Spotters provide crucial insights

by Sharon Higa | Sept. 2, 2025

Red flag warning. Three words announced by the National Weather Service trigger thoughts of winds whipping and dust swirling while airborne tree branches, leaves and debris fly haphazardly around.

For those of us mobilized at Hawaiian Electric, the threat of a potential wildfire weighs heavily, perhaps even more so on company spotters who provide crucial on-the-ground observations that aid system operators in determining if a Public Safety Power Shutoff may be necessary across our service areas on Oahu, Hawaii Island or in Maui County.

“The spotter role focuses on monitoring fire-prone areas in the field,” said John DiGiovanni, a senior business consultant in energy delivery on Oahu who schedules spotter teams.

Even with the company’s network of AI-assisted cameras and weather stations, field observations during a red flag warning play an important role. “Spotters monitor for safety or operational issues and report immediately if there’s an issue,” said John. In addition, during a typical 12-hour daytime shift, spotters must submit hourly reports.

Armed with a toolkit that includes an anemometer (a device to measure wind speed), flashlight, high-visibility vest, maps and instructional materials, spotters are deployed in pairs as safety is a high priority.

“Spotters are monitoring for smoke, wind speeds, lines down, any sparks, and movement or non-movement of electrical lines,” added Keith Rivera with the company’s Maui County substation and meter operations administration. “They should know how to use binoculars, cell phones and two-way radios and also receive general training on how to use the smartsheet (a reporting application), anemometer and fire extinguisher. Most spotters are ‘roving spotters’, meaning they drive to various points on their spotter routes checking for activity and taking readings.”

Since the company first started using spotters, Dina Demichelis of Hawaii Island has been activated multiple times. “As a former planner and now supervisor in the Engineering Department, we are trained on how the poles are designed and supposed to look since it is our job to design the infrastructure that is out there,” she said.

“While we’ve all had to learn how to use the anemometer, we are also looking for failure of our equipment. That takes a person who has been trained to identify those anomalies.”

As a Maui County customer field representative, David Medieros brings his skill set to the spotter role. “In our job we need to be aware of our surroundings and situational awareness to do our day-to-day work.” Medeiros has been deployed about seven times and positioned as a spotter at Kihei Welakahao Road, Hansen Road, Lahaina Civic Center and Ukumehame, among other locations.

Joseph Corcino, a Maui County senior electrical mechanic, brings his background knowledge of substation locations and identifying transmission lines to the spotter position, having served in the role about nine times at substations in Lahainaluna and Napili, and at Puukolii and Ukumehame. “Knowing which gates are locked and which gates we don’t have a key for are one of our challenges in the field.”

Keeping it real, Dina said some of the challenges being in the field include knowing where bathrooms are located, packing food and drink for the (12-hour) day and boredom.

“I think Waikiʻi (near Kamuela) is the most challenging location because there’s no bathroom or facilities in the area. Boredom can be an issue if you’re not paired with someone you’re comfortable with, so it’s important to take that into consideration when pairing teams.”

As for the hazards of being in the field, it’s the wind. “Wind blowing dust in your eyes. Wind whipping the (car) door open. Wind blowing things out of the vehicle unexpectedly and then trying to capture it so we aren’t littering,” said Dina.

For the spotter coordinators, the challenges are different. “We have more spotters on Oahu than the neighbor islands,” said John. “We also need to swap out and not overwhelm anyone, and we have minimal time for notifying teams.”

The weather presents its own obstacles. “We don’t know until nearly the end of the day if the next day’s weather will change, how widespread it will be across the state, or if it will only affect parts of certain islands,” added John.

So, the next time you read or hear about a red flag warning, please remember to stay alert, be ready to implement your emergency plans and know that Hawaiian Electric is closely monitoring the situation for the safety of our communities.

Sharon Higa is a senior communications consultant at Hawaiian Electric.