LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Fire Department has seen a surge in calls for service this summer.
Some notable KFD incidents in 2021 have included the search for a missing diver off Glass Beach, the rescue of a hiker who had fallen off of a Sleeping Giant Trail, tactical support in the search for a still-missing Nebraska man and three drownings.
Officials say the high incident rate is a return to pre-pandemic numbers.
“With people returning to the beaches, trails, roadways and other island activities, the demand for emergency services has grown in proportion,” KFD Chief Steven Goble told The Garden Island in an email.
“As people explore the things that Kaua‘i has to offer, they are often unaware of the dangers that are present, and find themselves in harm’s way.”
Goble said during last week’s Fire Commission meeting that his department is especially focused on the island’s beaches.
KFD’s Ocean Safety Bureau lifeguard towers and roving beach patrols have ramped up “preventative actions” to address the influx of visitors unfamiliar with the island’s waters, recording a combined 18,430 verbal advisements to beach-goers in the past two months alone.
The towers reported 45 rescues in June and July, up 1,025% from four during the same period in 2020. For comparison, the towers reported a combined 58 rescues in June and July of 2019. These numbers do not include rescues performed by roving patrols.
“The volume of calls is not unfamiliar to our teams … The professionals that make up the Kaua‘i Fire and Ocean Safety team are well prepared and stand ready to respond,” Goble said.
Although the number of Kaua‘i beach-goers has skyrocketed in recent months, attendance is down overall.
The towers’ June to July report shows a year-to-date total of 818,340 beach-goers, down 17% from last year’s year-to-date total of 984,006.
The Kaua‘i Police Department has also seen an uptick in visitor-related incidents, namely property crimes, traffic collisions and parking violations, according to Patrol Services Bureau Assistant Chief Mark Begley.
“The numbers we are seeing right now are in the pre-pandemic range,” Begley said, echoing Goble.
Traffic fatalities are low, though. Zero have occurred to date in 2021, according to a KPD chart, compared to seven total in 2020 and 15 total in 2019.
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Scott Yunker, general assignment reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.
