Mayor of Maui County Richard Bissen yesterday accepted the resignation of Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Administrator Herman Andaya. Citing health reasons, Andaya submitted his resignation effective immediately.
“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,” Mayor Bissen said in a Facebook post.
Andaya faced criticism for the response to the Maui wildfires, which have now killed more than 100 people. On Wednesday, one day prior to his resignation, Andaya defended a decision not to sound warning sirens as wildfires spread across the island. He said the sirens are intended primarily for tsunamis and that his decision was based on concern that coastal residents would flee inland, where the fires were raging.
