Original Release Date: November 15, 2024
In episode one of our Case Studies season, Just Science sat down with Anthony (Tony) Earles, Forensics/Identification Unit Supervisor at the Maui Police Department, to discuss the Maui wildfires that occurred on August 8, 2023, including the collaborative nature of the mass disaster emergency response effort; the forensic methodologies and technologies used to identify recovered human remains; and the various challenges encountered during response mobilization due to the isolated geographic location of Maui County, Hawaii.
When deadly wildfires impacted Maui County, available resources and existing infrastructure were put under strain. Despite these initial obstacles, through the collaborative response of over one-hundred individuals from federal agencies, external partners, state and local forensic science service providers, as well as members of the Lahaina community, Maui Police Department was able to expand its response capacity, recover unidentified human remains, and identify these remains using a variety of forensic identification techniques including Rapid DNA technology, and more. Listen along as Tony describes how Maui Police Department and the many forensic professionals and first responders involved were able to locate and identify unidentified human remains, the importance of collaboration and communication in mass disaster response, and lessons learned that may support mass disaster response preparedness planning efforts within the forensic community.
This episode is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (Award No. 15PNIJ-21-GK-02192-MUMU).
Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
View or download the episode transcript here:
Transcript
Episode Citation
Martin, M. & Earles, A. (2024, November 15). Just Science. Just Mass Disaster Emergency Response in Maui, Hawaii. [Audio podcast episode]. The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. https://forensiccoe.org/podcast-2024-case-studies-ep1/.
Related Resources
- Rapid DNA Mass Disaster Emergency Response and Preparedness Toolkit
- Just Managing Mass Fatality Incidents
- Just DNA Results in Rapid Time
- Rapid DNA’s Role in Disaster Victim Identification
- Just ASCLD Rapid DNA Committee
- Maui Police Department Preliminary After-Action Report | Maui Wildfires of August 8, 2023
Guest Biography
Anthony (Tony) Earles, MSFS, CCSI started with the Maui Police Department’s (MPD’s) Crime Scene Unit (CSU) in 2006 as a Police Evidence Specialist, focusing on crime scene responses, fingerprint processing, and autopsy-related documentation. In 2016, he was promoted to Supervisor of the Forensics/Identification Units, including the Forensic Facility and Morgue.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this podcast episode are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Contact us at ForensicCOE@rti.org with any questions and subscribe to our newsletter for notifications.