The Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) announced the promotions of 84 uniformed and civilian employees, of which two are Battalion Chiefs (BC), who were celebrated during a ceremony at the Mission Memorial Auditorium.

Special guests included Managing Director Michael D. Formby, members of the Honolulu Fire Commission, and families and friends of the 81 uniformed and three civilian employees.

“We appreciate all our dedicated employees who chose to join the HFD from varying professions,” said Fire Chief Kalani Hao. “These hard working public servants exemplified professional excellence in their respective areas, which enabled our Department to meet its mission and goals.”

The HFD’s civilian employees may not respond to 911 calls, but are still vital and skilled to handle different types of emergencies. The fires they extinguish are often performed quietly and unnoticed, and ensures our Department functions smoothly and efficiently.

The 24 newly promoted Fire Fighter (FF) IIs will play an integral role in the fire service. They are now specialized as Hazardous Materials (HM) Technicians, rescue specialists, fire dispatch operators, tiller operators, or BC aides.

The 32 newly promoted FF IIIs are now responsible for the safe driving, operation, and maintenance checks of a fire apparatus. They will oversee the safety of a crew and the public as they drive to alarms, manage the pumps that supply water, or operate an aerial ladder or rescue equipment. They hold a key leadership role and may assume the Company Commander role when he/she is not available.

The 23 newly promoted to Fire Captains are now frontline supervisors who manage a fire company that responds to emergencies or assigned to a bureau to manage training and fire prevention programs or fire dispatch activities. They will establish and maintain discipline and efficiency while directing the activities of FFs. They must also be proficient in the use of fire fighting equipment, fire fighting techniques, and building construction and skilled in emergency medical services, HM operations, fire prevention, fire education, writing, public speaking, and public relations.

The two newly promoted BCs are midlevel managers who are highly skilled and capable of overseeing the daily operations of a battalion or bureau where their command presence and communication and organization skills will be instrumental in ensuring the HFD operates efficiently and effectively.

The HFD’s mission is to provide for the safety of our communities through prevention, preparedness, and effective emergency response. Currently, the Department employs 1,142 men and women who serve the City and County of Honolulu at 44 fire stations and six support locations.