The Department of Emergency Management announced that O’Brien’s Response Management, a global provider of environmental compliance, emergency preparedness, response management, disaster services and crisis management for numerous industry sectors and government agencies, has been awarded a $1,010,000 contract to research and develop influenza pandemic preparedness plans for Hawaii’s four counties: City and County of Honolulu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii counties; and for the Hawaii State Civil Defense.

“The O’Brien’s contract was awarded under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2008 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program,” said Melvin Kaku, director of the City’s Department of Emergency Management. “Pandemic influenza plans will be developed and prepared for all four counties in concert with State of Hawaii Department of Health Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plans,” Kaku said.

“I’ve always maintained that a mayor’s top priority is public health and safety. We’re grateful for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant, and I and my fellow mayors look forward to working with O’Brien’s Response Management on plans that will benefit our community in the event of a pandemic emergency,” Mayor Mufi Hannemann said.


Commenting on his companies work on the federal grant initiative K. Tim Perkins, CEO of O’Brien’s Response Management, said that, “O’Brien’s is pleased to have been selected to work with the City and County of Honolulu on this important public health initiative. Pandemic planning such as we’ll be conducting with the City and County will help local governments meet the challenge presented by the current pandemic, as well as any future disease outbreak. This level of preparedness enhances emergency response for all hazards.”