Red Cross smoke alarm installation teams and Gay and Robinson staff at Kaumakani Village
KAUMAKANI VILLAGE, KAUAI — While Red Cross disaster relief efforts continue after Hurricane Lowell devastated Kaua‘i, volunteers and staff from the Hawai‘i Chapter, visited Kaumakani Village on Saturday, to install 145 smoke alarms in 63 historic plantation homes.
This effort is a part of the Red Cross’s home fire safety campaign that offers free smoke alarms and installation across the Hawaiian Islands. On Sept. 11, the residents at Kaumakani Village prepared to evacuate due to a nearby brush fire. Luckily, the fire did not impact the community but it served as a reminder that there is no time to waste when it comes to preparedness.
Many in the community were recently impacted by Hurricane Lowell as well. Sheri Wai'ale'ale of Gay and Robinson who manages the village said, “Red Cross you have driven through our neighborhoods daily delivering rakes, shovels and supplies.” As she briefed the team of volunteers before they entered the community, she went on to say that their work “makes a difference in the eyes of these kupuna.”
She provided more than a dozen Red Cross representatives with background, history, cultural training and orientation before they embarked on installing smoke alarms. This was the final stage to ensure every home in Kaumakani Village was equipped with smoke alarms.
Red Cross volunteers Karl Matzke and U‘i Soares in front of a home at Kaumakani Village.
Gay and Robinson, the company that operated sugar cane plantations on Kaua’i’s west side for decades, has maintained homes here largely for former plantation workers and their families.
“A lot of these homes are inhabited by retirees who were with the sugar plantation, so many of them are over 80 years old. You can imagine them growing up in that house as a child. So, their parents were in that home before them,” said Sheri Wai'ale'ale of Gay and Robinson.
Standing on a ladder, drill in hand, Red Cross Pacific Islands Region Chief Executive Officer Molly Schmidt installed alarm after alarm. She showed each tenant how to test their devices and encouraged them to call the Red Cross should batteries fail, though they have a 10-year life.
“At the Red Cross Hawai‘i Chapter we say preparedness is an act of Aloha. The American Red Cross is here 365 days a year and the work that we do with our communities to help people feel prepared and informed is really of the utmost importance, because we are there when you need us for compassion and hope,” Schmidt explained.
The goal for every community member, as Schmidt describes it, is “So, you are informed, have the information, you feel prepared, and know exactly what to do in an emergency.”
At each home Red Cross workers reviewed fire evacuation plans, ways to harden their properties and homes against wildfire, along with reminders of specific fire protocols from property management.
Savannah Gibson, the Red Cross Hawai‘i Kaua‘i representative, was part of a half dozen installation teams. “Installing these, even post-disaster, is so important for this community. They were just hit with Hurricane Lowell, and then a day or two later a brush fire came close to the village,” she commented.
“The residents have been super appreciative for the smoke alarm installations as well as getting information and education about how to better protect their homes from wildfires,” Gibson added.
Earlier this year, Deodoro Laput moved his family into a Kaumakani Village Home. They moved from the Philippines after his wife landed a teaching job on Kaua‘i.
After observing the smoke alarm installation and watching his 14-year-old daughter map out a fire evacuation plan for their home, he said, “It’s 100% safety for my family. I want to be sure my family is always safe.”
Red Crosser Pawnee Maiden with a family at Kaumakani Village after installing their smoke alarms.
Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half. On average, the American Red Cross responds to 65,000 disasters a year. The vast majority are home fires.
During the month of October, the Hawai‘i Red Cross will be installing smoke alarms across the islands for anyone who is in need. If you would like to receive a free smoke alarm, please call 808-739-8111 to place your request and a Red Cross representative will schedule a time for installation.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/hawaii or follow us on social media.
Support all the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross.
Find a drive and schedule a blood donation appointment today.
Your time and talent can make a real difference in people’s lives. Discover the role that's right for you and join us today!
