(BIVN) – The head of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency had a blunt message for federal officials this week, in light of continued tensions between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK.

“Sometimes the feds – or the federal government – asks me what can they do to help us,” HI-EMA administrator Vern Miyagi told Hilo residents on Tuesday. “And my answer to them is don’t let this happen. Don’t let this happen.”

The Aloha State’s plan to deal with the unlikely event of a nuclear attack from North Korea was explained to Big Island residents during a Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Using a slide presentation, Miyagi walked through the protocols that would be triggered the moment the state learns of a threatening missile launch.

“It’s in our face,” Miyagi said, talking about the most recent ICBM test conducted by the DPRK regime. “We can’t ignore it. So our our premise is that because it’s there, we cannot ignore it and act like it’s not going to happen. It’s there. We have to address it.”

It was one of Miyagi’s first talks since the nuclear attack warning siren was tested on December 1st.

“How many of you all heard the sirens?” Miyagi asked the crowd. “How many of you could tell the difference between the steady tone and the wailing tone? There are gaps. There are gaps in this that we have to work on.”

“Keep in mind that the sirens that were here originally were tsunami sirens along the coast,” Miyagi said. “Not many internal. So we have to work on that. The other point was that we had to verify that we could trigger the sirens with one push of the button at the state level.”

Meanwhile the United States continues to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis with North Korea.

“We need the DPRK to come to the table for talks. We’re ready to to talk anytime they’d like to talk,” said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a December 12 speech at the 2017 Atlantic Council Korean Foundation Forum.

“In the meantime,” Tillerson said, “our military preparedness is strong. Because of the situation, the President has ordered our military planners to have a full range of contingencies available, and they are ready. As I’ve told people many times, I will continue our diplomatic efforts until the first bomb drops. I’m going to be confident that we’re going to be successful, but I’m also confident Secretary Mattis will be successful if it ends up being his turn.”

Tillerson further detailed the latest attempts at diplomacy during the question and answer session that followed his speech.

“We’ve said from the diplomatic side we’re ready to talk anytime North Korea would like to talk,” Tillerson stated, “and we’re ready to have the first meeting without precondition. Let’s just meet and let’s – we can talk about the weather if you want. We can talk about whether it’s going to be a square table or a round table if that’s what you’re excited about. But can we at least sit down and see each other face to face? And then we can begin to lay out a map, a roadmap of what we might be willing to work towards. I don’t think – it’s not realistic to say we’re only going to talk if you come to the table ready to give up your program. They have too much invested in it. And the President is very realistic about that as well.”