Latest / The One Oʻahu Podcast with Mayor Rick Blangiardi / Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager on Lala, a new headquarters, and the Jr. Lifeguard State Championships

Transcript

Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager on Lala, a new headquarters, and the Jr. Lifeguard State Championships · The One Oʻahu Podcast with Mayor Rick Blangiardi

• 0:15
  welcome to the One Oahu podcast.
• 0:16
  I'm your host Brandi Higa.
• 0:18
  And today is Thursday, August 20th, 2026.
• 0:21
  We're joined this week by the chief for the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department,
• 0:25
  Chief Kurt Lager. Chief, thanks for making some time for us.
• 0:28
  I know it's been a pretty busy week. Yeah. No problem.
• 0:30
  Good morning.
• 0:31
  Yeah.
• 0:31
  So, you know, it is a kind of unique weekend because, really,
• 0:35
  you had some really good surf on the South,
• 0:38
  and then you got thrown into a storm kind of all within 24 hours.
• 0:42
  Yeah, that's kind of how these storms play out, because the storms,
• 0:45
  they produce a lot of wind offshore.
• 0:47
  And especially when the storms get closer, they'll send a lot of surf our way.
• 0:51
  You know, this this particular swell or, incident we had a south swell
• 0:55
  just happened to come before the storm, but, ocean safety
• 0:58
  always sees impacts from these storms well in advance of any adverse weather.
• 1:02
  So we tend to get really busy with all the the waves and rescues
• 1:06
  that happen around the island.
• 1:07
  And then we have to deal with the impacts of the storm afterwards.
• 1:11
  Yeah. And so can you talk about how busy your crews were?
• 1:14
  I guess that Saturday, Sunday, kind of during the event of La La,
• 1:17
  were you making rescues? What did that look like for you?
• 1:19
  Yeah, you know it.
• 1:20
  We we were definitely making a few rescues, a lot of preventative actions.
• 1:24
  Fortunately, I think all the messaging, early in the week, worked really well.
• 1:29
  And, people listened to those messages,
• 1:31
  so we didn't see a lot of people at the beach.
• 1:33
  But the waves did get fairly good at one point,
• 1:35
  and we had some people out, but I think we made about 7000
• 1:38
  preventative actions over the weekend and but only, less than 60 rescues.
• 1:43
  And so what is that when you say preventative action, is that like getting,
• 1:45
  you know, on the, the board to say like, hey, get out of the water
• 1:49
  or is like actually going a plug
• 1:50
  if you want to be like, hey, keep your boat on the sand.
• 1:53
  Yeah.
• 1:53
  A preventative action is it can be in various different forms,
• 1:57
  but most often on the beach.
• 1:58
  It's us getting out of the tower, walking down and just talking to someone
• 2:02
  that we see and just making sure like, hey, have you been here before?
• 2:05
  Do you know the conditions? Here's the hazards that exist.
• 2:08
  We try to like, you know, just educate them and give them safe,
• 2:11
  opportunities.
• 2:12
  But preventative action also could be, like you said, on a bullhorn,
• 2:16
  it could be a public service announcement that, you know, that goes out
• 2:19
  way earlier than they even get to the beach.
• 2:21
  But, yeah, typically person to person.
• 2:24
  Well, and so this past weekend,
• 2:27
  I know that the wind got pretty intense at one point.
• 2:31
  What did it look for
• 2:33
  look like for you in terms of keeping your own personnel safe?
• 2:36
  Yeah.
• 2:36
  So, you know, we have, like, lifeguards and lifeguard towers.
• 2:40
  They're out in the beach. They're out in the elements.
• 2:42
  So they're fairly vulnerable to wind impacts and weather impacts.
• 2:46
  So we were monitoring the storm really closely.
• 2:49
  And we have a threshold of about 45mph sustained winds.
• 2:53
  At that point we need to shutter our lifeguard towers.
• 2:55
  It's mostly for our employee safety because the windows can blow in and stuff
• 2:59
  can happen.
• 3:00
  So, Saturday the winds, consistent, consistently built throughout the day,
• 3:05
  but we were able to keep lifeguard towers open for normal operations.
• 3:08
  However, Sunday morning, the worst of the impacts came early Sunday morning.
• 3:13
  And then so we started the day in in a mobile response mode,
• 3:16
  and we had people in trucks and we were just patrolling,
• 3:19
  making warnings and responding to 911 calls.
• 3:21
  And then by about 1030 11, we had majority of the lifeguard towers back
• 3:25
  open around the island. Okay.
• 3:27
  And when you say shutter, for those that aren't familiar, what does that mean?
• 3:30
  Yeah. So,
• 3:32
  there's flaps on the towers.
• 3:33
  We closed the flaps and it looks like we're not there, that we're off duty.
• 3:37
  There's signs on the towers when we close them
• 3:39
  that says lifeguard off duty. Call 911.
• 3:41
  That still holds true, but we're actually on duty.
• 3:44
  We're just pulling back our employees and having them shelter in a safe location.
• 3:47
  Whether that be temporarily in a
• 3:49
  in a car or to to a facility or structure somewhere.
• 3:54
  And because Lala, like you mentioned, was kind of like A12 day
• 3:57
  event, folks are back out in the water by Monday morning.
• 4:00
  But now folks have a way to check beach conditions.
• 4:03
  And even if there are hazards in the area,
• 4:06
  can you talk about Watchtower and Safe Beach Day
• 4:08
  and what that kind of allows for you folks?
• 4:10
  Yeah, absolutely.
• 4:11
  So, a couple months ago, island wide, we switched over to a digital platform
• 4:16
  called Watchtower, and that's how we collect all our data.
• 4:19
  And we do all our communications with our towers through there.
• 4:22
  So we're getting real time information uploaded
• 4:25
  from the 44 different lifeguard towers around the island.
• 4:29
  And what that is all connected to is a website called Safe Beach Day.
• 4:33
  And that is a, statewide website.
• 4:37
  Actually, you can go to all the different, ocean safety counties and you can go in
• 4:41
  and look at a beach and it will tell you what the hazards are,
• 4:44
  what the conditions are, what the safe alternative are,
• 4:47
  or any, pertinent information with that particular location.
• 4:51
  How has the transition been?
• 4:53
  Like you said, we're a few months in now, from,
• 4:55
  you know, paper and fire reports to Watchtower.
• 4:59
  I think the transition has gone really, really well, actually, I think,
• 5:02
  you know, there was a little resistance at first.
• 5:04
  I think we're seeing, and being adopted and people are seeing the benefit of it.
• 5:08
  And we're starting to as we start to get collect this data,
• 5:12
  I think we're going to start seeing a picture painted that we didn't
• 5:15
  see before, or at least that took months for us to get the information.
• 5:19
  So yeah, it's going really, really well.
• 5:21
  Yeah. Sticking with change.
• 5:22
  Jeff, where are we in terms of creation of a new headquarters for ocean safety?
• 5:27
  So there's a lot of stuff happening right there.
• 5:29
  We know our current headquarters off, Leahy Ave.
• 5:32
  We've outgrown it.
• 5:34
  And there's some other issues with us being over there with the copy on trust.
• 5:37
  So we've been on the lookout for a new location.
• 5:39
  We have found a new site that we're looking at.
• 5:42
  It's in Kakaako.
• 5:44
  We're looking to hopefully move there early next year.
• 5:46
  And what this does is allows us to slide some facility pieces.
• 5:49
  So we'll have our headquarters in a new place
• 5:52
  where we'll all be in one location, because right now
• 5:54
  we're split into two different locations because we outgrew our current space.
• 5:58
  But it also allows us to then relocate some other of our, workers,
• 6:01
  such as the guys at the natatorium for a substation, because that facility
• 6:05
  has become a little bit unsafe for our guys to be there as well.
• 6:08
  So, it allows us to make some moves and, put people in better
• 6:13
  locations and facilities. Yeah.
• 6:14
  And when you say that, you know,
• 6:16
  I know where the old headquarters, where your office, your current office is.
• 6:19
  For those that don't know, what does that look like?
• 6:22
  What does day to day look like for you in that?
• 6:24
  Our current office is a old daycare center slash preschool, and,
• 6:29
  I don't know how old is. It's just a small cinder block building.
• 6:31
  And we've adapted to it,
• 6:34
  in various different ways over the years to make it work for ocean safety.
• 6:38
  We have all of our and most of our administrative staff there and,
• 6:42
  as well as all our inventory and supply, which is for a department of 300 people.
• 6:47
  And having such a small location has become kind of troublesome.
• 6:51
  Yeah.
• 6:52
  But you also have the Kailua facility coming online soon.
• 6:54
  What is the status of that building? Yeah, that is coming along.
• 6:57
  We're anticipating that to be completed in October of this year.
• 7:01
  And so, as soon as we get the green light
• 7:03
  to move in there, we will do a blessing and start using that facility right away.
• 7:07
  We're very excited for that.
• 7:08
  And so what does that look like?
• 7:09
  Like will there be skis?
• 7:11
  There will there'll be offices there. What will that space.
• 7:13
  You'll see both.
• 7:14
  It'll be primarily a Windward operations, hub.
• 7:17
  So you'll see our lieutenant supervisors with their trucks
• 7:21
  and as well as our lifeguards, with jet skis and trucks
• 7:23
  that will be based out of that yard over there.
• 7:25
  Yeah, and what does that look like?
• 7:29
  Normally?
• 7:29
  Because I know that,
• 7:30
  you know, sometimes we've, you know, launched off of kind of eBay or,
• 7:33
  you know, sometimes we keep the skis in like a closet for the DPR managers.
• 7:37
  So what will this now allow you with this. Yeah.
• 7:39
  So we for for years now we've been just operating out of containers
• 7:43
  and we've had to move those around and you know, we also have a lifeguard truck
• 7:46
  where, the Honolulu Fire Department and, Waimanalo
• 7:50
  has been gracious enough for us to so, you know, leave a car over there.
• 7:54
  So it just gives us facilities to operate out of, and be based out of,
• 7:59
  you know, the jet skis and guys, their mobile response units by nature.
• 8:03
  So they, they patrol everywhere, but they'll now have a hub
• 8:06
  where they can store equipment, work on equipment, do their reports.
• 8:10
  The supervisors have access to computers and and be able to do all the jobs
• 8:14
  they need to do.
• 8:16
  I know we were just talking about la la,
• 8:17
  but talk about whiplash,
• 8:18
  because just before this storm, you're coming off a pretty good weekend
• 8:22
  because Team Oahu won the junior lifeguard state championships.
• 8:25
  Can you talk about that?
• 8:26
  Yeah.
• 8:26
  So we are Back-To-Back state champions for Team Oahu.
• 8:30
  It's our junior lifeguard program.
• 8:32
  And that's that starts nine weeks ago.
• 8:35
  We had, we run a eight week program, all around the island.
• 8:38
  And then it culminates in a, an island Oahu championship,
• 8:42
  where we then select our top 30 kids based off that competition.
• 8:46
  And then they go to the state competition, where we compete against Kawai, Maui
• 8:50
  and Hawaii Island.
• 8:51
  And, we were fairly dominant this year.
• 8:54
  We won 300 something points.
• 8:56
  And I think the next score was about 150 points.
• 8:59
  So okay. So we almost doubled that.
• 9:01
  Yeah.
• 9:02
  So our kids did great and so did all the instructors
• 9:04
  and everyone that helped out with that program.
• 9:06
  It's just yeah, such a great and important program that we do.
• 9:08
  Yeah. Why do you think that is.
• 9:10
  Why why do you think our athletes succeed,
• 9:13
  at least at this level at this clip?
• 9:16
  Back to back to that.
• 9:17
  I mean with that. That's a that's a great question.
• 9:19
  I don't know if it's just,
• 9:22
  it's that's a great question.
• 9:23
  Kauai for a long time was very dominant.
• 9:25
  So I don't know if it's just I don't know what flipped it.
• 9:28
  Maybe I'd like to think
• 9:29
  maybe it's our instructors and what they're teaching the kids,
• 9:32
  and they're just doing like that great of a job.
• 9:34
  Or maybe kids are just motivated and it's our turn to just be kind of that,
• 9:38
  that powerhouse right now.
• 9:39
  Yeah, it's pretty inspirational to see those, I call them kids,
• 9:43
  but I mean, they're they're they're older as well when it comes to this program.
• 9:47
  You know,
• 9:47
  we've had you on talking about this before,
• 9:49
  but the skills that they learn and then what
• 9:51
  they go on to use those skills for, if you can kind of give us some insight.
• 9:55
  I know they come back to you sometimes and say, hey, this happened.
• 9:57
  You know, I'm sure someone so like talking about the competition piece.
• 10:00
  That's great. We're state champions. Yeah.
• 10:02
  You know, I'll say real fast, but the greatest thing that we see from
• 10:05
  that competition is actually all the islands coming
• 10:08
  together and the kids cheering each other on, and that's it's competition.
• 10:12
  But it's really about being one, you know, the United team,
• 10:16
  throughout that program, they learn all sorts of skills besides,
• 10:19
  you know, the competitiveness and endurance and stuff.
• 10:22
  They also learn really important lifesaving skills, both
• 10:25
  in the water and out.
• 10:26
  And they learned CPR skills.
• 10:28
  And we had multiple, multiple occasions
• 10:32
  where, junior lifeguard has been in the water
• 10:35
  and they've recognized someone in trouble right next to them,
• 10:38
  and they've been able to assist.
• 10:40
  We've had stories of junior lifeguards at home where auntie or grandpa
• 10:44
  maybe had something that happened, and then they were able to call 911
• 10:48
  and start CPR and made a difference in saving that person's life.
• 10:51
  So they're just an extension of what we are as lifeguards around the island.
• 10:55
  And the more people that are trained in water safety, or at least have that
• 10:59
  baseline knowledge around the island, the safer our whole community becomes.
• 11:04
  And around the beaches. Yeah.
• 11:06
  Well, chief, is there anything that we missed?
• 11:09
  No. It's exciting times for ocean safety.
• 11:11
  You know, we're we're still.
• 11:13
  I still consider us a new department, and we're still growing.
• 11:16
  We're working on things like a drone program.
• 11:18
  I know drones are a hot topic in the city right now with HPD, and,
• 11:22
  we are working on putting together our own drone team to complement,
• 11:26
  not take away anything from the other drone teams, and been working
• 11:30
  with the fire department and EMS with their their programs.
• 11:33
  And we're going to kind of mirror what they do.
• 11:34
  But I'm excited to be working on that and just,
• 11:38
  getting ready for the winter time.
• 11:40
  Now summer's almost over and start looking for the winter. So.
• 11:43
  So what does that look like for your department?
• 11:45
  Is that for, like, help with search and rescue, help for beach conditions?
• 11:48
  What would you use that.
• 11:48
  Yeah, I think there's there's various different uses at top of mind
• 11:53
  that comes as we have frequent shark sightings.
• 11:56
  So it allows us to get a bird's eye view and just, really see,
• 12:00
  it's really easy to see through the water from up high.
• 12:03
  And, you know, it does help in search and rescue.
• 12:06
  And like I said, we want to compliment what fire and EMS are doing that
• 12:10
  we don't want to interfere with.
• 12:11
  You know,
• 12:12
  we work really, really well with EMS, fire and police on all the operations we do.
• 12:16
  So just complementing what they do.
• 12:18
  But search and rescue, just training, even just getting a high up level,
• 12:23
  seeing what the currents and the waves
• 12:25
  are doing, situational awareness, use it as an educational tool.
• 12:29
  But yeah, we try to have drones deployed around the island here, and
• 12:33
  sooner than later.
• 12:34
  And then one last one for me. You did mention situational awareness.
• 12:37
  So coming up,
• 12:37
  you know, we're in a week
• 12:38
  where we did see a rain event, but we also saw a really strong wind event.
• 12:43
  So I know that some of our shorelines will have some debris.
• 12:46
  What is your message for folks?
• 12:48
  You know, if they do plan to head out to the water
• 12:50
  when there's some coastlines that are seeing some of those trees and branches?
• 12:53
  Yeah, absolutely.
• 12:53
  So coming off this storm, you know, our message is
• 12:57
  we want to welcome everyone to the beach and we want everyone to be safe.
• 13:00
  But there is a lot of hazards that exist.
• 13:02
  There was a lot of rain, so there was a lot of debris
• 13:05
  that came out from the river mouth. There's also a lot of wind.
• 13:08
  So we have a lot of downed trees still in the parks.
• 13:10
  There could be branches that are in the shoreline
• 13:12
  that you might not be able to see.
• 13:14
  And then to top that all off, there is a statewide brown water advisory.
• 13:18
  So we would just want people to use caution.
• 13:20
  And as usual, you know, our lifeguards are out there, there in the towers.
• 13:22
  We encourage people to come talk to our lifeguards,
• 13:25
  ask what the current conditions are, what the hazards are,
• 13:28
  if there's any recommendations on safer places to go.
• 13:31
  And, you know, if there's not a lifeguard and you find yourself in trouble,
• 13:34
  just call 911.
• 13:35
  The quickest way for us to get help to you.
• 13:38
  Well, Chief Logger, thank you so much for your time now.
• 13:40
  Thank you.
• 13:41
  And next week,
• 13:41
  we'll be back with Mayor Blangiardi right here on the One Oahu Podcast.
• 13:45
  Mahalo for listening. And until next time, Aloha.