The Maui government has taken legal action against cellular carriers, accusing them of failing to promptly notify officials of service outages during a deadly wildfire. According to Maui County, the companies neglected to inform the government about the outages that occurred on August 8th and 9th, hindering emergency response efforts.
In their lawsuit, Maui County claims that the outages prevented officials from receiving crucial information, leading to a delay in issuing 14 evacuation alerts to the public. This, in turn, compromised the government’s ability to mitigate the impacts of the disaster. Victoria Takayesu, County of Maui Corporation counsel, emphasized the importance of a timely and complete report during emergencies.
The wildfire that ravaged Maui claimed the lives of at least 97 people, making it one of the deadliest in history. According to Governor Josh Green, it is also the largest natural disaster the state has ever experienced. With such high stakes, the failure of cellular service providers to promptly notify the government is a matter of grave concern.
T-Mobile, one of the companies being sued, has vehemently denied Maui County’s allegations. In a press release, T-Mobile stated that they had broadcasted wireless emergency alerts and promptly notified the required agencies and services. They also claim to have contacted state and local authorities while their sites were still operational. T-Mobile maintains that the claims made against them are baseless.
Interestingly, Maui County has also faced multiple lawsuits related to their response during the wildfires. This may call into question the credibility of their accusations against cellular carriers. However, the county stands by their claim that the companies failed to provide timely and accurate information, which hindered their efforts to minimize the impact of the disaster.
Maui sues cell carriers over wildfire warning alerts that were never received during service outages https://t.co/OkmEFF186N
— Ilan Hulkower (@IHulkower) May 3, 2024
In light of the devastating consequences of the wildfires and the importance of timely communication during emergencies, the dispute between Maui County and cellular carriers is a serious matter. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for both parties and could potentially lead to changes in emergency protocols and communication systems. It is essential that the truth is uncovered and proper accountability is established to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.