Members of the Hawaii County Fire Department Station No. 14 woke up on the morning of July 18, 2020, not yet aware of the tragedy that would send shockwaves through the station and the island's entire department.
"Jon Hara was my friend," Kainoa Willey told Ohana Times, a firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT) at Station 14. "Jon was always a very fun guy to be around, always joking, playing pranks. Smiled more than not, and had that twinkle in his eye like he was up to something most of the time."
In the dawn hours of that July morning, Jonathon [Jon] Hara, a 34-year-old fire emergency medical specialist from Hilo, attempted to pass a vehicle on state Highway 11 when he collided with an oncoming pickup.
Hara did not survive.
"[Jon] was always ready to help you out," Willey recalled of his lost friend and colleague. "Even if he didn't really know you."
A firefighter by profession and a mechanic by hobby, Hara was in the business of helping people both for a living and as a person. The Hilo native spent much of his time working on projects for others, and became known as a "go-to guy" throughout the community.
It is his helpful, caring nature and consideration for his neighbors that will live on in the wake of Hara's death, Willey said.
"And his infectious smile," he added.
Members of the department wear small reminders of their fallen colleague, tokens of Hara's memory including memorial shirts, masks and stickers.
"It's weird how the little things like that can really mean a lot and give us cues to memories when we see them," Willey said. "The items in and of themselves mean very little, but it's that connection with the person we're remembering that make them valuable."
On Jan. 27, Willey shared a memorial video he made to honor Hara's memory—a task that wasn't easy for the EMT. Yet he knew it was owed to his friend after his pass-in-review ceremony was canceled the day before its scheduled date due to new COVID-19 restrictions.
"It just really bothered me as I'm sure it bothered a lot of our personnel that we were not able to give him a formal send-off, and show his family and community how much he meant to us," Willey said. "Also these ceremonies are a big part of the grieving process, and bringing closure, and supporting each other as a Fire Ohana. For so many reasons, it just seemed wrong to do nothing."
Willey and the rest of the department applied the same mentality as they do to with emergency calls where the environment isn't optimal.
"We don't just get back in our vehicles and go back to the station," he said. "We figure out a way to make the situation better, even if we can't fix it completely. This was the mindset behind this project. What's the work-around? What can we do if we can't do what we originally planned?"
Willey shot video at 20 different locations over three weeks. He planned a memorial formation of each station, along with a Final Alarm ceremony with the family present. He said that fire departments outside of Hawaii County, including those at the Pohakuloa Training Area and the Koa Airport Aircraft Rescue and Fire Department, stood in formation in solidarity to the mourning department.
Hara's Final Alarm was played at his home station, the South Kohala Fire Station No. 14, and read by a childhood friend.
Willey said the process took an emotional toll, especially knowing a similar ceremony is in the works for another firefighter who was lost a few weeks later.
"I'm just so grateful to be a small part of a larger fire family, and honor some of the traditions that the fire service has passed down, and provide a way for all of us to be able to show Jon the honor and respect he deserved," Willey said. "This project was everyone coming together to honor our brothers. Everyone is to credit for this video."