HANAPEPE — The American and Hawaiian flags were flying over the Hanapepe Fire Station last week for the first time since 1983. “Do you realize that this was the only permanent fire station on the island that did not have
HANAPEPE — The American and Hawaiian flags were flying over the Hanapepe Fire Station last week for the first time since 1983.
“Do you realize that this was the only permanent fire station on the island that did not have a flag?” said Bill Quinlan, a captain with the Kaua‘i Fire Department.
His son, Joshua, a Waimea High School student and Boy Scout from Troop 270, set out to correct that situation as his Eagle project for the Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council.
“I wanted this project to bring pride to the community and to our country,” Joshua said in a release from the county.
The son of Bill and Tammie Quinlan of ‘Ele‘ele began the journey of raising the flags, collecting help from his friends while researching the project between his schoolwork and Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation sports.
The flagpole had to be strong enough to withstand a hurricane, Joshua found out after consulting with Kaua‘i Fire Chief Robert Westerman. It also had to meet certain specifications.
This done, Joshua drafted the proposal and submitted it to the Kaua‘i Fire Department for procurement of the pole.
But the job did not end there. There was the hole for the footing that needed to be dug, a reinforcing cage for the pole that needed fabrication, and cementing the entire base so the pole would be able to withstand the forces of nature.
Joshua took to the street, and through his efforts, Kaua‘i Nursery and Landscaping provided an excavator, a crane for lifting the pole into place, and manpower to help dig the hole and raise the pole.
Martin Steele Construction fabricated the necessary re-bar cage which forms the foundation and O. Thronas in Lawa‘i came through with the concrete for the project. These offers were liberally sprinkled with manpower and effort from the aspiring Eagle Scout, his friends and family.
This collaborative effort sparked by the idea of a single Scout forms the basis of the Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout project. The Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Boy Scout can attain and the Eagle project is a requisite of the rank.
On Jan. 22, the concrete set, the pole raised, Joshua unfurled the American and Hawaiian flags and manipulated the ropes, raising the flags for the first time over the Hanapepe station.
Joshua said he developed a new sense of appreciation for his family, friends and members of the community while working on this project.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
