Val Kalahiki isn鈥檛 sure her students know what a fire alarm sounds like. In November 2019, Konawaena Elementary鈥檚 fire alarm system broke, and it hasn鈥檛 been replaced, said Kalahiki, who runs the after-school program at the Hawaii island school. 

In the case of a fire, the main office can use the loudspeaker system to inform students and teachers, Kalahiki said. But after the main office closes at 4:30 p.m., Kalahiki said she has to remain extra vigilant as she oversees 130 students who remain on campus for the after-school program. 

鈥淲here is the state putting all of our money if they can鈥檛 even protect our kids?鈥� Kalahiki said.

Her school is one of over two dozen that lacks a working fire alarm, according to Department of Education estimates.   

Concern for school fire safety has gained urgency following the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires that killed 99 people and destroyed more than 2,200 structures, including King Kamehameha III Elementary in Lahaina.

The state House Schools Working Group, formed in the aftermath of the Lahaina fires,  earlier this month finding some Hawaii schools 鈥渧ulnerable to fire.鈥� The  for better protecting students, from updating schools鈥� fire sprinkler systems to making evacuation plans more accessible to the public. 

Increased Urgency

But the problems long predated the Maui fires, with some schools waiting years to have broken fire alarm systems repaired. In a House education committee hearing in March, Department of Education deputy superintendent Curt Otaguro estimated that while 80% of Hawaii schools had working fire alarms, 12% had alarm systems in critical condition.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 just not acceptable,鈥� Otaguro said in the hearing.

DOE spokeswoman Nanea Kalani said the department now has 28 fire alarm systems needing repairs. Over 250 public schools fall under the DOE system.

Randall Tanaka, assistant superintendent for the office of facilities and operations, said DOE has made repairs to some systems since the spring, but larger repairs need more time since some require updates to schools鈥� electrical wiring systems.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a high priority for us,鈥� Tanaka said.

Many of Hawaii鈥檚 public schools .

鈥淎 significant number of school buildings in Hawaii lack modern fire suppression systems, such as automatic fire sprinklers and fire alarms, leaving them vulnerable in the event of a fire,鈥� the House Schools Working Group draft report said. 

The House has scheduled a  on the schools working group鈥檚 findings. A final report on that and other Maui-related topics is due Dec. 15. The DOE said it is still looking over the report but will submit testimony by Thursday.

Broken Systems, Delayed Repairs

County fire departments conduct inspections on schools every year. To pass these inspections, schools need to have working fire alarm systems, said Parrish Purdy, captain of the fire prevention bureau for Maui County.

DOE said 90% of its schools passed their fire inspections in the 2022-23 school year. 

But for schools with broken alarm systems, it can sometimes take years to receive replacements or repairs.

For example, as of 2017, the Department of Education acknowledged that King Intermediate School on Oahu had lacked a working fire alarm system for seven years.

If campuses have broken fire alarm systems, they must go on fire watch, said Kendall Ching, a captain with the Honolulu Fire Department. That means teachers and staff members are responsible for notifying the school鈥檚 administration and the fire department if they see signs of a potential blaze. 

There鈥檚 no time limit on how long a school can remain on fire watch, but it鈥檚 not meant to be a long-term solution, Purdy said.

In January 2021, fire watch protocols helped to keep an electrical fire from spreading on Konawaena Elementary鈥檚 campus. Second-grade teacher Anika Agerlie said she鈥檚 grateful a custodian was on campus and quickly alerted the school administration, but she worries what would have happened if the fire wasn鈥檛 caught early on. 

鈥淔our years is way too long to be on fire watch,鈥� Agerlie said. 鈥淥ne year is way too long鈥�

Legislative Action Planned

Rep. Jeanne Kapela represents District 5 on Hawaii island, which previously included Konawaena Elementary before redistricting. In the 2023 legislative session, she introduced and , which requested the DOE to submit a list of schools with broken fire alarms and a timeline for completing these repairs. 

The House Education Committee has not yet received the DOE鈥檚 list, Kapela said.

Kapela said she plans to introduce a bill next year providing funding to fix schools鈥� fire alarm systems. DOE said it would need to spend $10 million annually for the next five years to complete its repairs. 

鈥淭here鈥檚 no alternative to having a working fire alarm,鈥� Kapela said. 

Tanaka is unsure of the exact timeline for fixing schools鈥� fire alarm systems but said the DOE is constantly searching for solutions. He added that a shortage of companies who are able to fix schools鈥� fire alarm systems has contributed to delays.

Structural Changes

Since the August wildfires, DOE has focused on keeping the perimeters of schools safe and has worked with the Department of Transportation to cut down the grass and dry brush surrounding campuses such as Lahainaluna High, Tanaka said. He added that DOE is evaluating available emergency escape routes for schools, pointing to the  leading out of the Lahaina schools that DOT constructed last month.

He added that DOE continues to assess the fire preparedness of schools, particularly in fire-prone areas.

When it comes to building new schools or renovating old ones, the state is working with the National Council on School Facilities and the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure campuses have fire-safe infrastructures, said Keone Farias, executive director of the School Facilities Authority. For example, he said, the EPA鈥檚 guidance on what building materials are most fire-resistant will inform projects moving forward.

Farias said SFA hasn鈥檛 yet been involved in conversations around rebuilding King Kamehameha III鈥檚 permanent campus. But, he added, the agency will take all the precautions to protect the school when the time comes. 

鈥淲e鈥檒l build the safest school we possibly can,鈥� Farias said. 

Civil Beat鈥檚 education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.