Video: Fire Chief Kazuo Todd gives public talk at UH Hilo on kuleana and fire resilience
Chief Todd’s talk on fire resilience is part of UH Hilo’s Kuleana and Community Weekly Talk Story gatherings.
By Staff/UH Hilo Stories.
Fire Chief Kazuo Todd gave a public talk on Sept. 19, 2025, at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. “Kuleana and Resilience: Caring for ʻĀina, Property, and Protecting Community” explores how land stewardship, home hardening, preparedness, and shared responsibility build resilience against wildfires, tsunamis, and other island hazards.
Chief Todd is a 21-year veteran of the Hawaiʻi Fire Department. He follows a “servant leadership” philosophy, believing that the goal of the leader is to focus primarily on the well-being of the people he leads and the community he serves. Prior to his appointment as fire chief, he held leadership roles in fire prevention and auxiliary services, including six years as battalion chief. He is chair of the Hawaiʻi State Fire Council, and a member of the Hawaiʻi Fire Chiefs Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Kuleana and Community Weekly Talk Story
The goal of the talk story series, named “Kuleana and Community Weekly Talk Story: Building Community Through Conversation” and launched in fall of 2024, is to strengthen the university’s connections to the local community through conversation. Talks cover youth-focused government programs, health care, food systems, climate challenges, and more. Following a short talk by a featured guest, attendees break out into discussion groups and then share their manaʻo (thoughts) with everyone.
The talks are held on campus at the Kilohana Student Success Center located in Edwin Mookini Library.
The Kuleana and Community series is sponsored by the UH Hilo Office of the Chancellor, Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center, Kilohana Academic Success Center, Center for Global Education and Exchange, and Assistant Professor of Communication Colby Miyose and Associate Professor of Sociology Alton Okinaka.
