Coast Guard, USACE, FEMA and EPA members meet to discuss Maui wildfire response operations   

Members of the US Coast Guard, US Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Environmental Protection Agency met last Tuesday on Maui to discuss the status of various missions.   

Topics included previously conducted operations along with current and upcoming recovery plans. Teams also placed an emphasis on the importance of cultural and historical sites and discussed concerns surrounding future recovery operations.   

The meeting was held Sept. 26 at Lahaina Harbor. Leaders and personnel in attendance included:   FEMA Region 9 Regional Administrator Robert Fenton, USACE Commanding General Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, US Coast Guard Incident Commander Cmdr. Melanie Burnham, EPA Incident Commander Steve Calanog, FEMA External Affairs Officer Kirk Hanlin, and Sergeant Keoki Santos of the Maui Police Department.

“The Coast Guard is mindful of the magnitude of this disaster and the devastating toll it has on the Maui community,” said Cdr. Melanie Burnham, US Coast Guard Emergency Support Function #10 Incident Commander. “We are dedicated to helping the community recover and mitigating risks to the environment. We are working in close coordination with our agency partners and cultural monitors to include the Native Hawaiian community.”