Maui Fire Department Announces 3 Promotions

By Maui Now Staff

Maui Fire Chief Jeffrey Murray today announced the promotions of two firefighters to the rank of captain and one member to the post of fire services officer.  Those promoted include: Edward Taomoto to the rank of Fire Services Officer, Patrick Shipman to Captain; and Brad Ventura to Captain.

Edward Taomoto. Photo courtesy Maui Department of Fire & Public Safety.

Fire Services Officer Edward Taomoto, is a 21 year veteran of the Maui Fire Department. He started his career in March 1994. After recruit training he briefly worked at the Pāʻia fire station before being reassigned to the Lahaina fire station where he served for five years. In August 1999 he transferred to the Lānaʻi station, and in November 2002 Taomoto was promoted to Driver and operated the water tanker and ladder truck at the newly opened Wailea fire station. In August 2005 he transferred back to Lahaina station where he drove Ladder 3 for the next year. Taomoto was promoted to Captain in September 2006 and served on both the ladder truck and engine at Lahaina fire station. Since November 2012 he worked on Engine 1 out of Wailuku, until his promotion to Fire Services Officer. He is also trained as a Public Information Officer on the department’s Maui Incident Management Team. In his new assignment at the Kahului fire station’s administrative offices, he will be responsible for the department’s facility maintenance, fire reports management, and department press releases. Taomoto is a 1987 graduate of Baldwin High School. He lives in Wailuku with his wife Wendy and their two daughters Kendall, 12 and Kamryn, 8.

Patrick Shipman. Photo courtesy Maui Department of Fire & Public Safety.

Patrick Shipman was promoted from the rank of Firefighter III to Captain.  Shipman, who began his career in April 2000, is a 15 year veteran of the department. After recruit training he was assigned to Engine 11 at the Nāpili fire station.  In May 2002 he moved to the Pāʻia fire station where he worked the next six years. In February 2008 Shipman was promoted to Driver and operated Engine 8 at the Lānaʻi station. He transferred back to Pāʻia in April 2010, where he drove Engine 2 until his recent promotion to Captain. Shipman began his new assignment on A watch at the Hoʻolehua fire station on Molokaʻi. He is a 1986 graduate of Punahou High School on Oʻahu. He lives in Makawao with his wife Nicole and their two daughters Hannah, 19 and Ava, 16.

Brad Ventura. Photo courtesy Maui Department of Fire & Public Safety.

Bradford Ventura, a 13 year veteran of the Maui Fire Department, began his career in January 2002.  He was promoted from the rank of Firefighter III to Captain.  After recruit training, Ventura was assigned to Engine 10 in Kahului. In April 2007, he was promoted to Rescue Specialist and spent four years on Rescue 10 in Kahului. In June 2011 Ventura was promoted to Driver and served briefly in the Health & Safety Bureau before eventually being reassigned to drive the ladder truck at the Lahaina station. In April 2013 he returned to Kahului where he operated the Hazardous Materials truck until his recent promotion to Captain. His new assignment is on C watch at the Nāpili fire station.  Ventura also serves as a training instructor for automobile extrication and hazardous materials first responder, and has been trained as a Critical Incident Stress Management counselor and as a Planning Section Chief on the department’s Maui Incident Management Team. Ventura is a 1993 graduate of Baldwin High School. He lives in Kula with his wife Emily and their two daughters Bailey, 11 and Chloe, 8.

All three promotions took effect April 16, 2015.