Governor Green announced the appointment of Dori Booth as Hawai‘i’s new State Fire Marshal, a public safety position that has been vacant for nearly 46 years

The original Office of the State Fire Marshal was abolished by Act 241 of the 1978 Session Laws of Hawaiʻi, with its responsibilities devolved to the counties as of July 1, 1979.

Fire Marshal Booth, who brings more than two decades of leadership in fire safety and public service, will be leading the charge on executing the 10 priorities identified in the Phase II report.

Prior to her appointment, she served as Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction for the Sedona Fire District, and previously rose to Deputy Fire Marshal with the Phoenix Fire Department. In these roles, she led major fire prevention programs, high-risk inspections, hazardous materials response, and public safety planning for large venues and airports. A U.S. Army veteran, Booth served in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, where she specialized in civil-military operations and infrastructure stability. Her service earned her the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.

She holds a Master’s degree in Public Safety Leadership Administration and a Bachelor’s in Sustainable Tourism Development and Management, both from Arizona State University. Booth also serves in a national leadership role with the International Code Council, chairing the Fire Sprinkler Exam Development Committee.

The fire marshal position was initially recreated by the 2024 Legislature in order to address the post-Maui wildfires third-party investigation reports initiated by the Department of the Attorney General, recommending a prioritized list of action items of changes to be made to improve Hawai‘i’s response to wildfires for the state and all counties. The 2024 legislation was amended in the most recent session to, among other changes, place the office of the State Fire Marshal under the Department of Law Enforcement.

Photo credit: Office of Governor Green