Kauai Fire Department adds brush trucks, high-water rescue vehicle to fleet

Three new brush trucks and a high-water rescue vehicle are now in the Kauai Fire Department fleet, a nearly $695,000 upgrade county leaders say will improve access in remote terrain, strengthen wildfire readiness and expand flood rescue capacity.

The vehicles were introduced Wednesday, May 20, during a blessing in front of the Historic County Building in Līhue. KFD Chaplain Zachary Sui led the blessing as county leaders, fire personnel and guests gathered on the Civic Center lawn for a public acknowledgment of the department’s latest equipment purchase.

Chief Michael Gibson called the additions a “significant step forward” for the department’s readiness and ability to protect people in difficult emergency conditions. The three brush trucks cost more than $554,000 combined and replace aging units. The new high-water rescue vehicle cost more than $140,000.

The county said the brush trucks are designed to improve access to remote and rugged areas, where standard apparatus can struggle on narrow roads, steep slopes or rough terrain. The higher ground clearance and other safety features are meant to give firefighters more reliable access when conditions are hard to predict, especially in outlying parts of the island where road access can delay response.

The high-water rescue vehicle already has been put to work during recent Kona Low storm conditions. County officials said it helped during the rescue of roughly 18 to 19 stranded kayakers in Wailua and supported operations in flooded and hazardous environments where traditional emergency vehicles would have limited access. The county linked the purchase to flooding conditions similar to the 2018 Hanalei floods, underscoring how quickly heavy rain can turn into a countywide access problem.

KFD’s mission stretches far beyond structure fires. The department provides fire protection and suppression, land and ocean rescue, hazardous materials response and basic life-support emergency medical services. It operates from eight fire stations in Hanalei, Kaiākea, Kapaa, Līhue, Kōloa, Kalāheo, Hanapēpē and Waimea, a network built to cover an island where weather, terrain and distance can all slow response.

The new purchase fits into a pattern of recent scrutiny over how Kauai prepares for severe weather and rescue demands. In March, KFD used its high-water vehicle in the rescue of 19 Nevada visitors, including 14 minors, from the Uluwehi Trail. In June 2024, the department honored firefighters for rescuing 26 people and two dogs during the April 11-12, 2024 flood event. And in October 2021, KFD blessed a new brush fire truck at the Kapaa Fire Station, replacing a 14-year-old vehicle that cost $102,893.

Taken together, the upgrades signal a county investing in tools for the kinds of emergencies Kauai keeps facing: brush fires, flash floods and rescues in places where ordinary access is not guaranteed.