© Alert West
Hawaiian Electric said Tuesday it has begun deploying high-definition video cameras equipped with artificial intelligence technology to help detect wildfires early.
The company said the technology will help improve situational awareness and detect fires faster in high-risk areas close to the company's infrastructure. The company said the first camera station has been installed in Lahaina. In the future, the company plans to install a total of 78 camera stations across the five islands it serves. Each camera station will be equipped with two cameras, providing a full 360-degree view. The camera footage will be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the company said. The public can also access live camera footage.
“We continue to take steps to address the increasing risk of wildfires across our service territory using a variety of technologies and methods,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric's executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Installing publicly available, AI-assisted video cameras in high-fire risk areas will help our company, firefighting agencies and emergency response centers identify potential wildfires earlier and respond faster.”
The $14 million project is part of Hawaiian Electric's wildfire risk reduction efforts, officials said. The five-year contract with California-based ALERTWest includes installation and maintenance of the camera stations and around-the-clock monitoring by experienced wildfire safety experts. About 50 percent of the project costs will be covered with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds. An estimated $90 million in grant funds covering costs related to Hawaiian Electric's resiliency and wildfire mitigation work will be used for the camera stations.
