Firefighters use aging Moiliili apartments for training before demolition

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Honolulu Fire Department is getting a rare opportunity to train inside apartment buildings before they’re demolished.

Firefighters are using the La’au Apartments in Moiliili to practice breaking through barriers, navigating tight spaces and sharpening skills they rely on during emergencies.

“Being able to put our hands on the actual materials and walk through actual layouts is very important for us, too,” said Nicholas Ponce with the Honolulu Fire Department.

Crews are practicing everything from forcing their way through doors to deploying hoses, positioning ladders and conducting search-and-rescue operations.

“The only time we have to get into a real apartment or a real house is when we’re actually doing the job,” Ponce said.

He said the training also gives firefighters a safer environment to practice techniques they may not be able to replicate at an active fire scene.

“It’s safer for us, and it provides us the opportunity to do different things that we’re not maybe able to do at a live fire scene,” Ponce said.

The hands-on experience also allows crews to work with different building materials and layouts they don’t typically encounter at their training center.

Iolani School purchased several properties adjacent to its campus in 2009. The five apartment buildings are roughly 67 years old and now need to be demolished, according to the school.

“The Iolani School has purchased, you know, back in 2009, a handful of properties adjacent to campus, and we’re at the stage now. They’re pretty old. Roughly 67 years old across the complexes. And so they’re at a point where they need to be taken down,” said Danny Schlag, director of communications for Iolani School.

Before opening the buildings for training, the school said it worked with relocation coordinators to find new housing for the 66 remaining tenants.

HFD plans to bring in as many crews as possible before demolition begins, potentially near the end of the year.

There are no finalized plans for what will replace the apartments.