Maui Fire Department announces 22 recent promotions

The Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety and Fire Chief Brad Ventura announced 22 recent promotions.

• Alexander Parker has been promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief of Operations.
• Ryan Otsubo has been promoted to Assistant Chief of Support Services.
• Reza Azman and Timothy Herrick have been promoted to Battalion Chief.
• Richard Alika Apana, Simeon Alo, Ryan Short, and Bronson Pocock have been promoted to Fire Captain.
• Bradley Liu has been promoted to Lieutenant.
• Brett Collett, Nathanael Ham, Vietnam Nguyen, La’akea Poepoe, Damien Boone, Joshua Guth, and Travis Texeira have been promoted to Firefighter III.
• Koa Bonnell, Bryan Calvan, Wangdu Hovey, Marlon Lewis, Chayce Tancayo, and Chad Tokunaga have been promoted to Firefighter II.

Alexander Parker joined the department in 2001. As a Firefighter, he worked in Kaunakakai and Makawao. As a Firefighter II, he was assigned to Kahului’s Hazmat and Rescue companies. When promoted to Firefighter III in 2009, he worked in the Training Bureau, Wailea, and Makawao. Upon his promotion to Captain in 2017, he worked in Lahaina and Kahului. In 2022, he was promoted to Battalion Chief and has now taken over the position of Assistant Chief of Operations. Parker is a 1994 graduate of Seabury Hall and a 1998 graduate of UH Hilo.

Ryan Otsubo joined the Maui Fire Department in 2002. As a Firefighter, he worked at the Wailea station. With his promotion to Firefighter III in 2013, he worked in the Fire Prevention Bureau and Wailuku Station. Upon his promotion to Captain in 2019, he worked in the Training and Fire Prevention Bureaus. In 2023, he was promoted to Battalion Chief, overseeing the bureaus. He has taken over as the Assistant Chief of Support Services. Otsubo is a 1993 graduate of H.P. Baldwin High School and a 1999 graduate of UH Mānoa.

Reza Azman joined the department in 2002. As a Firefighter, he worked in Lahaina and Makawao. Following his promotion to Firefighter III in 2012, he worked in the Training Bureau, Lahaina, and Pāʻia. He was promoted to Captain in 2020, working in Lahaina. He has taken over as one of the Battalion Chiefs for the second battalion. Azman is a 1994 graduate of Seabury Hall and attended the University of Oregon and the University of Hawaiʻi, graduating in 2000.

Timothy Herrick joined the Maui Fire Department in 2002. As a Firefighter, he worked in Lahaina and Kahului. As a Firefighter II, he was assigned to the Hazmat company in Kahului. Upon promotion to Firefighter III in 2013, he worked in Kula, Lahaina, and Kahului. He was promoted to Captain in 2019, working in Lahaina. He has taken over as one of the Battalion Chiefs for the first battalion. Herrick is a 1995 graduate of Boone High School.

Richard Alika Apana joined the department in 2005. As a Firefighter, he worked on Molokaʻi, Wailea, and Kahului. As a Firefighter II, he worked on the Hazmat company in Kahului. He was promoted to Firefighter III in 2020, working in Pāʻia. With his promotion to Captain, he will work on Lānaʻi. Apana is a 1990 graduate of Maui High.

Simeon Alo joined the Maui Fire Department in 2007. As a Firefighter, he worked in Wailea and Kahului. As a Firefighter II, he worked on the Hazmat company in Kahului. He was promoted to Firefighter III in 2017, working in Hoʻolehua, Lahaina, and Kahului. With his promotion to Captain, he will work on Lānaʻi.

Ryan Short joined the department in 2009. As a Firefighter, he worked in Nāpili and Wailuku. As a Firefighter II, he worked on the Hazmat and Rescue companies in Kahului. He was promoted to Firefighter III in 2020, working in Lahaina and Wailuku. With his promotion to Captain, he will work in Hāna. Short is a 2000 graduate of Kalāheo High School.

Bronson Pocock joined the Maui Fire Department in 2012. As a Firefighter, he worked in Wailea and Makawao. He was promoted to Firefighter III in 2020, working in Wailea and Makawao. Upon promotion to Captain, he has worked in Pūkoʻo and is currently in Lahaina. Pocock is a 2003 graduate of King Kekaulike High School and a 2007 graduate of Washington State University.

Bradley Liu joined the department in 2013. As a Firefighter, he worked in Kaunakakai, Wailuku, Lahaina, and Kahului. As a Firefighter II, he worked on the Hazmat company in Kahului. In 2022, he was promoted to Firefighter III, working in the Fire Prevention Bureau. With his promotion to Lieutenant, he will remain in the Fire Prevention Bureau. Liu is a 2002 graduate of Seabury Hall, and a 2016 graduate of UH-West Oʻahu.

Brett Collett joined the Maui Fire Department in 2013. As a Firefighter, he worked on Lānaʻi, in Nāpili, Kaunakakai, and Wailea. With his promotion to Firefighter III, he will work in the Fire Prevention Bureau. Collett is a 1994 graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse High School and a 1998 graduate of Canisius College.

Nathanael Ham joined the department in 2015. As a Firefighter, he worked on Lānaʻi, in Nāpili, and in Wailuku. As a Firefighter III, he will work in Pūkoʻo. Ham is a 1999 graduate of H.P. Baldwin High School and a 2005 graduate of UH Hilo.

Vietnam Nguyen joined the Maui Fire Department in 2015. As a Firefighter, he worked in Kaunakakai, Hoʻolehua, Lahaina, and Kahului. As a Firefighter II, he worked on both the Hazmat and Rescue companies in Kahului. With his promotion to Firefighter III, he will work in the Training Bureau. Nguyen is a 1998 graduate of Yerba Buena High School and a 2008 graduate of San Jose State.

La’akea Poepoe joined the department in 2015. As a Firefighter, he worked in Hoʻolehua and Pūkoʻo. With his promotion to Firefighter III, he will remain in Hoʻolehua. Poepoe is a 2003 graduate of Molokaʻi High and Intermediate.

Joshua Guth joined the Maui Fire Department in 2016. As a Firefighter, he worked on Lānaʻi, in Lahaina, and Kahului. As a Firefighter II, he worked on the Hazmat company in Kahului. As a Firefighter III, he will work in Kaunakakai. Guth is a 2005 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and a 2009 graduate of the University of the Pacific.

Damien Boone joined the department in 2017. As a Firefighter, he worked on Lānaʻi and in Wailea and Pāʻia. With his promotion to Firefighter III, he will work in Lahaina. Boone is a 2000 graduate of King Kekaulike High School and a 2007 graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Travis Texeira joined the Maui Fire Department in 2017. As a Firefighter, he worked on Lānaʻi and in Lahaina. As a Firefighter III, he will work in the Fire Prevention Bureau. Texeira is a 2002 graduate of St Anthony High School.

Koa Bonnell joined the department in 2018. As a Firefighter, he worked in Hāna, Lahaina, and Kahului. As a Firefighter II, he will work on the Hazmat company in Kahului. Bonnell is a 2015 graduate of H.P. Baldwin High School.

Bryan Calvan joined the Maui Fire Department in 2018. As a Firefighter, he worked in Lahaina, Wailuku, and Kahului. As a Firefighter II, he will work on the Hazmat company in Kahului. Calvan is a 2010 graduate of H.P. Baldwin High School.

Wangdu Hovey joined the department in 2018. As a Firefighter, he worked in Wailea, Kīhei, and Pāʻia. As a Firefighter II, he will work on the Hazmat company in Kahului. Hovey is a 1998 graduate of Maui High School and a 2022 graduate of Columbia Southern University.

Marlon Lewis joined the Maui Fire Department in 2018. As a Firefighter, he worked in Nāpili, Pāʻia, and Kahului. With his promotion to Firefighter II, he will work on the Rescue Company in Kahului. Lewis is a 2008 graduate of the Myron B Thompson Academy.

Chayce Tancayo joined the department in 2019. As a Firefighter, he worked in Kahului and Lahaina. As a Firefighter II, he will work on the Hazmat company in Kahului. Tancayo is a 2013 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Maui and attended Texas Christian University.

Chad Tokunaga joined the Maui Fire Department in 2019. As a Firefighter, he worked in Lahaina. As a Firefighter II, he will work on the Hazmat company in Kahului. Tokunaga is a 2007 graduate of H.P. Baldwin High School and a 2012 graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.