Question: With so many wildfires now, is there a list homeowners can follow to prepare their homes, sort of like with the hurricane preparedness of having hurricane clips on your roof, etc.?
Answer: Yes, the Honolulu Fire Department has a Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide posted on its website, fire.honolulu.gov. The 20-page guide, which tells people living near any natural area, known as a Wildland Urban Interface, how to improve and maintain their property so that firefighters will have “defensible space” to fight a fire there, concludes with a safety checklist Q&A to assess how ready your property is. The ideal answers are all yes.
>> “Does your home have a metal, composition, or tile (or other non-combustible) roof with capped ends and covered fascia?
>> Are the rain gutters and roof free of leaves, needles and branches?
>> Are all vent openings screened with 1/8 inch (or smaller) mesh metal screen?
>> Are approved spark arrestors on chimneys?
>> Does the house have non-combustible siding material?
>> Are the eaves ‘boxed in’ and the decks, lanai, and/or pier-and-posts enclosed?
>> Are the windows made of at least double-paned or tempered glass?
>> Are the decks, porches, lanai, and other similar areas made of non-combustible material and free of easily combustible material (e.g. plastic furniture)?
>> Is all firewood at least 30 feet from the house?
>> Is dead vegetation cleared 100 feet from the house?
>> Is there separation between shrubs?
>> Are ladder fuels removed? (Ladder fuels are low-level vegetation that allows fire to spread from the ground to the tree canopy.)
>> Is there a clean and green area extending at least 30 feet from the house?
>> Is there a non-combustible area within five feet of the house?
>> Is there separation between trees/tree clusters?
>> Is the home address visible from the street?
>> Is the home address made of fire-resistant materials?
>> Are street signs present at every intersection leading to the house?
>> Are street signs made of fire-resistant materials?
>> Is flammable vegetation within 10 feet of the driveway cleared and are overhanging obstructions removed?
>> If a long driveway is present, does it have a suitable turnaround area?”
Volunteer for SMP
Kupuna who’ve been scammed, or who fear they have been, have told Kokua Line that they appreciated talking to volunteers at Hawaii’s Senior Medicare Patrol because they felt heard but not judged. That’s important because embarrassment, or fear of it, are reasons senior citizens might resist reporting con artists who’ve stolen their money or peace of mind.
SMP, which helps kupuna “prevent, detect and report Medicare fraud, errors and abuse,” as well as other types of scams, relies on volunteers trained to give victims the information they need without making them feel worse about the situation — kindness that is appreciated when a victim might feel terrible about falling for a romance scam or some other impersonation scheme.
SMP welcomes volunteers and especially needs those who speak more than one language. SMP has resources for people who don’t speak English, but needs more volunteers fluent in languages/dialects commonly spoken in Hawaii to make the most of those resources.
“We are always looking for volunteers to help expand our reach, particularly to marginalized and underrepresented populations,” Norma Kop, SMP Hawaii director, said in an email.
Prospective volunteers can submit a form via https://www.smphawaii.org/volunteer/, call 808-586-7281 or 800-296-9422, or email info@smphawaii.org.
Volunteers learn about Medicare fraud and abuse, identity theft, fake gift card tactics, fake COVID-19 tests, dishonest caregivers, Social Security scams, romance and dating schemes, law enforcement impersonators and other risks — all information that is useful in their own lives as well as being helpful to the kupuna who contact SMP for assistance.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
