Rear Admiral Charles Ray of the United States Coast Guard was in Hilo yesterday to meet with Mayor Billy Kenoi to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the County of Hawai‘i. The agreement formalizes the protocol through which the Hawai‘i County Fire Department will coordinate search and rescue operations with the U.S. Coast Guard.
The agreement is similar to those in place with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Army’s Pōhakuloa Training Area, to formalize the working relationship between those first responders and the Hawai‘i County Fire Department.
“The ocean is such a vast area for any one boat or helicopter to search. The more resources we can tap, the more area we can cover sooner, and the better the chances are of finding someone alive,” said Battalion Chief Gerald Kosaki of the Hawai‘i County Fire Department. Battalion Chief Kosaki is responsible for, among other things, the department’s Search & Rescue operations. “We’re very fortunate to have the Coast Guard’s support when anyone needs assistance off the shores of Hawai‘i Island.”
More Here: Search & Rescue agreement signed by County, Coast Guard
Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Big Island, Environment, Hawaii, Kenoi, Military, Missing, Security, Tourism Tagged: | Coast Guard, Hawaii County, Hawaii County Search & Rescue, Mayor Kenoi
