HomeMy WebLinkAboutFire Commission Special Meeting Agenda 09-25-26JMtY OsM,h.• Gerald Kosaki,Chair
C.Kimo Alameda,Ph.D. Les Hanano,Vice Chair
Mayor Brian Cushnie,Member
William V.Brilhante Jr.is Derwin Ignacio,Member
i e'- -- Eric Inouye,Member
Managing Directorg M --;;;:•:_ Wayne Perrin Jr.,Member
k •ePe OF'10''•' Rollin Rabara,Member
Merrick Nishimoto Carlene Wolf,Member
Deputy Managing Director Vacant,Member
COUNTY OF HAWAI`I
Fire Commission
c/o Office of the Corporation Counsel, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325 • Hilo,Hawai`i 96720
Phone: (808)961-8251 • Fax: (808)961-8622
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
Notice is hereby given of the following matters to be considered by the Fire Commission of the
County of Hawaii (Commission) in accordance with the provisions of Hawaii Revised Statutes
HRS) § 92-7. Additional meeting instructions and information are located at the end of the'
agenda.
DATE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2026 w;
r ,
TIME: 9:00 A.M.
PLACE: HAWAI`I COUNTY BUILDING, COUNCIL CHAMBERS
25 AUPUNI STREET, SUITE 1401
HILO, HAWAI`I 96720
ATTENDING THE MEETING AND ORAL TESTIMONY:
This meeting will be held as an in-person meeting with the option for the public to attend and
orally testify remotely as a courtesy. Persons wishing to attend the meeting and/or orally testify
may do so in person at the physical location designated above or remotely via Zoom Webinar
using the following link:
Zoom Webinar Link: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1656638353
Zoom Webinar ID: 165 663 8353
Although not required, those intending to testify remotely may register in advance by emailing
Emily.Hirayamahawaiicounty.qov prior to the meeting, and those intending to testify in person
may sign up with the Commission secretary at the meeting.
Alternative Courtesy Livestream (Viewing Only):
https://www.youtube.com/ CountyofHawaiiMedia
In accordance with HRS § 92-3, interested persons who want to provide oral testimony may do
so at the time public statements are called for at the top of the agenda or at the time the agenda
item is called. For this meeting, public testimony is limited to three (3) minutes in length per
agenda item per testifier, as adopted by the Commission at its July 21, 2026, meeting. Please
state the agenda item or candidate(s) you are testifying on before you begin. If participating
remotely, please set your settings to mute, except while testifying. To testify remotely, use the
Raise Hand" function in Zoom when the Chair calls for testimony on your item. The host will
The County ofHawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
County of Hawaii Fire Commission
Special Meeting Agenda
September 25, 2026
Page 2
unmute you when it is your turn. As this is an in-person meeting, it will proceed if the Zoom
connection fails.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
II. PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS
Interested persons wishing to provide testimony on any agenda item, including on any
candidate(s) listed under Item IV, may do so now or at the time the applicable agenda
item is called.
III. CONSIDERATION OF THE PROCESS TO APPOINT A PERMANENT FIRE CHIEF
The Commission may discuss, deliberate, decide, and take action on procedural and
logistical matters arising or made apparent at this meeting relating to the interview,
selection, and post-selection process.
IV. ORAL INTERVIEWS OF THE CANDIDATES FOR THE POSITION OF FIRE CHIEF
Public testimony on this item and for all candidates will be taken at the time the item is
called, before any interview begins.
If any oral interview noticed for the Commission's meeting on September 24, 2026, was
not reached or not completed at that meeting, the Commission, sitting as the interview
panel, will conduct or complete that interview at this meeting in open session. Only a
candidate whose interview was not conducted or not completed on September 24, 2026,
will be called.
The Chair will pose the same six (6) questions to each candidate, the candidates will
have five (5) minutes maximum to respond to each question, and an additional five (5)
minutes at the end of their interview to provide a closing statement. Each commissioner
will score each candidate individually on the adopted rating scale instruments. Interviews
under this item will begin no earlier than 10:15 a.m. and will proceed at intervals of forty-
five (45) minutes, with a lunch recess, consistent with the September 24, 2026, meeting.
These times are tentative. An interview may be called later than scheduled, but no
interview will be called earlier.
Cole Thompson
Stacy Domingo
Garrett Kim
Michael Fine
Melanie Keolanui
Daniel Volpe
V. TABULATION OF SCORES AND AFFIRMATION OF THE FINALISTS
The Commission will collect and verify the commissioners' completed Oral Interview,
Written Assessment, and Overall Rating Scale score sheets; receive the identification of
the candidate who authored each written assessment, as it is scored without candidate
County of Hawaii Fire Commission
Special Meeting Agenda
September 25, 2026
Page 3
names attached; tabulate the scores; vote to affirm the finalists; and announce the
results.
The three (3) candidates with the highest aggregate scores, together with any candidate
whose score ties the third-highest, are the finalists.
VI. DELIBERATION AND SELECTION OF THE FIRE CHIEF
The Commission will deliberate upon and select the next Fire Chief of the County of
Hawaii from among the finalists affirmed under Item V.
Before the vote, each commissioner may state on the record which finalist the
commissioner would select and the reasons for that selection, weighing the scores, the
applications and resumes, the closing statements, and the Fire Chiefs position
description. The selection will be made by roll call vote in open session. If no candidate
receives five (5) affirmative votes, the Commission will continue to deliberate until it
reaches a final decision.
VII. POST-SELECTION MATTERS
The Commission may discuss, deliberate, decide, and take action on post-selection
matters, including a written conditional offer to the selected candidate at the advertised
salary, contingent upon a pre-employment medical examination by the County physician,
drug screening, and proof of a valid driver's license; the person authorized to extend and
sign the conditional offer and the deadline for acceptance; the method and timing of the
public announcement of the selection and written notice of the outcome to all
candidates; and the scheduling of the formal appointment of the Fire Chief at a
subsequent meeting, the effective date of the appointment, and the transition from the
Temporary Fire Chief.
VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Commission's next regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 2026, at
9:00 a.m. at the West Hawaii Civic Center, Council Chambers, Building A, 74-5044 Ane
Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
County of Hawaii Fire Commission
Special Meeting Agenda
September 25, 2026
Page 4
Additional Meeting Instructions and Information
Submitting Written Testimony: Those wishing to submit written testimony at the meeting are
requested to bring ten (10) copies for distribution. Written testimony may also be submitted prior
to the meeting by: (1) mail to Fire Commission, do Office of the Corporation Counsel, 101
Aupuni Street, Suite 325, Hilo, Hawaii 96720; or (2) by email to
Emily.HirayamaAhawaiicounty.gov. Please submit separate testimony for each item and
indicate which agenda item your testimony pertains to. All oral and written testimony will be
public record.
Notice to Lobbyists: If you are a lobbyist, you must register with the Hawaii County Clerk within
five (5) days of becoming a lobbyist in accordance with Hawaii County Code (HCC) § 2-91.3(b).
A"lobbyist" means "any individual engaged for pay or other consideration who spends more
than five hours in any month or$275 in any six-month period for the purpose of attempting to
influence legislative or administrative action by communicating or urging others to communicate
with public officials." HCC § 2-91.3(a)(6). Registration forms and expenditure report documents
are available at the Office of the County Clerk, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 1402, Hilo, Hawaii
96720.
Board Packet: Pursuant to HRS § 92-7.5, if there is a board packet for this meeting, it is
available for public inspection at least three full business days before the meeting date, during
regular business hours, at the Office of the Corporation Counsel, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325,
Hilo, Hawaii 96720, and may also be accessed online at
https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/fire/fire-commission.
Special Assistance: The in-person location for this meeting is accessible to persons with
disabilities. If you require an accommodation or auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation
due to a disability, contact the commission's secretary by phone at (808)961-8251 or by email
at Emily.Hirayamahawaiicounty.qov as soon as possible, preferably three (3) business days
before the meeting date. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being
fulfilled. Upon request, this notice is available in alternate/accessible formats.