Emergency Management Staffing Plan

At a glance

Based on human-uploaded captions that may contain errors.

What: the Department of Emergency Management is reorganizing around 13 new positions funded in the FY27 budget, nearly doubling staff from 15 to 28.
Where it stands: position descriptions cleared the Department of Human Resources and budget review; union consultation is next, then final classification, posting and hiring.
Next: union consult, hiring, and a revised comprehensive emergency management plan (last updated in 2014).

New sections: planning and operations, logistics, community partnerships and programs, public information and administration. Three existing positions are reallocated, including the volunteer coordinator moving to community programs.
The director said the department cannot staff the emergency operations center beyond about 12 hours today.
Kiaʻāina criticized the presentation as mechanical and the director's remarks at a national counties conference, and urged pre-disaster planning and cooperation on a new emergency operations center. Okimoto questioned possible duplication (public information officer vs. specialist) and wanted a plan before positions were created. Cordero asked how the reallocations help and wants positions justified in future budgets.

Departmental Communication 664-2026, presented at 2026-10-22 - Public Safety & Economy

2026-10-22 - Public Safety & Economy - Director Randall Collins briefed the committee; pointed questions from Kiaʻāina, Okimoto and Cordero; no testimony.
2026-10-27 - 2026-10-22 - Public Safety & Economy: official summary confirms an informational briefing only, with no testimony; adjourned 2:18 p.m.