Kauai Fire Department launches 2-minute safety survey for residents, businesses

Kauaʻi firefighters are asking residents and business owners to spend two minutes identifying the weak spots in island emergency response, from evacuation access to wildfire readiness and day-to-day service gaps that shape whether help arrives fast enough.

The Kauaʻi Fire Department said its Community Safety Survey was published April 20 and is intended to gather input that can improve emergency response and overall community safety. The survey is available through a SurveyMonkey link, and flyers are available in English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. The department also said its Prevention Bureau can provide ASL, alternate-format and interpreter assistance for the survey by calling 808-241-4985 or emailing kfdpreventionbureau@kauai.gov.

The push comes as county and state data continue to show why preparedness remains a live issue on Kauaʻi. A 2024 Kauaʻi District Health Office CASPER survey found that 38% of households had only one exit route by car, a significant access problem if a fire, flood or road closure forces a quick departure. The same survey found that concern about leaving pets behind rose to 19% in 2024 from 8% in 2022, and nearly half of households said they discussed climate change at least monthly.

Those concerns are especially relevant on an island where the fire department’s operations program handles fire protection and suppression, rescue, hazmat and basic life support emergency medical services from eight stations in Hanalei, Kaiākea, Kapaʻa, Līhuʻe, Kōloa, Kalāheo, Hanapēpē and Waimea. KFD’s FY2023 annual report said the department had 212 authorized employees, including 145 uniformed fire personnel and 59 uniformed ocean safety personnel, and that it prioritizes prevention and community outreach alongside emergency response.

The survey gives residents and businesses a way to tell the department which shortcomings matter most in daily life, including long response times, blocked or limited neighborhood access, wildfire preparation, pet evacuation planning and continuity for small businesses that depend on reliable emergency services. Those are the kinds of complaints that can shape how the department targets outreach, preparedness messaging and local response planning.

The effort also follows recent Community Wildfire Protection Plan workshops held with the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency, the Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization and the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife. County officials and partners have framed wildfire preparedness as a shared responsibility, and the new survey is meant to show whether residents and businesses believe the system is matching that responsibility on the ground.