Hawaii gets first state fire marshal in 46 years

Yahoo

2 days ago

An Army combat veteran with high-level fire safety job experience in Arizona is Hawaii's new state fire marshal.
A state council has appointed Dori Booth to the position leading an office resurrected by state lawmakers in 2024 in response to the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfire disaster, which killed 102 people and destroyed most of Lahaina.
Gov. Josh Green announced Booth's selection Monday and said it marks a historic return to a centralized approach to statewide fire protection in Hawaii.
'Dori Booth steps into this role at a moment of incredible urgency—and with a mission that's nothing short of transformative, ' Green said in a statement. 'We are rebuilding an entire fire safety infrastructure at the state level, and Dori is at the center of it.'
Hawaii's Legislature abolished a prior Office of the State Fire Marshal in 1979, leaving counties to largely handle fire safety for the last 46 years. Hawaii also had been the only state without a state fire marshal.
The Legislature passed a bill in 2024 that reestablished the office led by a fire marshal but appropriated only $172, 000 for the entire operation.
In January an advisory team formed by Green in May 2024 to come up with plans to reduce and respond to future natural disasters in Hawaii recommended that a 'properly-funded ' state fire marshal office be established with a minimum $2 million annual budget.
A separate January report by the Fire Safety Research Institute initiated by the state Department of the Attorney General said staffing up the fire marshal office was No. 2 on a list of 10 priorities to improve fire safety in Hawaii.
Another report produced in November by the State Fire Council, which largely represents four county fire department chiefs, put the cost for a fully staffed state fire marshal office with 42 personnel at $4.4 million to $6.4 million. The council also proposed half-staffed and quarter-staffed office models, with the latter costing $1.7 million to $2.5 million.
On April 30 the Legislature passed House Bill 1064 to appropriate $2.2 million in each of the next two fiscal years to pay for eight staff positions, equipment and other expenses for the office, including $206, 352 for the fire marshal, $189, 804 for a deputy and $400, 000 for five fire inspectors and investigators during the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Green said Booth will need to navigate a 'complex division of responsibilities ' between the counties and the state in addition to setting up a new operational structure and immediately implementing top-priority reforms to protect communities.
'It may sound like bureaucracy—but the goal is simple : save lives, protect property and keep Hawaii safe, ' the governor said.
Booth most recently was fire marshal for a district in Arizona that includes the town of Sedona, and prior to that was deputy fire marshal with the Phoenix Fire Department.
Hawaii's new fire marshal has a master's degree in public safety leadership administration from Arizona State University. Booth also is an Army veteran who deployed to Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, specialized in civil-military operations and infrastructure stability, and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.
Booth said in a statement that it is an honor to take on the new position at such a critical time for Hawaii and that she is committed to working with community members, first responders and county, state and federal partners to build a fire protection system reflecting the strength and resilience of Hawaii's people.
'The lessons from the Maui wildfires are still fresh, and our responsibility is clear : We must do everything in our power to prevent future tragedies, ' Booth said. 'That means stronger coordination, smarter planning, and a relentless focus on community safety.
'And when wildfires or other disasters cannot be prevented, we must be resilient—to protect Hawaii's most precious resources : its people, history, culture and places of deep significance.'
Booth was appointed to a five-year term as Hawaii fire marshal by the State Fire Council under the 2024 law. Earlier this year the Legislature amended the law to attach the fire marshal office to the state Department of Law Enforcement instead of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Another amendment made this year to the fire marshal law will establish a fire marshal selection commission starting Jan. 1, with powers that include evaluating, appointing and removing Hawaii fire marshals. The seven-member commission also is expected to receive public input and hold public meetings.