Ryan Hirae, Deputy Chief, Telecommunications Branch, State of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
Mr. Hirae has over 27 years in the telecommunications field. 23 of those years are in Emergency
Management. He currently serves as the Telecom Officer with Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
(Hawaii EMA) since 2011.
• Responsible for Statewide Emergency Communications for both blue, gray, and black skies
supporting Public Safety.
• State Lead for Emergency Support Function #2 – Communications
• Statewide Manager for world’s largest integrated Outdoor Siren Warning System for Public
Safety with over 400 sirens across the State.
• State of Hawaii Primary & Technical POC for FEMA IPAWS “Integrated Public Alerts & Warning
System” which consists of the Emergency Alert System for TV, Cable, and Radio Broadcast and
Wireless Emergency Alerts on WEA capable cellular phones.
• Co-Chair for Statewide Emergency Communications Commission (SECC)
• Co-Chair FEMA Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group (RECCWG)
• Member of the Hawaii MAILE-AMBER Alert Taskforce with Law Enforcement partners.
Prior to serving with HI-EMA, Mr. Hirae was in charge of the Satellite Communications Department at
the University of Hawaii’s Pan-Pacific Education And Communications Experiments by Satellite
(PEACESAT) Program for nearly 12 years. The PEACESAT Program is partnered with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS). Emergency Management
and Telecommunications was one of the program’s mission directives supporting Guam, American
Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the
Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. He managed communication projects and
routinely traveled to these U.S. Territories / Affiliated Pacific Basin Countries.
Mr. Hirae also volunteers with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and was part of the Hokule’a Worldwide
Voyage “Malama Honua” and has been a long serving BU-13 Union Steward of the Hawaii Government
Employees Association (HGEA) AFSCME Local 152.