Maui Fire Department Announces Chief Promotions

The County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety announced the recent promotions of Richard Kawasaki to Assistant Chief of Operations and William Barut to Battalion Chief.

Richard Kawasaki is the new Assistant Chief of Operation for the Maui Department of Fire & Public Safety. PC: MFD.

William Barut has been promoted to Battalion Chief for the Maui Department of Fire & Public Safety. PC: MFD.

Kawasaki is a 27 year veteran of the Maui Fire Department. His career began as a firefighter at Engine 11 in Nāpili. Throughout his career, Kawasaki served at several other fire stations including Makawao, Hāna, Kula and Lahaina.

His most recent assignment was as Battalion Chief of Battalion 1, 3rd watch. He has also served as Program Director for the Department’s Wildland Training Program, and is actively involved as a member of the Maui Incident Management Team. As Assistant Chief of Operations, Kawasaki is tasked with overseeing the overall response capabilities and daily emergency operations of the fire department.

Kawasaki is married to wife Desiree and is a 1985 graduate of Maui High School and 1990 graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Barut is a 24 year veteran of the Maui Fire Department. His career began as a firefighter at Engine 5 in Makawao. Chief Barut later was promoted to FFIII and assigned to Engine 11 in Nāpili and Engine 1 in Wailuku.

In 2011, he was promoted to Captain and assigned to Engine 4 in Kaunakakai, and Engine 10 in Kahului. Most recently he was assigned to Hazmat 10. Barut has also been involved as a CERT Team Instructor, CISM Team member and Maui Incident Management Team member. As Battalion Chief, he is responsible for the management of personnel and emergency operations for Battalion 2, 2nd watch.

Barut is a 1982 graduate of Maui High School. He is married to wife Rhonda and has a son named Stephen.