It’s been a terribly traumatic start to the new year in Hawaii.
It’s painful to gaze upon the photo of 25-year-old Honolulu firefighter Jeffrey Fiala provided by the Honolulu Fire Department, in the wake of Fiala’s untimely death Monday. Fiala, shown smiling, handsome and healthy, had been with the department for less than two years, and graduated from Radford High School less than a decade ago, class of 2017. His wife and parents survive him.
Fiala and other HFD crew members had entered a blazing building on Young Street that night to fight the three-alarm fire and ensure no people were endangered inside the 10-unit complex. When the roof collapsed, Fiala was killed. Four other firefighters and one civilian were injured and hospitalized.
The cause of the fire and roof collapse are still under investigation, but the death and injuries are a rare, catastrophic occurrence for the HFD, reminding us that while firefighters follow careful protocols to guard their safety, unexpected risks can arise with little warning.
Harm or loss of our community guardians — the firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and paramedics who often sacrifice and expose themselves to potential harm as they follow a binding duty to protect and save others’ lives — causes a hurt that’s shared by all who comprehend the irreplaceable value these everyday heroes provide.
HFD Chief Sheldon Kalani Hao captured the sentiment as he said, “This tragedy has been truly heartbreaking for all of us.”
Another kind of trauma results from the deaths of our Hawaii neighbors in an avoidable tragedy, such as the fireworks explosion in Aliamanu on New Year’s Eve that killed three adults and a 3-year-old boy; more than a dozen people remain hospitalized. Combined with the lingering shock of losing more than 100 people killed in the August 2023 Maui fires, the weight of these fire-related deaths threatens to push us into dark places.
That is when community members must call on their inner strengths and recognize a shared responsibility to support those affected, and to pitch in to prevent additional harm. Channel the strong feelings sparked by disaster into sober contemplation, then action: Consider the circumstances, then move to prevent additional harm.
Every individual in a community can contribute. Friends or neighbors can physically be there to help with recovery needs — find out what’s needed and try to provide it. Others can contribute to a recovery fund and/or volunteer with an organization that provides help, such as the Red Cross, a grief support group or a peer support group focused on the community affected.
Working to prevent future tragedy is also uplifting and healing. Join in to support fire- and emergency-awareness campaigns; bring them to your community.
Be sure your own family and friends are following the most up-to-date advice on fire safety and are not exposing others to danger by ignoring fire hazards or failing to maintain adequate fire suppression availability.
Host public education campaigns focused on fire prevention, safety protocols and emergency preparedness. Educating the community can help prevent future fires and save lives.
Join in on community efforts to protect others: creating a firebreak around a development; setting up networks to alert neighbors of fire or fire hazards. In the case of illegal fireworks, provide detailed information at the anonymous tip line run by the state’s Department of Law Enforcement: 808-517-2182.
A significant opportunity to be a good neighbor and protect others from deadly exposure to explosives and fire comes up Saturday, when the state and city host a fireworks amnesty event at Aloha Stadium, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fireworks of any kind can be turned in for safe disposal, no questions asked.
