As Hawaii battles a surge in COVID-19 cases that threatens to overrun hospitals and health care workers, three of Honolulu’s four first-responder agencies lack permanent leaders, and the acting chiefs are coordinating Oahu’s response to a global public health crisis while lobbying to keep their jobs.
The chiefs of the Honolulu Police and Fire departments and the Emergency Medical Services Division are all serving in an acting capacity.
Acting HPD Chief Rade K. Vanic has run the department since June 30, while acting Fire Chief Lionel E. Camara Jr. has been at the helm since Feb. 28. Acting EMS Chief Christopher Sloman has managed his division since March. Only the city’s Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division chief, John K. Titchen, is not serving in an acting role.
The city charter empowers members of the Honolulu Police and Fire commissions, who are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council, to hire, evaluate and terminate the departments’ top executive. EMS and Ocean Safety chiefs are permanent, civil service positions selected by a hiring panel based on their qualifications and experience, and appointed by the Hawaii Emergency Services director according to civil service laws and rules.
“The three acting chiefs have a combined 85 years of service and experience. They are capable and dedicated professionals and we appreciate their work to their respective agency, especially during this challenging time,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi in a statement to the Honolulu Star- Advertiser. “They have accepted this responsibility with no guarantee they will be selected for the permanent role.”
Leading under an acting title is a bad management practice, according to professor Dharm Bhawuk, who studies and teaches management and culture and community psychology at the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii.
“I think ‘acting’ for a prolonged period of time can be demoralizing to the incumbent and can reduce the legitimacy of his or her appointment in the eyes of the subordinates and other stakeholders,” Bhawuk told the Star-Advertiser. “On the other hand, an incompetent incumbent can set into action political behaviors to get the position. We should have procedures for replacing people in an emergency, and we should follow it. Since the person is already given the position, there is no point in calling it ‘acting.’”
Bhawuk believes policies and systems to immediately replace managers of large institutions are critical to prevent nepotism.
“The next in command can be allowed to take over without ‘acting,’ and after the emergency is over, the appointment can be re- evaluated, even opening a new search in which the incumbent could also be a candidate,” he said. “The incumbent could be told clearly that it is an emergency situation, and he or she is free to take it or leave it. If one does not rise to the occasion, then clearly there is no leadership drive in the person.”
Camara and acting Deputy Fire Chief Sheldon Kalani Hao, both candidates for the top HFD spot, evenly split the votes of the six current members of the Honolulu Fire Commission. A potential seventh member and tie-breaker, University of Hawaii Athletic Director David A. K. Matlin, is awaiting a City Council decision on his nomination.
“In our efforts to have a diverse range of experience and leadership on the Honolulu Fire Commission, David Matlin brings the executive qualities and a broad and positive insight to the community that will surely benefit the commission,” Blangiardi said.
In an e-mail to the Star- Advertiser, Matlin declined comment, out of respect for the Council and the commissioner selection process.
The fire commission hosted an informal discussion between the two chief candidates on Wednesday but barred the public from listening in.
The public was permitted to hear nearly an hour of testimony from firefighters who called in to support either Camara or Hao. But when the time came for the two finalists to be heard from publicly for the first time, commissioners moved into executive session.
Following the closed-door meeting, it was clear the 3-3 tie remained in place as the commission adjourned with no information about the discussion shared with the public.
“The Council and its Committee on Public Safety would like to see the most qualified candidate emerge as the new chief of the Honolulu Fire Department,” said Councilmember and committee Vice Chairman Augie Tulba.
Camara and Hao did not respond to questions about what they discussed with commissioners.
Charlotte Nekota, chairwoman of the Honolulu Fire Commission, said she is not concerned about Camara’s acting title and is confident firefighters remain focused on protecting the public.
“The average firefighter out there just cares about saving lives. That’s what they do. I don’t think when they go into a burning fire they worry about what the chief is saying — I don’t think so. They care about saving a life. Putting out a fire. Doing CPR. They do it all,” she said.
The Honolulu Police Commission is more than a month behind schedule in selecting the city’s 12th police chief, after difficulty securing the legal number of bids to hire a consultant and psychologist to evaluate the candidates. The commission is working through submissions from hiring consultants and psychologists to vet the 12 mainland applicants and 12 local applicants and select finalists for commissioners and the public to consider.
“While the Mayor’s office does not have a direct vote on who will serve as the next police and fire chief, I expect the commissioners will select the best and most qualified candidates who will be ready to meet the demanding requirements of these critical positions from the start,” Blangiardi said.
Once a consultant is retained, discussions regarding expectations of the police chief selection process will begin and a timeline will be established, according to the commission. “The commission would like to hire the next chief of police before the end of the year,” Chairwoman Shannon L. Alivado told the Star-Advertiser.
“Interim Chief Vanic has been leading the department since June 2021 and has continued to make the public’s safety a top priority. The transition under his leadership has ensured timely communication internally and externally, been responsive to employee issues and been adaptable to community needs,” Alivado said.
“The commission’s top priority is the hiring of the next chief of police and ensuring the hiring process is fair, transparent and will result in the most qualified candidate serving as Honolulu’s next chief of police.”
Honolulu City Councilmember Heidi Tsuneyoshi, who chairs the Committee on Public Safety, said she is well aware of the challenges in selecting a fire and police chief and has spent time questioning the nominees for the fire and police commissions.
Both departments are in limbo, she said, and permanent leaders must be empowered to move their respective agencies forward with transparency.
“Right now, all our first- responder departments need to enter into a time of stability within the department,” she said. “It is time to get past a lot of the issues they’ve had and support the rank and file and community.”
City Councilmember Calvin Say said the city is fortunate to have dedicated, passionate front-line public servants taking care of the community.
“Our first-responders’ service to our residents during the pandemic has been nothing short of heroic on all fronts,” Say said. “Each department’s first- responders have always provided service above self, and we have seen those efforts grow exponentially through the pandemic.”
