by Andrew Walden 

What was happening at the Maui County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) while Lahaina burned?

How is it that Mayor Bissen did not know of Lahaina Fire fatalities until the next morning?

Released January, 24, 2025, nearly 18 months after the deadly August 8-9, 2024, Maui Wildfires, the official Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) ‘After Action Report’ sums up the situation in the Emergency Operations Center:

"“the lack of situational awareness critically impacted the County of Maui’s response efforts, with many staff unclear about the wildfire’s extent and unaware of key developments, such as the resurgence of the Lahaina fire.”

How did the EOC lose ‘Situational Awareness’?

Here are the details, all direct quotes excerpted from the report:

Multiple People Gathering at Emergency Operations Center With No Pre-Identified Role

-- There were multiple reports that many people were present in the EOC, some with no pre-identified role. The interviews revealed that a limited understanding of the EOC’s functions led people to gather there unnecessarily, which increased confusion about the facility's purpose.

-- Some EOC staff indicated that they had no prior experience with EOC activations before responding to the Maui wildfires.

EOC Staff Shuffling Paper ‘Resource Requests’ Around With No Follow-Up

-- Interviewees noted that they were unfamiliar with the resource request process ….

-- paper-based incident command forms were often used instead of available digital systems, like incident management software systems like WebEOC ..

-- The inconsistent use of these digital tools in the EOC led to multiple people submitting resource request forms without a clear understanding of necessary follow-up actions….

-- Staff members reported confusion over which EOC sections were actively operational…

-- individuals were often left serving in multiple roles for extended periods, leading to fatigue, role ambiguity, and diminished accountability. This situation created uncertainty about role responsibilities, impacted information flow…

Lack of On-the-Ground Incident Command Posts

-- the absence of on-the-ground reporting from an established Incident Command Posts delayed communication and slowed response efforts …

-- off-duty or unencumbered fire department Battalion Chiefs and other fire personnel were expected to provide updates to the EOC as the event evolved. Due to the widespread nature of the wildfires, they were quickly reassigned to respond to active incidents. With the absence of clear communication channels from the IC, relaying critical information back to the EOC proved challenging, which hindered situational awareness and timely decision-making….

-- There is a lack of clarity in roles between the Incident Command Post (ICP) or any on-the-ground response and the EOC, which has blurred tactical and coordination responsibilities, leading to confusion. The EOC should focus on resource coordination rather than managing field operations, and training should emphasize the distinct roles of the ICP and EOC.

Lack of Incident Command Posts Led to Lack of Information at EOC

-- Situational awareness in the EOC during the Maui wildfire response was significantly hindered by chaotic and sporadic real-time information flow. Interviewees reported that the lack of situational awareness critically impacted the County of Maui’s response efforts, with many staff unclear about the wildfire’s extent and unaware of key developments, such as the resurgence of the Lahaina fire.

-- Incident commanders, overwhelmed by tactical responses, could not provide timely updates to the EOC. The lack of real-time updates led to fragmented responses, misdirected resources, and incorrect information being relayed to the public. The delayed understanding of the situation hindered proactive support for field operations and resulted in missed opportunities for strategic planning.

read … FULL REPORT

RELATED: MEMA After-Action Report on Maui wildfires released