The dramatic images coming out of Lower Puna — fountaining lava and rivers of red flowing through neighborhoods — have proved irresistible to the national and international media, which have brought Kilauea’s latest eruption to a worldwide audience, day after day for the past three weeks.

Of course, for local residents — especially those in Puna, suffering with the loss of homes and poison in the sky — the latest eruption is a major event. But for those who don’t live here, drama begets exaggeration. Judging by concerned phone calls and cancelled reservations for lodging and tours, there appears to be a perception that the entire state is under dire threat.

So stakeholders in the tourism industry are fighting back, trying to correct misperceptions. On CNBC this week, Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram noted that the volcanic eruption in the East Rift Zone encompassed about 10 square miles of the farthest reaches of a 4,000-square-mile island.

“The vast majority of the tours and infrastructure in the state is unaffected by this and open for business,” he said, with the airline operating normally in Kona and Hilo.

On the same network, Gary Marrow of KapohoKine Adventures pleaded for visitors to return, saying that his business — which includes volcano and zipline tours — was down 30 percent for no good reason.

“You don’t need to alter, change or cancel your reservations,” he said. For most visitors, that’s reasonable advice.

RimPac loses China as participant

This summer, Hawaii will once again welcome to our waters the Rim of the Pacific (RimPac), the world’s largest international maritime exercise. Ships and sailors will bring their diverse military cultures (and millions of dollars), to our shores.

This year, however, we won’t welcome China, because the Pentagon withdrew that country’s invitation to participate.

The Pentagon said its decision was prompted by China’s aggressive military expansion in the South China Sea, which is seen as pushing aside the legitimate claims of other nations and destabilizing sea lanes critical for global commerce.

It’s really not a surprise. China participated in RimPac in 2014 and 2016, and similar concerns were raised at that time. Then-U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, who leaned toward banning Chinese ships, allowed that “some of our senior military leaders still see value in their participation.”

A key argument favoring participation is the building of military-to-military relationships that can decrease the possibility of conflicts based on misunderstandings. Surely such relationship- building is even more important among adversaries — assuming those adversaries act in good faith.

But things have changed since 2016. The Pentagon believes China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers near the Spratly Islands, actions that “raise tensions and destabilize the region,” according to a Pentagon spokesman. Nonetheless, we hope that tensions won’t escalate too much, and that RimPac’s mission to maintain the peace in the Pacific — our home — will carry forward.

More ambulances for more calls

Anyone who thinks there are more ambulances whizzing around these days isn’t imagining things. The actual number of ambulances hasn’t increased, but their responses statewide have — by about 3 percent yearly since 2012, or about 4,400 more each year. And that’s put a strain on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) across Hawaii’s counties.

But help is on the way, which is particularly timely to note this week, as paramedics and other life-saving first-responders are saluted during Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Week, and the 44th annual National EMS Week.

After unsuccessful efforts in recent years, the state Legislature this month approved millions for three new ambulances: one each for Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii island. On Oahu, that’ll bring the fleet up to 21 ambulances, with the City Council also poised next month to allot $2.5 million for two more units.

The additions are surely needed, especially if trend lines continue. A growing elderly population, combined with more homelessness-related calls, are pushing up the 911 demand.

Of EMS patients who required ambulance transport or who died last year, nearly 42 percent were 65 or older, up from 37.4 percent in 2012. Homeless people comprised 8.5 percent (or 9,298) of EMS patients in 2016, up significantly from 6.2 percent (or 6,147) in 2012.

Attempts are underway to stem overuse of 911 calls by the homeless, such as more on-street medical care and an upcoming public-private homeless epicenter in Iwilei to include a 24-hour urgent care center. There’s no way to stem the “silver tsunami” tide, but more preventative health care and redirection to urgent care clinics might help ease over-reliance on costly ambulance calls.