Hawaii teens prepare to respond to disasters
As an island state more than 2,000 miles from its closest neighbor, Hawaii is vulnerable to natural disasters — tsunamis, hurricanes, flash flooding, wildfires and earthquakes. The catastrophic wildfire that destroyed Lahaina, Maui, in 2023 left the community with a profound sense of loss of control and uncertainty about the future.
To equip youth to save lives and property and to quell feelings of uncertainty during disasters, a Hawaii Extension agent developed the PONO (Preparing Our Neighbors and ‘Ohana) project. In Hawaiian, “pono” means righteousness.
Modeled on the FEMA CERT program, PONO Teen CERT is a comprehensive 30-hour training for youth ages 13 to 19 that covers vital skills such as:
- Fire suppression
- First aid and triage
- Light search-and-rescue
- CPR
- Weather awareness
- Mindfulness and disaster psychology
Partnerships with the County of Maui, Hawaii state and federal emergency management agencies, CERT trainers and emergency responders ensure the program responds to community needs and remains current with official disaster protocols.
The PONO Teen CERT program has trained 530 teens leading to measurable increases in disaster knowledge, response skills and confidence. Teens achieved an average increase of 73% in disaster preparedness and response knowledge. All participants showed competency in fire suppression, damage assessment, first aid and triage during disaster simulation exercises. Through a community service project, the youth helped families develop emergency plans and kits, extending the program’s reach to 1,617 families and informing an average of 4,851 community members.
CTAHR Cooperative Extension Service | Project supported by USDA Capacity – Extension; non-profit grants and contracts. Photo courtesy of UH Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, Cooperative Extension.
