Working more closely with the fire department and hiring more dispatchers are two of the latest recommendations for how the Maui Police Department can be better equipped for future emergencies, according to the department’s final report on its response to the 2023 Maui fires.

A preliminary version of what’s known as an after-action report was released last year, providing a comprehensive review of the department’s reaction to the fires, along with detailed suggestions for improvements.

The final document, which comes almost exactly two years after the fires, includes three new recommendations — on top of the 32 already laid out in the intial report — for how police officers and other first responders can better respond to future emergencies.

“As we reflect on the devastating fires that claimed 102 lives, we do so with deep respect and an unwavering commitment to learning, improving, and honoring those we lost,” Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said in a statement. “This final report is not only a record of what transpired but also a blueprint for how we can move forward as a stronger and more resilient community,”

The new recommendations — which the report notes are all completed or in progress — are: obtain an air unit or helicopter specifically for police use; work with the Maui Fire Department to strengthen their standardized system for responding to emergencies and establish a unified command structure; and ensure that dispatch teams are fully staffed and cross-trained to respond during a mass casualty event. The report also suggests that MPD maintain a list of retired first responders who may be available to provide support when needed. 

The additions were made based on feedback from the police department, fire department and a joint report by the Fire Safety Research Institute and the Hawai‘i Attorney General.

According to the statement announcing the release of the final report, one of the department’s top priorities will continue to be expanding and enhancing the Real-Time Operations Center, which will serve as “an intelligence and coordination hub, improving situational awareness and resource allocation for future emergencies.”

The report, like the preliminary version released last year, also outlines the many challenges faced by responding officers during the fires, including inadequate staffing, communication problems and faulty or inefficient equipment.

It also provides significant details regarding how police officers handled search and recovery operations, evacuations and road closures across the island and worked to maintain public safety during the deadliest wildfire in modern American history.

The police faced harsh criticism in the days and weeks following the fires, with some survivors in Lahaina claiming they were told to evacuate in the direction of the fire and away from certain escape routes.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.