Editor’s note: This column normally runs every other Wednesday. It will return to its regular spot on June 13. This column will basically be an analysis of The Garden Island’ s May 24 issue, in which there were four very
Editor’s note: This column normally runs every other Wednesday. It will return to its regular spot on June 13.
This column will basically be an analysis of The Garden Island’ s May 24 issue, in which there were four very significant ocean-safety items.
The first item was a featured story describing our Beach Safety Week event at Kalapaki. We held it in response to Gov. Linda Lingle’ s proclamation that May 20 to May 26 be Hawai‘i Beach Safety Week — and I can’t overstate how significant it has been for her, our state’s CEO and CFO, to recognize our ocean safety problems and challenges and hopes. I believe that this is a huge step forward that will lead our visitor industry (including incoming airlines) to get on board with this issue.
Our May 23 event turned out to be a truly glorious demonstration of a team in action. First and foremost was our rescue/life-saving team, which includes our lifeguards, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Fire Department, our paramedics (American Medical Response), and hospital staff. And second, we observers got to share time with the people behind-the-scenes who get things done — our mayor, our legislators and councilors, our County Economic Development staff, our Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau staff, our kauaiexplorer.com Web site workers, our Task Force members, and the Kauai Marriott staff. I hesitate to mention any names or else this column will (as usual) get too lengthy, but I have to mention Fire Chief Bob Westerman, Kaua‘i Coast Guard Commander Kai Christensen, Ocean Bureau Supervisor Kalani Vierra, Ambulance Chief Zach Octavio, and firefighter Brian Sullivan — they made the event work. Carol Pratt and George Simpson, who are “the wind beneath my wings,” were with us as usual.
Our evening event, featuring Pat Durkin’s WAVE presentation at Wilcox Hospital, was a bit less glorious but no less solid in the push to keep improving. This event pleasingly included the rest of our ocean safety women’s team — Beth Tokioka, Sue Kanoho and Lani Yukimura. Scheduling the event in conflict with the final show of “American Idol” wasn’t destined to help attendance.
The second item was mentioned in the fourth paragraph of the article:
“Sen. Gary Hooser stopped by with the news that this year’s Legislature approved funding for a lifeguard service at Ke‘e Beach.” (Maui got similar funding for a desperately needed service at Makena Beach, and now Polihale and a crowded beach on the south-swell-exposed Kona Coast are the next state beaches “on the clock”).
A third item was buried in another article which reviewed this year’s county budget: “The budget provides funding for lifeguard protection at Anahola Beach.” This one about knocked me over also. The budget also provides for terrific and badly needed ocean-safety equipment, and for a Kaua‘i Ocean Safety Bureau Supervisor — who suddenly has a lot on his or her plate in order to put all this together by July 1. The only disappointment was that a Training Supervisor position was not approved, to train all these new lifeguards that will be coming in and to coordinate maintaining the skills of our current lifeguards — but that gives us something to start working on for next year’s sessions.
I can hardly comment on these two items without tears welling up. Tears of joy, tears of appreciation for the men and women who made this happen, and tears for the families of those to whom these protection services will serve as a memorial. Once again, for the sake of brevity I have to minimize names , but we owe our thanks to Hooser and Rep. James Tokioka, who not only got the funding for Ke‘e but also shepherded through the underlying requirement that Acts 170 and 190 be in place (as I somewhat boringly detailed in a previous column). And on the county side, we pay homage to mayor Baptiste, all of our councilors, and chief Westerman. Sometimes we grind along, sometimes we get hard smacked in the teeth … and sometimes we get to take a moment and smile and celebrate what our team is doing and where we’re heading with our tough ocean safety challenge. This is one of those moments.
The fourth item was buried on Page A-5: “State opens up new beach safety Web site.” The article goes on to describe www.hawaiibeachsafety.org, which “features weather information, water hazards, advisories, warnings and beach amenities to help people make educated decisions about which beach to visit.”
This item has ruffled up some feathers here on Kaua‘i, since readers of this column are by now well aware of our pioneering homegrown Web site kauaiexplorer.com. Initially there was hope to combine the talents of the two Web site designers into one super-duper Web site which would benefit from the talents and skills of both design companies, and which would also benefit mutually from supporting grants and other funding sources. This collaboration wasn’t to be, and after some awkward moments, the good news is that the companies are in good professional communication with each other. Two is proverbially better than one, and the Web sites have significantly different underlying philosophies and approaches which I believe will augment each other and anyone who uses them. And indeed, that’s the key. No matter how good either Web site is, the real issue is: Are people finding out about them and using them?
To this end I’ll close this column with an anecdote that happened to me on a recent morning. The tradewinds are back (for which our lawns and the inside of our homes are very thankful), and with them we get the Eastside chop/shorebreak/currents. I was on my morning run on Nukoli‘i Beach (dodging the usual armada of four-wheelers, dirt-bikes and pick-up trucks) and I encountered two middle-aged couples that were heading into the waters at Marine Camp. In tradewind conditions this is a proven deadly rip current location. I called them out of the water and explained the situation to them, and I gave them advice about where it would be safe to go. They were very appreciative, and I felt good about it — even though I’m sure there would be more people venturing into that spot throughout the day, despite the “Strong Current” warning sign that’s present. They were staying in condos, and I asked them if anyone at their facilities had given them any ocean safety information. “No,” came the answer.
“Did anyone give you a brochure?”
“No,” again. “Did anyone tell you about our ocean safety Web site?” You guessed it, “No.” Hmmmm … we still have some challenges to meet.
I obviously don’t have a clue whether or not a drowning was prevented, but the point I want to make is that even with all our terrific logistical advances, it can often still come down to each one of us to make a difference (i.e. to prevent a terrible family disaster). Especially those of us who work at condo check-in desks. I’ll be reviewing this challenge in more detail in future columns, but for today — it is a moment to allow ourselves a smile for the steps we’re taking.
• Monty Downs is an emergency room doctor at Wilcox Memorial Hospital. His column appears every other Wednesday.
