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The top dog that many are pointing fingers at regarding the Maui wildfires has decided to step down.
Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Administer Herman Andaya has resigned “effective immediately.”
Andaya, among others, has been under the spotlight for the handling of the wildfire response.
He’s Gone
So far, more than 110 deaths have been reported from these wildfires.
Now there are reports of safety measures that were not enacted that could have possibly saved lives and properties.
Andaya is not backing down from his decision to not activate the warning sirens.
When asked about it directly, he stated, “I do not.
“The public is trained to seek higher ground in the event that the sirens are sounded.
“Had we sounded the sirens that night, we were afraid that people would have gone mauka (mountainside), and if that was the case, they would have gone into the fire.
“So that is the reason why, it is our protocol, to use WEA [Wireless Emergency Alerts] and EAS [the Emergency Alert System].”
Reports have surfaced that while he was in charge of this agency, Andaya had no previous experience in emergency services.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen stated, “Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible and I look forward to making that announcement soon.”
Joe Biden is expected to arrive in Maui on Monday to speak with first responders and survivors.
Source: CBS News
