Fire Chief Jeffrey Murray (right) congratulates new Assistant Chief Derrick Arruda as Deputy Fire Chief Robert Shimada looks on.

KAHULUI — The county Department of Fire and Public Safety announced that Battalion Chief Derrick Arruda has been promoted to assistant chief of operations.

His primary responsibility will be to oversee day-to-day fire and rescue operations within the department. He supervises six battalion chiefs under his command.

Fire Chief Jeffrey Murray praised Arruda’s dedication and exemplary service, as well as his leadership in developing the department’s vehicle acquisition team.

“Assistant Chief Arruda has been instrumental in ensuring that we obtain safe and reliable fire trucks that are designed and built correctly from start to finish,” Chief Murray said. “He is well-respected for his positive attitude and leadership by example, and for his effectiveness as a liaison with outside agencies and departments.”

Assistant Chief Arruda has 22 years of experience with the Maui Fire Department, beginning in 1989 at the Lanai Fire Station.

Pua‘a

He transferred to Maui in 1994 and was assigned to Kahului Fire Station as a fire fighter I. He was promoted to fire fighter III in 1995 and assigned back to Lanai, then to the Napili Fire Station.

He was promoted to captain in November 2002 and assigned to the Rescue Unit at Kahului Fire Station. He was promoted to battalion chief in July 2009.

The department also announced the promotion of Kelan Pua’a and Glenn Okazaki to fire fighter III (driver).

Pua’a is stationed at Hoolehua Fire Station on Molokai, and Okazaki serves at the Training Bureau at Kahului Fire Station.

Okazaki