hawaii_wf_5.txt

C. 9-1-1 Emergency Calls for Service / MPD Non-Emergency Line Calls
The County of Maui includes the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai and has two communication centers. The
Molokai communication center is located within the Kaunakakai Fire Station and supports Molokai and Lanai.
Molokai is normally operated by one emergency service dispatcher. The Maui communications center is located
within the Maui Police Department headquarters in Wailuku. Prior to August 8, 2023, the communications centers
received an average of 360 emergency 9-1-1 calls per day. On August 8, 2023, between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m.,
the two communications centers received a combined total of 4,523 calls. This included 9-1-1, non-emergency
phone lines, and Text to 9-1-1 (inclusive of the calls that had rolled over to Molokai to assist). On August 8, 2023,
the maximum number of nine dispatchers were on the communications team. They handled an average of 500 calls
each during their 12-hour shift, which is equivalent to approximately one call every one and a half minutes. Audio
recordings of the 9-1-1 calls for service were reviewed to assist in establishing timelines, sequence of events and
internal communications.
RECOMMENDATION 1 – Have optional radio ear pieces issued to all
officers.
RECOMMENDATION 2 – Create a procedure for call signs for officers that
self-deploy during a critical/large scale incident.
RECOMMENDATION 3 – Roll calls should be initiated by dispatch and/or
command staff as needed.
MPD’s Preliminary After-Action Report
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D. Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Videos
In the midst of the chaos created by the fires, officers faced many obstacles regarding BWC, including the inability
of some officers to retrieve and/or activate their BWC. Many experienced dead batteries as returning to the station
to recharge proved challenging, if not impossible. Despite these challenges, the department was still able to secure
BWC videos generated and stored using Axon’s Evidence.com service. The videos demonstrate the rapidly changing
circumstances, the actions and movements of officers and in some cases, evacuees.
The BWC sergeant spent the weeks and months following August 8, 2023 reviewing the videos for public release.
On October 30, 2023, MPD released over 20 hours of footage and 35 videos. At a press conference that day a 16-
minute video was shared with accompanying dialogue to provide context for the viewer.
E. Mis/dis/mal Information Confirmed by Other Organizations
In the days and weeks that followed the fires, there was voluminous information being disseminated that was both
factual and fictitious. There was evidence of a concentrated effort, including some by foreign governments, as well
as lone wolf actors, to disrupt the integrity of first responders, the community, and government.
See Appendix “B” for examples including a fictitious memorandum, supposedly sent by FEMA, designed to
undermine local government and authority.
Congress
During a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 13, 2023, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI),
questioned a panel of experts about how artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to spread disinformation and
undermine trust in the government during disasters like the Maui wildfire.
Senator Hirono made the following statement:
“It is a powerful tool that can be used for good, but it can also be used to spread a lot of disinformation and
misinformation, and that happened during the disaster on Maui. Maui residents were subject to disinformation—
some of it coming from foreign governments, i.e., Russia—looking to sow confusion and distrust, including, ‘Don’t
sign up for FEMA because they cannot be trusted.’ And I worry that with AI, such information will only become more
rampant with future disasters.”
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of the Microsoft Corporation, echoed Senator Hirono’s concerns. In his
testimony, Mr. Smith denounced the spread of Russian and Chinese disinformation, which aimed to discourage
people impacted by the Maui fires from accessing federal disaster relief and promote conspiracies that the fire was
caused by the U.S. government using a meteorological weapon, respectively.
Senator Hirono also inquired about how this use of AI can be identified and combatted in order to prevent foreign
entities, such as actors from China and Russia, from circulating disinformation and misinformation to other
vulnerable communities in the future.”
RECOMMENDATION 4 – Have the BWC policy updated to have BWC
activated upon dispatch.
MPD’s Preliminary After-Action Report
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Reference
Hawaii State Senator, Mazie Hirono et al., (2023, September 13). News, Press Releases, Video: Hirono Highlights
Spread of Disinformation by Foreign Entities in Wake of Maui Wildfires.
https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/video-hirono-highlights-spread-of-disinformation-by-foreign-
entities-in-wake-of-maui-wildfires
Hawaii State Homeland Security
MPD was informed by the HSHS of the misinformation and verified the senator’s comments. Artificial Intelligence
(AI) is an ongoing problem nationwide. Maui was no exception.
MPD Investigations of Misinformation
With respect to misinformation regarding large numbers of missing children, investigators contacted the
Department of Education to verify if there were any children missing from their rosters. The DOE was able to contact
all of their students, including those that left the island and/or state. In addition, the FBI also investigated the many
false statements made by various persons regarding any missing children and other persons. This would lead to the
MPD/FBI unaccounted for list.
MPD’s Preliminary After-Action Report
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F. Coordinated Leadership
On August 9, 2023, Chief Pelletier scribed the following organizational chart. This chart was implemented in
compliance with the Incident Command System (ICS) as directed by Presidential Executive Order which established
the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The Maui Police Department remained ICS and NIMS
compliant throughout the incident and the Law Enforcement Branch was a part of the Maui wildfire incident
operations. For the weeks and months ahead, operations were in continuous motion, functioning 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.

G. News, Social Media, Open Source Video Content
NEWS
The following photos are images captured on
news and social media of raging flames and
aerial video showing fires still smoldering
and significant structural damage on August
8 and 9, 2023.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media was reviewed daily in search of
eye witness accounts. The Public
Information Officer (PIO) of MPD was tasked
with press releases, media briefings and
social media posts. Due to the scale of
devastation and the mass fatalities, to
maintain the respect and dignity of the lives
lost, posts were limited to non-identifying
information until identification of deceased
and notification of next of kin.
PC: Screenshot, Hawaii News Now Instagram
Several disinformation campaigns were identified, putting forth conspiracy theories to further confuse the public
seeking an accurate account of the fire response.
OPEN SOURCE VIDEO CONTENT
In the photo to the right, downed power lines are
blocking the roadway. In the photo on the left (a video
screen capture), there are black out conditions from
smoke on Front Street. The video was taken at
approximately 4:25 p.m. (as voiced by the recorder).
MPD reviewed open source and community source
media content that was used to contribute to this
report.
PC: (L) and (R) Courtesy

THE MEDIA
At MPD, we are committed to building and maintaining a strong, trusting relationship with the community we serve.
We understand that transparency is a cornerstone of this relationship, and we are committed to maximizing trust
with the community through accountability and communication. In addition, we know the crucial role media plays
in disseminating timely and accurate information to the public, especially during critical events. We believe that a
strong partnership between law enforcement and the media is essential in ensuring public trust and safety.
At the onset of the incident, local media outlets, followed by many national and international media outlets,
responded to Maui following the devastation, all of whom thrived on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week coverage and
live reporting, wanting to be the first to report an update or breaking news. In the first weeks of securing the vast
scene, reporters were caught within the “burn zone”, having snuck inside via hired boats to bring them to Front
Street; while recoveries of victims were still ongoing.
Media briefings were held on the 9th floor of the Kalana O Maui County Building by the Mayor and the Governor.
Chief Pelletier attended each briefing, providing the most recent information and answering media questions as they
pertained to MPD's responsibilities. Assisting law enforcement and forensic agencies were also in attendance and
provided information as needed. Eventually, for matters relating to only the Coroner (Maui Police Chief) or solely
police-related issues, briefings were held at MPD's Wailuku station.
The vast media coverage brought the plight of the Maui disaster to the world and resulted in a record number of
funds being contributed to the Maui community. The worldwide coverage also assisted in obtaining family DNA
reference samples as MPD worked to identify victims.
In addition, with the assistance of the media, MPD was able to dispel rumors and mis/dis/mal/information regarding
missing children, lasers, and human remains washing onshore on other islands.
There has been continued coverage by some media outlets to document the recovery and investigative process post-
disaster, highlighting that the investigative integrity of the department has been maintained throughout.
Local media outlets have also highlighted first responders' and community members' heroisms during the event, and
we are grateful for their coverage.