Darryl Oliveira, the former head of Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, is taking over day-to-day operations of Maui County’s emergency preparedness and response efforts.
Oliveira was hired as interim administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, replacing former MEMA head Herman Andaya. Andaya resigned on Aug. 17 and cited health. He was also criticized for not sending emergency alerts or sounding the emergency sirens when the Maui fires started on Aug. 8.
Oliveira said his job is to work closely with the community and all layers of government to coordinate and support operations. But, in the long run, he plans to help Maui County improve operations.
"One of my roles or goals here is to help Maui County rebuild its emergency management system," Oliveira said. "For many of you in the community that don’t know me, I have to earn your trust, have to earn your confidence with what we can do. And it's my goal to re-instill that trust and confidence in the system because it will need to work for the future.
"As you know we're in hurricane season now, so although we're dealing with this crisis, we are still mindful that we are still vulnerable to other events," he said. "We need the systems in place to take care of our community which we will do."
As the former Civil Defense administrator for the Big Island, Oliveira oversaw the County of Hawaiʻi's preparedness, response, and recovery efforts during tropical storms and the 2014 Pahoa lava flow.
Prior to serving as Hawaiʻi Island’s civil defense administrator, Oliveira spent 31 years in the Hawaiʻi Fire Department, with the last nine years as chief of the Hawaiʻi Fire Department. He has extensive experience in structural fire protection, wildland fire protection and suppression, and search-and-rescue operations.
