Fire official makes sure kids informed

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

With smoke billowing in the hills above Kalihi Elementary School and fire helicopters dropping buckets of water on a stubborn brushfire since Saturday, children at the school were naturally getting a little antsy.

But a lunch-time talk by Honolulu Fire spokesman Capt. Richard Soo helped ease the minds of the school's 240 students.

"I just wanted to calm them down," Soo said of his Monday talk.

The fire began Saturday afternoon on the hillside between the school and Fort Shafter. Firefighters brought the fire under control Saturday, but hot spots continue to flare up each day.

Firefighters until Tuesday had set up a command post on the school's upper play field, where helicopters refilled their water buckets. Although the fire never threatened the school, Soo kept the school — particularly the students — informed of what was going on.

School clerk Judy Moniz said Soo came into the office Monday and asked to address the student body.

"He spoke with them and let them know what they were doing and how the fire was being put out," Moniz said. "He volunteered it. It was really nice of him."

"He put them at ease," she said. "One of the students was interviewed and she said, 'I feel safer knowing that the Fire Department is here taking care of us.' "

Soo said he wanted to be sure that the children didn't worry too much about the fire.

"We were taking their recess field, and I wanted to let them know my side of the story," Soo said with a laugh. "I said, 'Thank you for letting us use your recess field.' "