HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0001.11 - Response from Fire Commission - Qualifications for Fire Chiefliecker. Chair
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11-Zalph Yffivirita..NIciuhcr
COUNTY OF HAWAII
Fire Commission
01 Panaln Street, Suite 9 IiUo, Hawai' i 96720
Phone: (808) 932-2950 • 1:ax., (808) 932-2949
Date: December 31, 2018
To: Douglass Shipman Adams, Chair
Hawari County Charter Commission
From: Robert Becker, Chair
RE: 2018-2020 HAWAI'l COUNTY CHARTER INPUT
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Thank you for the opportunity for the Fire Commission to provide input regarding the Fire
Chief qualifications for the 2018-2020 Hawaii County Charter revision. Per my email
exchange with Charter Commission Analyst Jon Henricks, I have attached a red line
version of the Fire Commission recommendations to the charter.
The Commission consulted with the Chief on the Department's recommendations and
you will note that our experience recommendations are in close alignment epartment's,
and match the progression of grade experience required in promotional opportunities in
the lower ranks of the Department. We felt these experience requirements were valid.
The ability for the Fire Commission to waive the residency requirement was one element
the Commission felt strongly about. With less than one half of one percent of the 1.1,S
population residing in Hawaii and with all four of the county fire departments in the state
in the same retirement system, it is highly unlikely that any applicants from outside of
RFD would apply to be chief as they would probably take a pay cut or work for pennies
on the dollar if retired from one of these departments. Competition is healthy and the
Commission should have the latitude to ensure a robust and qualified applicant pool is
available through strong candidate outreach when the next Fire Chief is selected.
We did not include preferred skill sets such as MIICT, EMT or others identified in the
Chief's position description in the requirements as these may change over time, but left
them for the Fire Commission to use when screening potential applicants,
Should you have any questions, please contact me at 985-7253 or by email at
rabecker@verizon.net.
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Haw[li County R an /.1/tea/ ()ppwirunify on(1 1::inployer„
Comm. No. 1.11
Fire Commission Charter Proposal on Fire Chief Qualifications
Section 743. Fire Chief
(a) The fire chief shall he appointed by the fire commission and may be removed by the fire
commission at its sole discretion. Any motion for removal of the fire chief must contain a
statement of reasons, and the commission shall not vote to remove the fire chief unless the
fire chk2.1' has been Oven an opportunity to respond to the statement of reasons at a hearMg
before t he co im n ission.
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capacity,
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(b) l'he fire chief shall liossess i ott.lin State cf iiaintail Class 3 driver's arse of [lave the
to obtain. 'within. 15 dof appotintroetiti
fie) illhe fire chief shell have combirtatiori of tailuratein anti experionce eircitiiyielonit. to:
dl..) trtirri in iccrieril.teci college m .tritritersity;aired
(2) "Twelve years of 11„7 U. roultinve Inn so: 'r experience of 'will i.rh ten years .must itiave
been a. Fix e Contain or . h . igthEir in the tlawa.11i Fire irt rn (int or a. fire sorstie e
depo et inert of facto rvo.lent size and complexity; or
(3) In co cif grarluatiori frond no lccredited college ot on lye Shall
yea..rs at curnuitative fire service ettperiertue of which 12 years roust have Itteen as a
Fire Ciaotain or in the Havitoini Fire .Departineen.t or a fire seers' ice nopartincint of
equivalent size a..aci eitimpl.exitty.
(in) The fire commission tildell have tile authority to waive the resicl.ericy requitembat when
t""ec r t a tire huftnpirovnhine a. en, robust .ttitiolicatitt pool: