Hawaiʻi County Fire Commission selects Daniel Volpe as fire chief
Daniel Volpe, who has been serving as acting chief for 10 months since the unexpected death of fire chief Kazuo Todd, was selected from six finalists that included four with ties to the Hawaiʻi Fire Department and two candidates from California.
The Hawaiʻi County Fire Commission, after a months-long process, has selected Daniel Volpe to become the next fire chief.
Volpe has been serving as acting chief, as well as his deputy chief position, for 10 months, since shortly after Fire Chief Kazuo Todd died unexpectedly on Dec. 15 at age 45.
At the Fire Commission’s special meeting on Thursday at the Hilo Lagoon Center in Hilo, the Fire Commission voted 5-1 to select Volpe out of the six finalists. Commissioner Carlene Wolf cast the lone vote for Melanie Keolanui, a battalion chief overseeing operations at the Hawaiʻi Fire Department.
The finalists included four candidates with ties to the Hawaiʻi Fire Department: Volpe; Keolanui, Stacy Domingo, currently overseeing emergency communications as a battalion chief with the Hawaiʻi Fire Department; and Garrett Kim, a retired captain with the Hawaiʻi Fire Department.
The other two candidates are from California: Michael Fine, a retired Ventura County fire captain, and Cole Thompson, a former battalion chief with the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District.
On Wednesday, the final step in the hiring process occurred with the much-anticipated oral interviews, which had been delayed a month due to Tropical Storm Nolo. Each candidate faced the six commissioners to answer six questions with a 5-minute countdown timer for each question, and a closing statement.
The process also included the applicants taking a written assessment that was proctored by the Department of Human Resources and included seven questions to be answered in handwriting.
Both the written assessment and oral interview were rated by each commissioner on a scale from 1 to 5 points each, with 35 points possible from the 7 written answers and 30 points possible from the 6 oral answers. They also rated the applicants between 1 to 5 in regard to their demeanor and professionalism for a highest possible score of 430.
The top 3 vote getters were: Volpe with 347 points, Keolanui with 341 points and Kim with 295 points.
The salary for the fire chief is set by the Salary Commission and is currently $201,204 per year.
Nancy Carr Smith, president of the Waimea Community Association, said she was testifying as an individual in support of Volpe.
“I think most of us can agree that Kazuo was an exceptional chief, and even more importantly, an exceptional human being,” she said. “His passing left a tremendous hole in the department and throughout the county. It’s been a long year marked by the lingering grief of losing Kazuo, and during that time, Dan Volpe has carried the responsibility of serving as both deputy chief and acting chief. That’s a tremendous kuleana (responsibility).”
Carr Smith said through this experience, Volpe has gained a deeper understanding of the responsibilities and demands of leading the fire department, and moved forward priorities and projects started by Todd.
“Kazuo mentored Volpe and trusted him to do what was right for the department and for our island,” she said. “I believe that trust and mentorship are meaningful as you consider the future leadership of our fire department.”
