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

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -2 August 10, 2018 CHR. ADAMS: Also on the qualifications, I note there that there's no residency requirement. How do you feel about that? CHIEF ROSARIO: I know in the Fire Commission rules, there's a one-year residency requirement. CHR. ADAMS: Something they've added that's not in the Charter then? CHIEF ROSARIO: I believe so. My opinion is that I fully support that the Fire Chief should come from within the island itself. CHR. ADAMS: Okay. Commissioner Todd. MS. TODD: Just following up on that. Would you say that the combination of events that you have to respond to on this island and the fact that it is 4,000 square miles almost requires that you have some knowledge of the topography and the various risks that the island has, because we've got everything from lava, tsunami, and you guys respond to everything. CHIEF ROSARIO: Correct. I really feel that the experience gained by having someone who's been on the island, has a residency, I'd like to say more than a year, it's been invaluable to me. My experience, I mean I'm born and raised here. I've been all over the island. I've lived all over. Basically because my family's all over I've been able to do a lot of things throughout the island. In my career I've been pretty much stationed all over the island as well. So the experience really comes and helps it a lot. For example, in my personal life fighting a fire at Punalu'u, I can be at the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) and know exactly what they're going through. The wind is shifting, expect the wind's going to shift. I kind of remember the roadways they'll get the best access for as well as certain other areas of the district there. So I think experience and most important coming from within the department, I've been able to work with Chiefs that have come from outside of the departments in other departments, and there's benefits to it, there's also negatives to that. But overall 1 feel that if a Fire Chief is selected from within the department it's a definite benefit as far as experience and moving forward. CHR. ADAMS: Commissioner Todd. MS. TODD: Well, isn't that also part of your training? My recollection—and for disclosure purposes, my son is in the Fire Department and I have multiple extended family—but you rotate them during your training. Because I remember he got sent to Honoka`a, he got sent to South Kohala, he was out in Ocean View, he was out in Pahoa, back in Kona. But isn't that part of your training routine those first two years that you've got the recruits? Page 28