WARD CALLS ON GOVERNOR FOR FORENSIC TOUR OF MISSILE ALERT SYSTEM

Step-by-Step Walk Through of HI-EMA’s Early Alert System Requested

News Release from Office of Rep Gene Ward January 15, 2018

HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI–On Monday, January 15, Representative Gene Ward (R–Hawaiʻi Kai, Kalama Valley) wrote a letter to Governor David Ige, Administrator Vern Miyagi, and Major General Arthur J. Logan calling for a tour of the HI-EMA facilities at Diamond Head and a step- by-step walkthrough of the software, hardware, and personnel that led to the false alarm. 

“Quite frankly, the information we have been given in mea culpa simplicity terms of human error lacks credibility. Until I see the room the decision was made in and the step-by-step decision tree, I find it incredible that one person without any safe guards has the full faith and confidence of the Governor and Generals, without the approval from PACOM to tell 1.4 million people that a nuclear weapon is on its way to Hawaiʻi,” Ward said. 

He added "[It] is of the utmost importance that legislators tour the HI-EMA facilities and gain a firsthand understanding of what happened,” Ward noted.

“I therefore urge you to organize a HI-EMA tour immediately, so we can see first-hand what took place last Saturday. Also, if you expect Friday’s hearing at the Legislature to lead to closure of this matter, an onsite forensic tour is of utmost necessity. What we have heard so far still falls way short of the specific details that legislators need. We must be on-the-scene and walked through what software, decision-tree, and personnel were responsible for executing last Saturday’s false missile attack,” Ward concluded. 

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