A name that has recently made headlines is Herman Andaya, who resigned from his position as the administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency in response to criticism of his handling of the devastating wildfires that claimed the lives of over 100 people in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Who is Herman Andaya?

Herman Andaya was raised and born in Hawaii, where he also attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In 1991, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, and in 1994, he graduated from the William S. Dot Richardson School of Law with a law degree. He earned his legal licence in 1995 after passing the Hawaii bar exam.

Herman Andaya’s Career and Accomplishments From 1995 to 2000, Herman Andaya worked as a deputy prosecuting attorney for the County of Maui. From 2000 to 2011, he served as a special assistant to the chancellor at the University of Hawaii Maui College. He was appointed in 2011 as the chief of staff for the County of Maui mayor’s office, a position he held until 2017. He assisted with emergency operations while serving as chief of staff, and he took part in online FEMA workshops and training.

Herman Andaya won the job of Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) administrator in 2017, beating out 40 other candidates. For both natural and man-made disasters in Maui County, MEMA is in charge of coordinating emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities. Herman Andaya served as the administrator, managing a $1.22 million budget and a staff of nine people.

What are the controversies of Herman Andaya?

Controversies surrounding Herman Andaya and His Resignation After the tragic wildfires that engulfed Lahaina on August 8, 2023, Herman Andaya’s career as MEMA administrator came under fire. Strong winds and dry weather contributed to the fast-moving fire, which killed an estimated 111 people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses while forcing thousands of people to flee. Many survivors complained that they had little time or warning to flee the fire, and some blamed MEMA for failing to sound sirens or send out alerts to warn locals of the danger.

Herman Andaya defended his decision to hold off on sounding the sirens during the fire by claiming that they were typically used during tsunamis and that doing so would have confused people or led them to seek higher ground rather than flee the burning area. Additionally, he claimed that he was in Oahu for a FEMA disaster preparedness seminar and was not on Maui when the fire broke out. He claimed that while responding to the fire, he kept in close contact with his staff and other officials.

The resignation of Herman Andaya?

Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya has resigned effective immediately, Mayor Richard Bissen’s office announced.

Andaya cited health reasons, and Bissen has accepted the resignation, the county announcement said.

“Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible and I look forward to making that announcement soon,” Bissen said.

Andaya came under heavy criticism, and international media attention, Wednesday when he said he did not regret the decision to not activate warning sirens as the wildfire flames that eventually destroyed Lahaina began to threaten the historic town.

Responding to reporters’ questions at the news conference in Wailuku, Andaya said he did not regret the decision not to sound the sirens because in Hawaii sirens are used primarily for tsunamis, not for brush fires, and because the public is trained to seek higher ground when a siren goes off.

“Had we sounded the siren that night, we were afraid that people would have gone mauka, and if that were the case, they would have gone into the fire,” he said. Wednesday was the first time Andaya made a public statement about MEMA’s actions during the Aug. 8 crises.

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