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Chair Evans proposes stakeholder working group for county radio plan; committee postpones resolution to Oct. 15
Summary
Chair Evans said CERT teams and Firewise volunteers reported gaps in emergency radio coverage and recommended a stakeholder working group; Civil Defense urged amateur radio operators to join the Auxiliary Communication Service. The committee unanimously postponed Resolution 632-24 to Oct. 15 to allow stronger draft language.
Chair Evans said a stakeholder working group would help the county better incorporate volunteer amateur radio operators into emergency response and identify gaps such as missing repeaters, then asked staff to convene experts and volunteers.
“More importantly is to get everybody in the same room and talk about kinda what possibly what protocols could be put in place,” Chair Evans said, arguing the group could both improve response and help the county secure funding by producing recommendations.
Scott Uyehara, radio assistant manager with the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, described the county’s Auxiliary Communication Service (ACS), which partners with licensed amateur radio operators and community groups to keep communications working when cellular and other systems fail. “The ACS program aims to bridge communication gaps by partnering with local communities and involving amateur radio operators,” Uyehara said. He added the ACS runs monthly drills, activates repeaters (at Michelob Fire Station No. 16 and Mauna Kea) and seeks broader participation: “Practice makes permanent.”
Committee members raised local examples of clubs operating separately and urged broader coordination. One member suggested adding a local radio broadcaster (KWXX and Chris Leonard) to the working group to strengthen emergency-broadcast capability.
Evans offered two options: advance the resolution with amendments at the council hearing or postpone it so stakeholder groups could propose more robust language. She moved to postpone Resolution 632-24 to the committee hearing on Oct. 15; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The clerk recorded eight ayes with Member Inaba excused and in route at the time.
The delay gives the proposer and stakeholder groups time to draft clearer language about scope, participants and objectives for any county radio plan. The committee indicated interest in a short report or white paper from stakeholders as a tool for seeking funding and for demonstrating coordination with state-level programs.
