MIN CHARTER 2018-08-10 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -2 August 10, 2018 MS. TODD: Then in terms of the qualifications for Fire Chief, do you have specific suggestions? Like it's a minimum, which is why I guess—and it's consistent with the minimums for other departments, but are you looking at 10 year's minimum experience, or—? CHIEF ROSARIO: Actually, it's been something that the Fire Commission has been working on for the past I'd say about 18 months. I understand that their informative packet to your Commission will have what they've been working on as well. MS. TODD: Okay, so we'll be hearing from them on their recommendations? CHIEF ROSARIO: Yes. I do know that the request had gone to the Chair for—a similar request for them to provide input to the Charter and see what needs to— and our next Fire Commission meeting is on next Wednesday, and I'll most definitely bring up the topic as well. MS. TODD: And I guess the other question I had in terms of the minimum is whether there should be an educational requirement. CHIEF ROSARIO: This is an area, if I'm giving my honest input, is if you instilled the educational requirement, the pool within the Fire Department will be much smaller. There's a lot of us that have gotten our education on our own after getting into the Fire Department, because there really is no minimum requirement for a degree or anything. So I started my career and then I went to school while being a Firefighter and got my degrees through that process. There's several current personnel that are currently doing the same all the way up to a Master's Degree and so forth. But it's a blend on the experience side, the work side, as well as the educational side. I do know that the Fire Commission is addressing that as well. They look at it as having a minimum educational need as part of that minimum qualification as well. MS. TODD: Okay. Thank you very much. CHR. ADAMS: Thanks, Commissioner Todd. Any other comments or questions from anybody? Let me just ask a couple. In the statement of policy in the Charter, 7-4.2, it talks about the purpose of the charter to establish a system of fire protection and prevention and emergency services. You have quite a bit though of Ocean Safety and services. How do you feel about that not being included in your Statement of Policy? You're doing it. Particularly with the Coast Guard gone largely. CHIEF ROSARIO: I would fully support that the overall concept of our department is included in that statement as well. Page 27