Hawaii County Fire Commission to choose permanent fire chief next month
Eight finalists are under review for Hawaii County’s next permanent fire chief, a hire that will shape wildfire response, staffing and emergency readiness across the island.
The Hawaii County Fire Commission is set to choose a permanent fire chief next month from eight finalists, putting one of the county’s most important public safety jobs back in the spotlight. The decision will reach far beyond routine firefighting, affecting wildfire response, brush fire prevention, emergency medical calls, ocean rescues, station staffing and coordination with county emergency managers.
The opening for the post carried the weight of a top county appointment. A County of Hawaii GovernmentJobs bulletin described the fire chief as an appointed position exempt from civil service, based in Hilo, with an annual salary of $201,204. The posting opened March 15, 2026 and closed April 14 at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii, a window that framed the search now down to its final eight candidates.
The Fire Commission itself holds the authority to review and make recommendations on the appointment or removal of the fire chief. County records show the body adopted its rules and regulations on June 30, 2022, and a February 26 agenda listed Chair Gerald Kosaki along with commissioners Brian Cushnie, Les Hanano, Derwin Ignacio, Wesley Mattos, Wayne Perrin Jr., Rick Porter and Carlene Wolf, with one seat vacant. That mix of members will help decide what qualities matter most in the next chief, from operational experience to leadership style and the ability to manage a department stretched across Hawaii Island’s varied terrain.
The vacancy followed the death of Fire Chief Kazuo S.K.L. Todd, whose funeral and memorial notices were posted by the county. A County of Hawaii news item said Todd was selected by the commission on April 14 after earning the five votes needed to confirm his appointment. Another county item said he became fire chief in April 2021 and served the fire department for 21 years.
The search had already moved into public view by mid-January, when the Fire Commission met at the County Building, Council Chambers in Hilo. A Hawaii Tribune-Herald article dated January 16, 2026, was headlined “Search for new Hawaii County fire chief begins,” signaling the start of the recruitment that later produced the current finalist field.
The next chief will inherit a department that must cover Hilo, Kona, Puna and the dry leeward areas while also planning for equipment replacement, training budgets and coordination with the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, police and neighboring responders. For a county where wildfire seasons and fast-moving emergencies can hit different communities in different ways, the final choice will set the tone inside the department and across the island for years to come.
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