President biden business administration. Aloha. President biden has business administration. Aloha. President biden has delivered. President biden has delivered the message that he was going to send more than just prayers, it would be about the assets and resources of the federal government, fully deploy what hawaii needs. Not only in this response where i follow my prestigious federal partners here, but also in the long term with recovery, and that is where the administration stepped in. We provide support to Small Businesses as our agency name would suggest, but also to the communities they serve. Their employees, their customers, the entire community with support through financial assistance, affordable loans, low cost assista nce, afforda ble loa ns, low cost loa ns to assistance, affordable loans, low cost loans to help our renters, our homeowners, our nonprofits and our businesses that really define maui. This county is rich, inherited in culture and so often our front street and main street are Small Businesses that define that. Our road to recovery is full of the federal resources to respond to make sure we ease their decisions into the future, whether it is that is Financial Readiness or navigating how to be strategic about your Business Relaunch with a Small Businesses, mentors and Research Mentors on the ground of which we have many here in maui directly. I am very pleased to have come early for this process, the senators invitation early on to make sure that we represent the president s intention that we will be fully deployed, be here for the long run to help ensure that maui can recover. Thank you so much. Mahalo, administrator. He was far administrator. Mahalo, administrator. He was faradministrator. Mahalo, administrator. He was far administrator. You as far administrator. You as far administrator. You as far administrator. Far administrator. You as far administrator. The Us Fire Administration far administrator. The Us Fire Administration is far administrator. The Us Fire Administration is here far administrator. The Us Fire Administration is here to administration is here to survey the fire and try to understand that the beginning of what we see, what did this fire entail, we can tell you that at first observation today, as we walked through lahaina, it was a very fast moving bar, it was a low to the ground fire, it was grass fed by all evidence that we could observe today, moving at a horizontal nature, low to the ground and structure to structure. Incredibly fast, it outpaced anything the firefighters could have done in the early hours. With that, i can tell you the firefighters need to be commended, heroic actions, absolutely the stories we are hearing, i have been in communication with the chief since the very beginning and talked with some firefighters today and beginning to hear the stories which we will continue to hear over time. The unfortunate part is that since 2017 the us has experienced the top ten fires, wildfires in our nation. This now has superseded the campfire from 2018 that was the campfire from 2018 that was the deadliest, this fire now has become the deadliest in the last ten years. So with that, we are here and we will continue to advise throughout recovery, and into you rebuilding throughout lahaina to ensure the resilience as part of the plan, that we talk about Building Codes along the way, and that we are also here for your firefighters stop we want to make sure the firefighters, their well being, both physically and that they have access to mental resources as needed as well. So we will continue to stay in touch with the chief and lead along in your recovery. Thank you. Mahalo, doctor moore merrill. At this time, us senator. Aloha, everybody. We are here during a time of grieving and loss. As you see the number of fatalities continuing to rise, you know that this is a sad time for all of us, but at the same time, we are here to do what we need to do for the recovery. I know that the Search Office are ongoing, i want to thank the governor, the mary for their leadership, and also, for the fact that the federal government is here, and i spoke directly with the president and with Secretary Austen yesterday. They pledged their full support and senator austin authorised the creation of a joint task force with is being led by general logan. I am here with what we referred to as the federal family of agencies that will be the department of defence, although of course fema, the usda, the army corps engineers, department of energy, and what we are all here at spa, everyone because we know that the recovery will first of all take time and resources. You are all here today to cover the story, but as we recover, i hope that you will continue to tell the story of the resiliency of this community and how we are going to recovery, because the continuity of effort and support from all of us is going to be very critical. Mahalo. Mahalo, senator. Finally, us representativejill mahalo, senator. Finally, us representative jill takounda. Representative jill ta kounda. Aloha com representative jill takounda. Aloha com everyone. You know, i walked through the town today for the first time and i went to the same place i go every time i come to lahaina and the public library, and it is gone. But i will tell you what gave me infinite hope is that the wooden sign in front of the library is there. Almost untouched. This is an absolute tragedy we are dealing with. As a family here in hawaii, people feel it across this country and across the world. While you are all here asking for patients, please note that we feel the urgency as we walk through those streets, as we talk to people, we feel that same struggle, the same anxiety and same desire to do absolutely everything that we can and in our power to make sure our loved ones, ourfamilies are taken care of. Because as a federal maui, we are here for our people today in the weeks and months to come, we are talking about generations and years to come, we will stand together, shoulder to shoulder like this, making sure our people are ok and we can rebuild the community, support them with the love and support that they need right now. Mahalo to all of our front line is, all the members of the public to have stood up just to do something to be part of this, because we need your help notjust this, because we need your help not just today, this, because we need your help notjust today, but this, because we need your help not just today, but we will need your help for years and years to come. Thank you for being with us and we are right there with you, with the urgency we all feel to make sure our people and families are taken care of. Are taken care of. Mahalo, representative. Are taken care of. Mahalo, representative. 0k. Are taken care of. Mahalo, representative. 0k. Now. Are taken care of. Mahalo, representative. 0k. Now i | are taken care of. Mahalo, representative. 0k. Now i would like to open the floor to questions from the media. I would like to remind everyone we welcome all questions that we welcome all questions that we ask that you ask them with kindness and aloha. Please raise your hand and away acknowledgement at which time you will be asked to state your name a News Organisation before proceeding with asking your question, and in the spirit of allowing everyone in attendance the time to ask a question hopefully, we kindly ask that you ask one question per media outlet, not per person in attendance. Mahalo. Hands up. I will go here. Attendance. Mahalo. Hands up. I will go here will go here. Inaudible. We have been will go here. Inaudible. We have been learning will go here. Inaudible. We have been learning about. Have been learning about potential toxic chemicals. Why were they allowed to go back . Actually, thank you for the question. The question if you could question. The question if you could hear was why were people allowed could hear was why were people allowed to go back to the community. The intent was to let People TraverseThe Rain Road let People TraverseThe Rain Road to let People TraverseThe Rain Road to go back and make a quick road to go back and make a quick assessment. We didnt want quick assessment. We didnt want people to go to ground zero, want people to go to ground zero, honestly, and so though it is a zero, honestly, and so though it is a total zero, honestly, and so though it is a total destruction, there it is a total destruction, there are some need for people to gel there are some need for people to get closure on the experience. I have been there twice experience. I have been there twice it experience. I have been there twice it is experience. I have been there twice. It is changing slightly, it felt twice. It is changing slightly, it felt much more difficult to breathe it felt much more difficult to breathe two days ago than today breathe two days ago than today. Much of the fire that we saw has today. Much of the fire that we saw has begun to really settle down, saw has begun to really settle down, i saw has begun to really settle down, i am not an expert, but you down, i am not an expert, but you can down, i am not an expert, but you can see down, i am not an expert, but you can see that the ground is settling you can see that the ground is settling. We need people to begin settling. We need people to begin to get closure on the experience. But is the chief of police experience. But is the chief of police said very eloquently, we need police said very eloquently, we need to police said very eloquently, we need to do it safely, and that is why need to do it safely, and that is why we need to do it safely, and that is why we are going to just need to do it safely, and that is why we are going tojust in a staggered way as we get control a staggered way as we get control of the area so people dont control of the area so people dont go control of the area so people dont go down where the fire was dont go down where the fire was worth, we can open the road was worth, we can open the road the was worth, we can open the road. The devastation is so complete, you seek Twisted Metals complete, you seek Twisted Metals in ways you cant imagine metals in ways you cant imagine that you see nothing from imagine that you see nothing from organic structures left whatsoever. Forthose from organic structures left whatsoever. For those who want to see whatsoever. For those who want to see it. Whatsoever. For those who want to see it, they probably that will have to see it, they probably that will have seen everything that can be will have seen everything that can be seen through the lenses of the can be seen through the lenses of the media today. And if i wanted of the media today. And if i wanted to make one more comment, after all of these very comment, after all of these very devoted Public Servants spoke. Very devoted Public Servants spoke, we are just four days in, spoke, we are just four days in. And spoke, we are just four days in. And i spoke, we are just four days in, and i want tojust express my astonishment at how quickly people my astonishment at how quickly people came together to have directors people came together to have directors of departments and Mititary Directors of departments and military entities here, thousands of miles away from the mainland here injust our fourth the mainland here injust our fourth day is extraordinary, and fourth day is extraordinary, and so fourth day is extraordinary, and so i fourth day is extraordinary, and so i am appreciative that they and so i am appreciative that they are and so i am appreciative that they are spending so much attention and regard for our State Attention and regard for our state that we all love across the globe. Nbc news. Governor, is the call up nbc news. Governor, is the call up to you . Is it your decision on whether to let the residents of lahaina in, and what is the plan was to mark what is the plan was to mark what is the plan to let them in . Is there a date you can set so people arent waiting 15 hours in line . ,. ,. , line . The ultimate decision we are leaving line . The ultimate decision we are leaving to line . The ultimate decision we are leaving to the line . The ultimate decision we are leaving to the mayor. Line . The ultimate decision we are leaving to the mayor. We i are leaving to the mayor. We believe are leaving to the mayor. We believe that local governments should believe that local governments should make these key decisions. Also, we have at the maripol decisions. Also, we have at the maripol request on the teams request, maripol request on the teams request, brought in a lot of mititary request, brought in a lot of Military Support so we can support Military Support so we can support and keep these areas safe support and keep these areas safe in support and keep these areas safe. In fact, for many, in fact, safe. In fact, for many, in fact, most, it has tended to be very fact, most, it has tended to be very calming experience to have Additional Support when other crises Additional Support when other crises can arise. That has been my experience with the National Guard my experience with the National Guard when we have gone through tsunamis, guard when we have gone through tsunamis, earthquakes and votcanic tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. But this event volcanic eruptions. But this event was much more catastrophic than any of those. This catastrophic than any of those. This is catastrophic than any of those. This is more of a subjective decision this is more of a subjective decision than this is more of a subjective decision than an this is more of a subjective decision than an object this is more of a subjective decision than an object of i this is more of a subjective decision than an object of one. It decision than an object of one. It is decision than an object of one. It is not decision than an object of one. It is not a decision than an object of one. It is not a time decision than an object of one. It is not a time element decision than an object of one. It is not a time element that. It is not a time element that we are it is not a time element that we are going it is not a time element that we are going to it is not a time element that we are going to give it is not a time element that we are going to give you. I it is not a time element that. We are going to give you. When it is safe we are going to give you. When it is safe is we are going to give you. When it is safe is up we are going to give you. When it is safe is up to we are going to give you. When it is safe is up to the experts. It is safe is up to the experts who it is safe is up to the experts who are it is safe is up to the experts who are measuring it is safe is up to the experts who are measuring safety. It is safe is up to the experts who are measuring safety. While were who are measuring safety. While were letting who are measuring safety. While were letting people who are measuring safety. While were letting people in, who are measuring safety. While were letting people in, we who are measuring safety. While were letting people in, we are l were letting people in, we are not letting were letting people in, we are not letting anybody were letting people in, we are not letting anybody into were letting people in, we are not letting anybody into the i not letting anybody into the impacted not letting anybody into the impacted zone. Not letting anybody into the impacted zone. Where not letting anybody into the impacted zone. Where we l not letting anybody into the impacted zone. Where we were letting impacted zone. Where we were letting people impacted zone. Where we were letting people in impacted zone. Where we were letting people in were impacted zone. Where we were letting people in were those i letting people in were those whose letting people in were those whose Homes Letting people in were those whose homes are letting people in were those whose homes are still letting people in were those l whose homes are still intact, who whose homes are still intact, who had whose homes are still intact, who had to whose homes are still intact, who had to drive whose homes are still intact, who had to drive the whose homes are still intact, who had to drive the main i whose homes are still intact, l who had to drive the main road to get who had to drive the main road to get to who had to drive the main road to get to their who had to drive the main road to get to their homes. Who had to drive the main road to get to their homes. That who had to drive the main road to get to their homes. That is i to get to their homes. That is what to get to their homes. That is what we to get to their homes. That is what we were to get to their homes. That is what we were allowing, to get to their homes. That is what we were allowing, and i what we were allowing, and unfortunately, what we were allowing, and unfortunately, when what we were allowing, and unfortunately, when peoplej unfortunately, when people first unfortunately, when people first went unfortunately, when people first went in, unfortunately, when people first went in, may unfortunately, when people first went in, may be unfortunately, when people first went in, may be out. Unfortunately, when people first went in, may be out of| first went in, may be out of curiosity first went in, may be out of Curiosity Or First went in, may be out of curiosity or whatever, first went in, may be out of curiosity or whatever, theyl curiosity or whatever, they decided curiosity or whatever, they decided on curiosity or whatever, they decided on that. Curiosity or whatever, they decided on that. It curiosity or whatever, they decided on that. It is curiosity or whatever, they decided on that. It is not l decided on that. It is not safe, decided on that. It is not safe, it decided on that. It is not safe, it is decided on that. It is not safe, it is a decided on that. It is not safe, i