Introduction: This disaster preparedness and response plan addresses the unique risks posed by volcanic hazards to the Kona Community Hospital Behavioral Health Unit (BHU), located in Kealakekua, Hawai‘i. The facility is situated on the western slopes of Hawai‘i Island, approximately 20 miles west of Mauna Loa’s summit and 40 miles northwest of Kīlauea’s caldera. While the hospital is not located in the highest hazard zone, it is situated within Lava Hazard Zone 3, an area historically vulnerable to fast-moving lava flows from Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone.
This Disaster Plan is intended to outline the roles, communication plans, and agreements among hospital management to respond to immediate volcanic hazards within the facility’s surroundings.