Maui County Files Lawsuit Against Cell Carriers Over Missed Wildfire Alerts

Maui County officials have filed a lawsuit against major cellular carriers, alleging negligence in failing to inform about widespread service outages during last summer's wildfires. Alerts sent by the county to cellphones warning people to evacuate were never received due to the outages. T-Mobile denies the claims, stating that they broadcasted wireless emergency alerts and promptly notified state and local emergency agencies.

Credit: AP PHOTO

County officials claimed in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in state court that Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Spectrum Mobile and AT&T were negligent in not adequately notifying Maui police of extensive service disruptions. The lawsuit claims that if emergency responders had known about the cellphone outages, they would have used alternative methods to warn residents about the approaching disaster.

According to the lawsuit, alerts sent by the county to cellphones, urging immediate evacuation, were never received due to the service outages. Additionally, the county failed to activate sirens that could have warned the entire population about the approaching flames. This has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the emergency warning system in a state that is prone to various dangers, including wildfires.

In response to the lawsuit, T-Mobile issued a statement calling the claims "baseless" and stating that they had broadcasted wireless emergency alerts to customers while their sites remained operational. T-Mobile also mentioned that they promptly sent outage notifications and contacted state and local emergency agencies.

The other carriers named in the lawsuit, Spectrum Mobile and AT&T, have not yet responded to the allegations. A representative from Spectrum declined to comment on the matter.

This lawsuit comes in the wake of multiple legal actions against Maui County over its emergency response during the wildfires, including a lawsuit against the Hawaiian Electric Company for allegedly failing to shut off power despite high winds and dry conditions.

The county's lawyers argue that if the county is found liable for damages, the conduct of the cell carriers substantially contributed to those damages. The lawsuit highlights that the cell carriers have not fully disclosed the extent and reach of the service outages, as required by federal law.

During the height of the wildfires, the county sent at least 14 alert messages to cellphones, warning residents to evacuate. However, it was later discovered that all 21 cell towers serving West Maui, including Lahaina, experienced total failure.

The lawsuit emphasises that if the cell carriers had accurately reported the widespread failure of cell sites across the island, the county would have utilised different methods in its disaster response and warning efforts.

---

• Maui County officials have filed a lawsuit against major cellular carriers, alleging negligence in failing to inform about widespread service outages during last summer's wildfires.

• Alerts sent by the county to cellphones warning people to evacuate were never received due to the outages.

• T-Mobile denies the claims, stating that they broadcasted wireless emergency alerts and promptly notified state and local emergency agencies.

Source: AP NEWS