Airports

Meet a Fire Fighter, Pilot, & Police Officer

By: Brian Kamimoto

Virtually every child growing up has dreams of becoming a pilot, a firefighter, or a police officer. Lana’i Airport ARFF Lieutenant Michael Curtis had those same dreams growing up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Michael somehow managed to fulfill all of his childhood dreams.

Michael grew up wanting to be a pilot in the military, a firefighter, and a police officer. He comes from a military family. Every male member on both sides of his family served along with a few female members. Michael’s grandfather was in the Navy during WWII and a firefighter and police officer in ensuing years. Michael’s father was a pilot in the military. No one pushed Michael to join the military or civilian professions. His family says he takes after his dad and granddad, so they weren’t surprised of his choices. While Michael was stationed in Hawaii, he met his wife Laura. She’s from Kaneohe and when he got out of active duty, he couldn’t convince her to move to Arkansas. I wonder why? There was all the squirrel you could eat! They’ve been together for 25 years now.

In civilian life, Michael is an ARFF Lieutenant stationed on Lanai. His path to becoming a firefighter began in 1999 with the United States Air Force Reserves. In 2002, Michael was employed with the Federal Fire Department at Pearl Harbor. And in 2009, Michael began his ARFF career.

Besides his ARFF career, Michael is a Lieutenant Colonel with the Hawai’i Air National Guard. He serves as the Commander, 154th Security Forces

Squadron, stationed at

Joint Base Pearl Harbor

Hickam. He is responsible for providing combat ready Security Forces for rapid deployment in support of both the

Federal Government and the State of Hawai’i in law enforcement, security, antiterrorism, force protection, and integrated base defense.

Lt Col Curtis enlisted in the Navy in February 1993. He graduated from Gunner’s Mate “A” School at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, in February 1994 and was stationed at Pearl Harbor onboard the USS Salvor (ARS-52). Lt. Col. Curtis then enlisted in the Air Force Reserves at Hickam Air Force Base in June 1999. He graduated from the Fire Protection Apprentice Course at San Angelo AFB, Texas in May 2000. After graduating from Wayland Baptist University, Lt Col Curtis attended the Academy of Military Science at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee and was

Airports

Operation Staying Alive Commended for Saving Lives By: Pamela Foster

Operation Staying Alive, the DOT-Airports AED Program started in 2006, and celebrated its 50th Survivor on January 15, 2019. Two years later, our favorite survivor continues to appreciate every minute of his “ Good Life”. Annually, Mr. Schmidt and his wife enjoy their vacation on Kaua‘i, although this year, due to COVID, this was not possible. Nevertheless, he continues to keep Hawai‘i in his heart and sent this letter to the airport and his responders thanking them for his second chance at life.

Aloha, Pam and Jenna, and my responders at Daniel K. Inouye Airport....

How grateful I continue to be, day by day for you, the AED Institute, AED placements around the Daniel K. Inouye

International Airport, emergency personnel and first responders at the airport — and volunteer strangers who dropped to the floor to save my life as I fell in cardiac arrest on January 15, 2019.

Two years ago today, January 24, 2019, I received a triple Coronary Artery Bypass Graft at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center, under the hands of cardiothoracic surgeon Nicholas Dang and his team, after the airport event at Gate C1 ten days earlier.

The very day after my cardiac arrest, you both came to my room at Kaiser to wish me well and tell me I was the 50th survivor of a cardiac arrest since you began AED placements around Hawaiian airports. Wow, what a great sight to see you and to hear your uplifting wishes. Your visit, with your happy smiles and aloha, set the tone for my upbeat medical recovery. My mindset went from feeling fearful to upbeat because of your outreach to me that very next day.

And, three weeks later, you arranged for the wonderful sendoff at the airport, the celebratory public gathering that brought together so many of those responsible for saving my life.

But there was more: the wonderful surprise one year to the day after my cardiac arrest as Jan and I arrived again at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (on January 15, 2020) to change planes incoming from Kauai to connect with HA20 to Sacramento! Assembled were

Airports

STAYING ALIVE continued from page 7

airport first responders and Hawaiian Airlines personnel and staff who had assisted me a year earlier —including

Chris Ohta, the gate agent who ran to get the nearby AED— and I was able to meet him and thank him personally!

Thank you for being you, and for all you do and have done, to assist people who have been struck by cardiac arrest and have lived because they were also struck by the power of an AED positioned around Hawaiian airports. Kudos and mahalo ten thousand times over for all of us who have benefited from your vision, hard work and education.

I would like to make a donation, as in the past, to commemorate this anniversary of my “rebirth” and “renovation.” In the past

I have donated to kids4CPR, and I can do that again—but am touching base to see if you would suggest any other program or group affiliated with, or recommended by, the AED Institute. Survival rates of community cardiac arrest average 5-10%, although our Hawaii airport survival rates are 75-80%. Mr. Schmidt understands that he beat the odds and so happy to be alive because of the quick responding bystanders, our easily accessible AEDs, and the Airports ARFF and professional responders, Kaiser Hospital, and so many others.

Join us for a FREE class so you too, can learn CPR, how to use our AEDs, and become confident that you know how to respond should you be faced with this kind of an emergency. Visit https://aedinstitute.enrollware.com/ to view the schedule and to register for an upcoming course. Feel free to bring a friend or family member. The more who know how to respond, the more lives that will be saved.

In gratitude, Dick Schmidt Sacramento, CA

CURTIS continued from page 9

commissioned in the Hawai’i Air National Guard in September 2003. Upon graduating from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training in July 2005, Lt Col Curtis spent the next decade flying air refueling missions throughout the world as a member of the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron. He currently has over 28 years of experience in the Armed Forces, logging over 2,100 hours, including 350 combat hours in a T-37, T-1 and KC135R and has deployed multiple times in support of Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, and Freedom’s Sentinel. Michael has been awarded the Air Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

In Michael’s “spare” time, he’s trying to learn to play bagpipes, reading (mostly ancient/medieval history, Netflix, and traveling the world. He’s been to around 80 countries while his wife, who is a flight attendant, has been to around 100.

Airports

Meet a Retired Coastie -- Ekahi Lee

Ekahi Lee took quite the scenic route to becoming an airport firefighter. Within months after retiring from the U.S. Coast Guard after a 20-year career, Ekahi was hired to become an airport firefighter under the journeyman firefighter program.

By: Brian Kamimoto

Ekahi’s most recent stop in the Coast Guard was the Officer in Charge at the U.S. Coast Guard Station Maui in Māʻalaea from 2015 to 2020. Prior to reporting to Station Maui, Lee served as the Executive Petty Officer at Coast Guard Station Cortez in Bradenton, Fla.

Born and raised in Kaneohe, Ekahi enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard soon after graduating from James B. Castle High School. During his enlistment, Ekahi traveled the world doing search and rescue and enforcement. It was during this time that Ekahi realized his job, as a public servant, enabled him to make a difference in people’s lives. That drive to make a difference, led Ekahi to be an airport firefighter after his Coast Guard career.

Maui District Fire Commander Scott Pires said, “Ekahi has obtained his National and State of Hawaii EMT License and assisted with Recruit class 36 with water rescue, firefighter safety, communications and Firefighter II Hose line evolutions portions of the class. He assisted on the last day generally referred to Hump-day on fire operations scenarios. He has a 200,000-ton operator’s certificate and certified to instruct boaters safety course to obtain Captains license. Although retired from active duty Coastguard, he still volunteers and manages the Coastguard auxiliary Maui and coaches High school student from Seabury High school.” As the Officer in Charge at Station Maui, Ekahi was tasked with oversight for operations within and around Maui County. The area of responsibility includes waters surrounded by all four islands of Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe), including Molokini Crater, which is a popular destination among snorkel and dive tour groups.

Station Maui cover areas up to 50 nautical miles from Maui County including the northern shorelines on the “Big Island” of Hawaiʻi.

Crews from the Station Maui provide safety, security, and environmental protection for many maritime users, often partnering with the Maui Police and Fire Departments, Ocean Safety lifeguards, NOAA and the Coast Guard Auxiliary for response efforts.

Also listed on Ekahi’s resume is actor. In Hawaii 5-0’s inaugural season, Ekahi stayed in character and played a Coast Guard Officer. For those that want to see Ekahi in action, the Hawaii 5-0’s episode was named Lana I Ka Moana.

Ekahi currently reside in Kihei, with his wife, Kanoe, daughters, Melia & Emma, who attend Kamehameha Maui, and son, Keahi, who attends Kamalii Elementary School.

Chief Pires also quoted a saying by Edward Croker, “When an individual becomes a firefighter his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work.”