Maui Fire Department announces 15 new promotions

Maui Fire Chief Bradford Ventura today announced the promotion of 15 individuals to various ranks within the department. The promotions include the following:

• Jeffrey Giesea has been promoted to Assistant Chief of Support Services.
• Henry “Hanale” Lindo has been promoted to Assistant Chief of Operations.
• Alexander Parker, Shawn Rogers and Lee Theros have been promoted to Battalion Chief.
• Matthew Akiona, Darrin Almeida, Joseph “Ikaika” Blackburn, John Devlin, Beau Gaddis, Garren Oura, Kanoa Shannon, Anthony Twarowski, and have been promoted to Fire Captain.
• Daniel Laferriere and Steven Graver have been promoted to Fire Fighter III.

Jeffrey Giesea (Assistant Chief of Support Services) joined the Department in 2001. He served as a Fire Fighter I in Hāna, Kīhei and Wailea. He was promoted to Fire Fighter II in 2007 and was assigned to Rescue 10. In 2008 he was promoted to Fire Fighter III and worked at the Nāpili Station. In 2011 Jeffrey was promoted to Fire Captain. He worked in Kaunakakai, in the Health and Safety Bureau and on Hazmat 10. In 2019 Giesea was promoted to Battalion Chief and oversaw the Ocean Safety Bureau. His promotion places him in charge of the Department’s Support Services personnel. Jeffrey is a 1988 graduate of Foothill High School, a 1992 graduate of TCU and a 1995 graduate of The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He and his girlfriend Brooke have two children and reside in Kahului.

Henry “Hanale” Lindo (Assistant Chief of Operations) joined the Maui Fire Department in 1994. He served as a Fire Fighter I in Pāʻia and Kahului. In 2005 he was promoted to Fire Fighter III and served as a Fire Inspector in the Fire Prevention Bureau. Lindo was promoted to Fire Captain in 2009 and worked in both Hoʻolehua and Kaunakakai on Molokaʻi. Promoted to Battalion Chief in 2020, he led the First Battalion. With his promotion to Assistant Chief he will oversee operations for the entire department. Hanale is a 1990 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapalama. He has served as an All-Hazards Incident Management Team Incident Commander and Liaison Officer, MFD’s Public Education Officer and served on the Molokai Fire Task Force and the Molokaʻi Emergency Operations Center Community Team. Lindo and his wife Zhantell live in Hoʻolehua and have eight children and 14 grandchildren.

Alexander Parker (Battalion Chief) joined the Maui Fire Department in 2001. As a Fire Fighter I he worked in Kaunakakai and Makawao. He was promoted to Fire Fighter II in 2007, working on both Hazmat 10 and Rescue 10. In 2009 Alexander was promoted to Fire Fighter III and worked in the Training Bureau and in Makawao. In 2017 Parker was promoted to Fire Captain, working in Kaunakakai, Lahaina and Kahului. Alexander is a 1994 graduate of Seabury Hall and a 1998 graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi in Hilo. Parker and his wife Alyse live in Kula with their child.

Shawn Rogers (Battalion Chief) joined the Department in 1999. As a Fire Fighter I he worked in Lahaina on both the engine and the ladder. In 2005 he was promoted to Fire Fighter II and assigned to Rescue 10 in Kahului. In 2007 Shawn was promoted to Fire Fighter III and worked in Pukoo and Lahaina. In 2012 Rogers was promoted to Fire Captain, working in Hoolehua, Kaunakakai, in the Health and Safety Bureau and in Nāpili. His promotion to Battalion Chief will have him overseeing the Department’s Second Battalion. Shawn is a 1989 graduate of Tulelake High School and a 1995 graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He and his girlfriend Jessica live in Kahana with their three children.

Lee Theros (Battalion Chief) joined the Maui Fire Department in 1997. He worked as a Fire Fighter I in Kaunakakai and Lahaina. In 2008 he was promoted to Fire Fighter III, also serving in Kaunakakai and Lahaina. Lee was promoted to Fire Captain in 2012 and worked in Kaunakakai, Lahaina and Wailuku. With is promotion Theros will serve as a Battalion Chief overseeing the Department’s First Battalion. Lee is a 1983 graduate of H. P. Baldwin High School and a 1991 graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He lives in Wailuku and has one daughter.

Matthew Akiona (Fire Captain) joined the department in 2006. As a Fire Fighter I he worked in Nāpili, Pāʻia and Kahului. In 2013 he was promoted to Fire Fighter II and served both on Hazmat 10 and Rescue 10. Matthew was promoted to Fire Fighter III in 2018 and worked in the Training Bureau as well as Lahaina and Kahului stations. As a Captain, Akiona will return to Lahaina. Matthew is a 1998 graduate of H. P. Baldwin High School. He lives in Wailuku with his wife Jamie and their three children.

Darrin Almeida (Fire Captain) joined the fire service in 1997 with Honolulu Fire Department, working in Kalihi, Waipahu, Kuakini and Pearl City. He joined the Maui Fire Department in 1999 and worked in Lahaina and Wailuku. In 2008 Darrin was promoted to Fire Fighter III and worked in the Fire Prevention Bureau and in Makawao. Almeida’s promotion to Captain will take him to Kahului Station. Darrin is a 1989 graduate of Maui High School. He lives in Wailuku with his wife Lisa and has two adult children.

Joseph “Ikaika” Blackburn (Fire Captain) joined the Maui Fire Department in 2006. He worked in Wailea and Wailuku as a Fire Fighter I. Ikaika was promoted to Fire Fighter III in 2019 and worked in Kaunakakai and Wailuku. Blackburn’s promotion to Captain will take him to Lānaʻi Station. Ikaika is a 2000 graduate of H. P. Baldwin High School and a 2005 graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He and his wife Shelley live in Waihe’e and they have five children.

John Devlin (Fire Captain) joined the Department in 2006. As a Fire Fighter I he worked in Lahaina and Makawao. In 2017 John was promoted to Fire Fighter III and worked in the Health and Safety Bureau as well Lahaina and Pāʻia Stations. As a Captain, Devlin will be working at the Kahului Station. John is a 1996 graduate of Kalani High School and a 2015 graduate of Eastern Oregon University. He and his wife Autumn live in Makawao.

Beau Gaddis (Fire Captain) joined the Maui Fire Department in 2002. As a Fire Fighter I he worked at stations in Hāna, Wailea and Kahului. In 2007 he was promoted to Fire Fighter II and worked with both the Hazmat and Rescue companies. In 2017 Beau was promoted to Fire Fighter III and worked in Lahaina and Kula. With his promotion to Captain, Gaddis will be working at Lānaʻi Station. Beau is a 1994 graduate of Baldwin High School. He lives in Kula and has two adult children.

Garren Oura (Fire Captain) joined the Department in 2002. As a Fire Fighter I he worked in Kaunakakai, Lahaina and Wailuku. Garren was promoted to Fire Fighter III in 2015, working in Hoʻolehua, the Fire Prevention Bureau, Lahaina and Makawao Stations. As a Captain, Oura is assigned to Lānaʻi Station. Garren is a 1993 graduate of Maui High School and attended Evergreen State College. He, his wife Allison and their two children live in Wailuku.

Kanoa Shannon (Fire Captain) joined the Department in 2002. He worked in Wailea and Kahului as a Fire Fighter I. In 2008 he was promoted to Fire Fighter II and was assigned to Rescue 10. In 2017 Kanoa was promoted to Fire Fighter III and worked in Pukoo, the Training Bureau, Nāpili, Wailuku and Kahului. Shannon will return to Nāpili with his promotion to Captain. Kanoa is a 1993 graduate of Baldwin High School. He and his wife Jerrie live in Kahului and they have two children.

Anthony Twarowski (Fire Captain) joined the Maui Fire Department in 2003. As a Fire Fighter I he was assigned to the Nāpili, Lahaina, Lānaʻi and Wailea stations. In 2018 Anthony was promoted to Fire Fighter III and worked in the Health and Safety Bureau. With his promotion to Captain, Twarowski will lead the Health and Safety Bureau. Anthony is a 1995 graduate of Baldwin High School and a 2000 graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He lives in Wailuku.

Steven Graver (Fire Fighter III) joined the Department in 2013. As a Fire Fighter I he worked in Hoʻolehua, Nāpili, and Lahaina. Graver’s promotion to Fire Fighter III took him to Pūkoʻo before he moved to his current posting in Nāpili. Steven is a 2002 graduate of Upper Perkiomen High School. He lives in Lahaina with his wife April and their one child.

Daniel “Danny” Laferriere (Fire Fighter III) joined the Maui Fire Department in 2003. He worked in Kīhei and Lahaina as a Fire Fighter I. In 2011 Daniel was promoted to Fire Fighter II and worked on Hazmat 10. Laferriere’s promotion to Fire Fighter III has taken him to Pūkoʻo before moving to his current position in the Fire Prevention Bureau. Danny is a 1989 graduate of H. P. Baldwin High School and attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He lives in Kahului with his wife Stacie-Lei and their two children.

All promotions went into effect on or before Feb. 16, 2022.