Oliveira named president of tsunami museum board

Former Hawaii County Civil Defense head Darryl Oliveira has been named president of the Pacific Tsunami Museum’s board of directors.

The Pacific Tsunami Museum, located in downtown Hilo and serving Hawaii and the Pacific, is a nonprofit organization dedicated saving lives through tsunami education and disaster preparedness.

“We are excited to welcome Darryl Oliveira to the Pacific Tsunami Museum ‘ohana. He was a great partner in his time at Hawaii County Civil Defense, and his dedication to community safety is a great match to our museum’s mission,” said Pacific Tsunami Museum Executive Director Marlene Murray.

“It is an honor to serve our community through the good work of the Pacific Tsunami Museum. Education and preparation is key to surviving any disaster,” Oliveira said.

A native of Hilo and graduate of Hilo High School, Oliveira’s career in public safety began as a Hawaii Fire Department paramedic in 1980.

He rose through the ranks until named fire chief in 2002. Oliveira served as fire chief for nine years. After a brief retirement, he returned to service as head of Civil Defense in 2013.

Oliveira served as head of Hawaii County Civil Defense from 2013-2016 — a busy period that included Tropical Storm Iselle that ravaged Puna, a lava flow that entered Pahoa, and an outbreak of dengue fever. He also oversaw preparations for and response to numerous tsunami threats throughout his public safety career.

Oliveira currently is safety & internal control manager at HPM. In addition to his service with the museum, he serves on the Community Action Network of Community First and on the board of Hawaii Care Choices.