By Nina Wu
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HONOLULU — The Hawaii Community Foundation , along with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez , are donating $2.1 million toward the purchase of four new Maui Fire Department trucks.
The amount will go to the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation, which since 1997 has raised funds to provide fire and emergency rescue equipment and other support for the Hawaii County Fire Department .
Laura Mallery-Sayre, executive director, said the mission of the nonprofit is to save lives.
“Hawaii’s first responders need to have the tools to keep them safe and to make it more feasible for them to be doing rescues instead of recoveries, ” said Mallery-Sayre in a news release. “The needs are enormous. Hawaii has terrain unlike anywhere else, and we are already dealing with the effects of climate change. And so we’re looking ahead at how we can be better prepared when the next disaster arrives.”
To date, the nonprofit has raised more than $40 million for the Hawaii Fire Department , including the purchase of 14 fire trucks and two helicopters.
After the August 2023 wildfires, the foundation reached out to Maui County to offer assistance in future firefighting efforts.
The Maui County Fire Department identified the following four trucks it considered most useful for its needs :—A 3, 500-gallon tanker truck—A 4 ×4 1, 250-gallon tanker truck—A Skeeter-brand brush truck—A 1-ton pickup with a skid.
Maui County Fire Department Chief Bradford Ventura said these vehicles are more nimble, with the ability to go off-road to get closer to a wildfire and to prevent it from spreading.
Of the $2.1 million, $1 million will come from the Maui Strong Fund , and $1.128 million from Bezos and Sanchez.
This $1 million grant from the Maui Strong Fund falls into the first phase of HCF’s four-phase relief efforts, which includes risk reduction and disaster readiness.
The most recent donation from Bezos and Sanchez is in addition to an earlier contribution of $1.7 million in the spring for the purchase of three trucks for the Maui County Fire Department .
“Helping Maui’s fire department to be as fully equipped as possible to meet the ever-evolving challenges it faces is a crucial part of ensuring Maui is well prepared for future natural disasters, ” says HCF CEO and president, Micah Kane in a news release. “We mahalo Jeff and Lauren for their generous contribution to strengthen the capabilities and resources of Maui’s first responders, for the long-term safety and wellbeing of our island communities.”
The estimated delivery of the new, custom-produced trucks is expected within two to three years.
(c)2024 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
