The sudden death of Big Island fire chief Kazuo Todd has left many stunned. And it prompts major questions about the way forward for fire prevention in Hawaiʻi County and throughout the state.

In addition to his role as fire chief, Todd led the Hawaiʻi State Fire Council. His abrupt absence will be felt throughout Hawai‘i, fire officials say, as the state enters yet another legislative session and advocates work to fill longtime gaps in fire safety funding. But they say the chief’s vision for a state prepared to stop most wildfires before they begin will endure.

County and state officials laid Todd to rest over the weekend, sounding his last alarm, a customary tribute for a fallen firefighter as part of the two-day service, which included a public memorial and funeral in Hilo. The governor also ordered flags to be lowered in Todd’s honor. 

Then, on Thursday, the Hawaiʻi ​County Fire Commission announced that Deputy Chief Daniel Volpe will officially take Todd’s place while commissioners consider a permanent replacement. The search and selection process will “optimistically” take about six months, Fire Commission Chair Gerald Kosaki told Civil Beat.

The death of commission vice chair Steven Hirakami in November and another commissioner’s term ending last month leaves two seats vacant, representing Kona and Puna. And ​​the Hawaiʻi Fire Department’s longtime medical director, Dr. Judy Fitzgerald, also died suddenly on Christmas Eve, adding to the complications associated with Todd’s unexpected absence.

“It’s a big, big loss to the community with these incidents,” Kosaki said. “But we just need to look forward.”

Todd was known for his strong emphasis on fire prevention and his efforts to bring more resources to his department and others. 

Before Todd’s tenure as chief, funding was relatively stagnant despite the increasing burden of climate change-driven wildfires statewide. The fires ​​have consistently increased in severity and size in recent decades, and they have often overwhelmed local fire departments, including Todd’s, which was the only one in the state to engage volunteer firefighters.

Todd told Civil Beat in 2024 that volunteers were critical to the island’s safety but also spoke frankly about how difficult the department’s funding situation was.

In his four years as fire chief, he managed to increase the department’s funding by $30 million from state, county and outside sources, including federal grants. The money went toward everything from new equipment to more firefighters and administrative staff. 

“Hopefully the next chief will continue that,” Kosaki said. “I am sure that’s going to be one of our questions when we interview the new prospective chiefs.”

The 21-year veteran spent the majority of his career working in the island fire prevention bureau, which Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization Co-Director Elizabeth Pickett said fed a vision for fire suppression unique in a state that has often focused more on fighting fires than preventing them.

“I think he was successful in sharing the vision enough that people can see what it was, and they have a new image in their head for what the department can be,” Pickett said. Because he had secured so many resources in recent years, she added, “I think good stuff is going to happen in the county and state.”

County Chief, State Advocate

Todd became a key figure at the state level, as he was a quick study in state politics following the devastating 2023 Maui fires. As chair of the State Fire Council, he played an integral role in lobbying the state for greater fire protection and prevention measures. 

The council is made up of Hawaiʻi’s state and county fire chiefs and is predominantly entrusted with fire-related legislation, updating the state fire code, and keeping abreast of building regulations.

Its members often leaned on Todd, whose brother Chris is a state representative, for his political savvy and familiarity with the inner workings of the Legislature, said Kauaʻi Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson. Chris Todd was appointed chair of the House Finance Committee in May.    

Kazuo Todd’s replacement within the council has yet to be decided. The new state fire marshal, Dori Booth, also sits on the council as vice chair and she will oversee its workings in the interim. 

According to council administrator Gary Lum, a new chair could be elected as soon as Thursday, at the council’s first meeting of the year. Under legislation enacted last year, the State Fire Council selects and hires the fire marshal — a fact that makes Booth’s council leadership a potential conflict of interest. 

Civil Beat reached out to Booth but was told she was unavailable due to conference and travel commitments.

So far there has been little sign of progress in standing up the office or hiring additional staff despite the $2.2 million budget lawmakers approved last year, though Booth told Maui News earlier this month that the first openings would be announced within a few weeks. 

Todd played an integral role in revitalizing the fire marshal’s office, which was abolished in the late 1970s because lawmakers believed it was redundant. The council introduced a measure to reintroduce the office in 2021, but lawmakers didn’t do so until 2024. 

The change would have never happened if it weren’t for Chief Todd’s advocacy, Gov. Josh Green said at his funeral. 

Meanwhile, the State Fire Council will begin advocating for its legislative package. That includes a measure to ban fireworks and firecrackers statewide, an annual measure that rarely gains traction with lawmakers. 

Most of the legislators “believe illegal aerial fireworks are 80% of the problem, and they don’t feel that firecrackers are a huge problem,” Lum said. However, he added, “Firecrackers are a gateway drug, so to speak, to bigger things.” 

The council is also seeking to repeal a state restriction on counties requiring water sprinkler systems be included in the construction of new single- and two-family dwellings.

Moving Forward

The ​​Hawaiʻi County Fire Commission is on the search for a permanent replacement for Todd, and it’s a process commission chair Kosaki believes will be run-of-the-mill, despite the circumstances. Volpe will remain as interim chief until a new one is appointed.  

Todd picked Volpe as his deputy in September 2024. He previously worked as a battalion chief, in operations and as a paramedic, all of which Kosaki said makes him a good custodian for the department as the search takes place.

The commission plans to meet again on Feb. 26 to discuss the new fire chief’s job description, then begin advertising. It’s not uncommon for new chiefs to be hired internally, though Kosaki said he is personally not opposed to off-island applicants. 

“Somebody within will know the department but somebody from outside could come in with new ideas,” he said. 

Fire officials say Todd’s death represents an enormous loss for the community, but his plans were already laid and the work is moving forward. Now it’s a matter of ensuring the momentum continues.

“He was definitely going in the right direction and I was happy to see that,” Kosaki said. “Hopefully the next chief will continue that.”

Civil Beat’s coverage of environmental issues on Hawaiʻi island is supported in part by a grant from the Dorrance Family Foundation; coverage of climate change and the environment is supported by The Healy Foundation, the Marisla Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.