Maui Firefighters Chai and Barut Promoted to Captain

By Wendy Osher

Derrick Chai. County of Maui photo.

Two members of the Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety were promoted to the rank of Captain this month. Derrick Chai and Willie Barut will begin their new assignments on June 1, 2011.

Capt. Chai is a 20-year veteran of the Department.  He began his career at the Wailuku Fire Station in 1990.  He was promoted to Firefighter III in 2004 and was assigned to the Lahaina Fire Station.   Chai will serve his new assignment as Captain at the Napili Fire Station in West Maui.

In addition to his new duties as Captain, Chai is also the program director for the Fire Apparatus Driver Operator Program and serves as Vice President of the Maui County Fire Fighters Relief Association.

Willie Barut. County of Maui photo.

Fellow firefighter, Willie Barut will begin his Captain duties at the Kaunakakai Fire Station on Molokai.  Barut is a 17-year veteran of the Maui Fire Department.  His first assignment was at the Makawao Fire Station, where he worked for a decade.  Barut was later promoted to Fire Apparatus Operator, serving assignments in Napili and Wailuku.

A month earlier, six Maui firefighters were also promoted to the rank of Captain.  The promotion of Charles Smith, Kelan Pua’a, Christopher Platiro, Jeff Giesea, David Fenton and Michael Werner in April, helped to fill some recent retirements within the department.