Throughout the Nation, hundreds of thousands of dispatchers save lives daily, including our own on Kauai.

Last Monday, the Kauai Police Department, KPD, and other safety agencies and members from around the state honored the 911 dispatchers who answer the calls, recognizing Public Safety Telecommunications during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.

Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami proclaimed April 13 through 19 as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week and honored the indispensable role the all-women dispatchers team plays in effectively carrying out their duties while answering calls from not only the police but also fire and Emergency Medical Services, taking non-emergency calls, and monitoring radio communications.

He stated, “If someone out of this universe asked me what a public servant is, the first place I would think of is probably to Dispatch,” said Mayor Kawakami.

“When you talk about people who dedicate their lives, giving to the community, and serving a community without any recognition. I think dispatchers, the telecom folks, and our Public Safety Division define what a public servant is.”

“I’ve had the pleasure to witness the complexity that goes on when they receive an emergency call, and the amount of multitasking involved while remaining cool, calm, and collected is astonishing in itself,” he said.

KPD employs ten full-time dispatchers, half the staffing required to maintain normal operations. However, these committed women of our community voluntarily take additional hours and sacrifice time off to ensure that emergency assistance is available 24/7.

State Senate Leaders also honored Kauai’s dispatchers with a proclamation emphasizing their invaluable contributions to the more than 60,000 calls for service they answer every year.

Kristin Minei, an eleven-year dispatcher with KPD, expressed feeling appreciated about being recognized and emphasized the strong multitasking abilities dispatching requires. Her genuine passion for helping others makes the job a rewarding career.

“It feels good to be recognized for all the work we’ve been doing,” said Minei, “Especially in the last year, we’ve been working so many hours, so it feels good to be recognized. It was always my hope when I was younger to find something that I could just commit myself to, and when I got here, I did find that, and I hope that I can be here until I retire,” she said.

“When I leave my job at the end of the night, I think— I did everything that I could, I helped as many people as I could, and I did what I was supposed to do, and that is very rewarding.

“Right now, we are an all-women team, and no one really understands what we go through, but luckily, we are close. The girls that I work with understand we vent, we curse, we talk, and we lean on each other, and it’s special. It’s not really a job that everyone thinks about, but anyone interested should give it a shot, and maybe you’ll find that this is where you’re meant to be,” she said.

Rescue leaders also encouraged everyone to recognize our silent community heroes. Kawakami noted that he hopes to soon have “Dispatchers recognized as first responders” and added, “I’ve also committed to working one shift with these great folks; I’m attesting to it today. “

Individuals interested in making a positive difference in their community can find further information by visiting the County of Kauai’s employment website at www.kauai.gov/jobs.

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — In a ceremony rooted in tradition, partnership, and shared responsibility, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii commemorated a new 2-million-gallon concrete water tank—a key milestone in the Army’s $1.2 billion, 10-year plan to modernize water infrastructure across its Oahu installations.

On behalf of the garrison, Deputy to the Garrison Commander David Roudybush welcomed guests and opened the event, which featured spiritual blessings from Capt. (CH) David Kim and Kahu Kordell Kekoa, and musical performances by the 25th Infantry Division Woodwind Quintet—each reinforcing the ceremony’s emphasis on unity, cultural respect, and community care.

“This tank is more than steel and concrete,” said Col. Rachel Sullivan, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. “It’s part of a promise we’ve made—to rebuild, modernize, and secure our water system not just for the Army, but in a way that complements and respects our neighboring communities and shared resources.”

Awarded in late Fiscal Year 2021 at a cost of $16 million, the project replaces an aging water tank with a new, resilient structure designed to meet the daily needs of Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield. Importantly, the project supports the Army’s efforts to be a responsible steward of local water infrastructure—preserving access for residents within and beyond the installation footprint.

Sullivan noted that the tank’s added capacity is critical to emergency response and system resilience—not just for Army families, but for the surrounding region that relies on a common aquifer system.

“Our role is to ensure our infrastructure supports readiness without compromising the broader community’s access to water,” said Sullivan. “This project strengthens our system without taking away from our neighbors.”

She also reflected on a near-crisis in 2023, when three of five Clearwell pumps failed. Thanks to emergency conservation and assistance from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, the Army was able to maintain water service without interruption. When a fourth pump failed, an emergency replacement was quickly installed, and water was carefully distributed across 12 linear miles of pipeline—preventing outages for more than 5,000 homes and 40 barracks.

Department of Public Works employees Burt and Dan Ewen, plant operators Jareth and Josh, and key engineers from the Hawaii Infrastructure Task Force were among those recognized for their around-the-clock efforts during the emergency and beyond.

Lt. Col. Adrian Biggerstaff, District Commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District, reinforced the shared benefit and fiscal responsibility of the project.

“This tank holds the equivalent of three Olympic swimming pools, or 16 million bottles of water,” Biggerstaff said. “And we built it at a fraction of that bottled cost—without a single reportable injury and with long-term resilience in mind. It’s a win for the Army and for the people of Hawaii .”

The tank was delivered in partnership with CCI Facility Support Services, with oversight from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Schofield Barracks Area Office, ensuring every aspect met safety and engineering standards, from 757 cubic yards of concrete to intricate post-tensioned cable systems.

The ceremony concluded with a traditional Hawaiian blessing led by Kahu Kordell Kekoa, who invited key contributors to place handprints on the tank using sacred rainwater—symbolizing the living, communal value of water and the people it sustains.

“Water is life,” said Kekoa. “And it must always be shared and protected—with aloha—for all who live here now and for the generations yet to come.”

As the lei was untied and the Army song echoed across the installation, the new tank stood as a lasting symbol of partnership, preparation, and shared stewardship—a commitment not only to the Army’s mission, but to the island community it calls home.