; and
WHEREAS, this false alarm resulted in significant response actions at all levels
and sectors in Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, while Hawaii’s emergency management system is highly evolved,
this recent false alarm reinforces the need for continued improvement of all emergency
management plans and operations.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID Y. IGE, Governor of the State of Hawaii, pursuant
to the powers delegated to me by the Constitution and the applicable laws of the State
of Hawaii, including chapter 127A and section 121-11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, hereby
authorize and direct Brigadier General, Kenneth S. Hara, currently serving as the
Deputy Adjutant General of the State of Hawaii, Department of Defense, to review the
current emergency response system, including notifications and warnings, and make
recommendations for improvement with such review to include:
1. Facilitating efforts to identify capability and resource gaps and develop an
action plan that recommends prioritization for resources required to
enhance resilience, preparedness, and response capabilities.
2. Identifying actions to strengthen and expand government, private, and
public partnerships for preparedness for all hazards.
3. Revising and recommending emergency notification procedures to ensure
immediate notification, confirmation, or cancellation of threats
4. Strengthening information sharing, collaboration, and communication.
5. Improving public education to help the public know what to do when an
alert goes out.
6. Produce an initial action plan no later than 30 days of this executive order,
a final report no later than 60 days of this executive order, and identify any
portions of these documents that should not be released to the public for
security or other legal reasons.

Done at the State Capitol, this 15th day
of January, 2018.

_______________________________
DAVID Y. IGE,
Governor of Hawaii

APPROVED:

____________________________
DOUGLAS S. CHIN
Attorney General
State of Hawaii

BRIGADIER GENERAL KENNETH S. HARA
Deputy Adjutant General
State of Hawaii, Department of Defense

Brigadier General Kenneth S. Hara serves as the Assistant Adjutant General – Army, Hawaii National Guard, Deputy Adjutant General for the State of Hawaii, Department of Defense, and commander of the Hawaii Army National Guard. His responsibilities include development and oversight of the state’s Department of Defense strategy, policies, plans, and initiatives; the State Partnership Program; theater security cooperation; external coordination; and civil support.

General Hara received his commission from the Hawaii Army National Guard Military Academy, Officer Candidate School in 1987. He has served in numerous positions of increased authority and responsibility from platoon leader through Chief of the Joint Staff including other key staff positions. In 2005, he deployed as the commander of the 2nd Battalion 299th Infantry to Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2008, General Hara deployed to Kuwait as the deputy commander of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. In 2012, General Hara deployed a third time as the commander of the Operations Coordination Center – Regional Command South, Security Forces Assistance Advisory Team, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

COMMISIONING SOURCE: OCS

EDUCATIONAL DEGREES:
1998, Hawaii Pacific University, Bachelor of Arts, Human Services, Honolulu, Hawaii
2008, United States Army War College, Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, Carlisle,
Pennsylvania

MILITARY SCHOOLS ATTENDED:
2008, United States Army War College, in-residence, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
2017, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Executive
Education, General Officer and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar,
Cambridge, Massachusetts

FOREIGN LANGUAGE(S): None

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant – 26 July 1987
First Lieutenant – 25 July 1990
Captain – 8 March 1993
Major – 20 April 2000
Lieutenant Colonel – 3 June 2004
Colonel – 8 December 2015
Brigadier General – 15 October 2008

ASSIGNMENTS:
1. June 1986 – July 1987, Officer Candidate School, Hawaii Military Academy, Waimanalo, Hawaii
2. July 1987 – September 1988, Platoon Leader, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Hilo, Hawaii
3. September 1988 – July 1990, Platoon Leader, Detachment 1, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Hilo, Hawaii
4. July 1990 – January 1991, Executive Officer, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Hilo, Hawaii
5. January 1991 – July 1991, Chemical Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Hilo, Hawaii
6. July 1991 – September 1991, Aviation Section Leader, 451st Aviation Detachment, Hilo Hawaii
7. September 1991 – October 1991, Aviation Section Leader, 452nd Aviation Detachment, Hilo Hawaii
8. October 1991 – January 1995, S3 Air, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Hilo, Hawaii
9. January 1995 – July 1997, Base Defense Liaison Officer, 25th Infantry Division (Light) Detachment, Pearl City, Hawaii
10. July 1997 – May 1999, Training Security Officer, 103rd Troop Command, Pearl City, Hawaii
11. May 1999 – December 1999, Detachment Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 103rd Troop
12. December 1999 – January 2002, Assistant S3, 29th Separate Infantry Brigade, Kapolei, Hawaii
13. January 2002 – August 2003, Commander, Regional Training Site Maintenance, Ordnance Training Company, Pearl City, Hawaii
14. August 2003 – October 2004, Executive Officer, 103rd Troop Command, Pearl City, Hawaii
15. October 2004 – January 2005, Commander, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Hilo, Hawaii
16. January 2005 – January 2006, Commander, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Iraq
17. January 2006 – August 2006, Commander, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Hilo, Hawaii
18. September 2006 – December 2006, Commander, 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry, Hilo, Hawaii
19. December 2006 – July 2007, Branch Chief, Joint Force Headquarters-Hawaii, Kapolei, Hawaii
20. July 2007 – June 2008, Student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
21. June 2008 – October 2008, Deputy Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Kapolei, Hawaii
22. October 2008 – July 2009, Deputy Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Kuwait
23. July 2009 – January 2012, Deputy Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Kapolei, Hawaii
24. January 2012 – April 2012, Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Kapolei, Hawaii
25. April 2012 – November 2012, Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Forward 34, Kapolei, Hawaii
26. November 2012 – July 2013, Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Forward 34, Afghanistan
27. July 2013 – January 2014, Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Kapolei, Hawaii
28. January 2014 – October 2015, Chief of the Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters – Hawaii, Hawaii National Guard, Honolulu, Hawaii
29. October 2015 – Present, Assistant Adjutant General – Army, Hawaii Army National Guard, Honolulu, Hawaii

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS:
1. November 2012 – July 2013, Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Forward 34, Afghanistan
2. January 2014 – March 2015, Chief of the Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters – Hawaii, Hawaii National Guard, Honolulu, Hawaii

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:
1. January 2005 – January 2006, Commander, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Iraq
2. October 2008 – July 2009, Deputy Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Kuwait
3. November 2012 – July 2013, Commander, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Forward 34, Afghanistan

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Commendation Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Achievement Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star)
Iraqi Campaign Medal (with 2 Campaign Stars)
Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with Campaign Star)
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass Device and M Device)
Overseas Service Ribbon (with Numeral 3)
Army Service Ribbon Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (with Numeral 5)
NATO Medal
Meritorious Unit Commendation (with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Aviator Badge
Combat Infantryman Badge

FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Army Aviator
Flight Hours: 196.6
Aircraft flown: UH-1H
Pilot wings from: 4 June 1991

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION:
Serves as the Deputy Adjutant General for the State of Hawaii, Department of Defense. As the Deputy Adjutant General, he serves as the primary advisor to the Adjutant General for the State of Hawaii. General Hara assumed his current assignment in January 2015.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS:
National Guard Association of the United States
Hawaii National Guard Association
Hawaii Pacific University Alumni Association
Association of the United States Army
National Infantry Association
United States Army and Cavalry Association

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2001, Hawaii Army National Guard Outstanding Officer of the Year – Hawaii National Guard Association
2011, Hawaii National Guard Field Grade Commander of the Year – Hawaii National Guard Association
2017 Joint Qualified level III