Late last week, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office received a law enforcement mutual aid request from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, on behalf of the Maui Police Department, requesting Sheriff’s Lt. Jarrett Morris be temporarily deployed to Maui to assist in the identification of victims in the disastrous Lahaina fire.
Morris traveled to Maui on Aug. 16, and has been part of a team from Cal OES at a temporary mortuary DNA laboratory in Kahului.
Morris was selected for the deployment based on his expertise with the ANDE Rapid DNA system, and his experience in identifying victims of the Conception dive-boat fire disaster in Santa Barbara County on Sept. 2, 2019.
Since his deployment, Morris has assisted in the positive identification of more than a dozen fire victims whose remains have been recovered. There are many people still missing, and the search of the fire area in Lahaina continues.
Morris and his team are collaborating with local government, community, and spiritual leaders. Together, they are working to educate these figures about rapid DNA technology.
Their shared goal is to foster cooperation among Maui residents, enabling them to collectively address the critical issue of identifying missing immediate family members.
Through the united initiative, they aim to bring solace and resolution to families affected by these circumstances.
“We in the Sheriff’s Office are proud to assist the people of Maui during this difficult time by assigning Lt. Jarrett Morris to engage in the important work of identifying victims of the catastrophic fire that took so many lives and destroyed much of Lahaina,” said Sheriff Bill Brown.
“Santa Barbara County has been struck by many disasters in recent years,” Brown said. “We stand with our brothers and sisters in the Maui Police Department and with all other first responders engaged in managing this terrible tragedy, and we are keeping the people of Maui in our prayers as they mourn their great losses and grapple with the recovery process.”