About the Honolulu Fire Department

The Honolulu Fire Department is an all-hazards response agency that protects and serves the City and County of Honolulu across the island of Oʻahu.

Mission Statement​

The community we serve and protect are our families, friends, visitors, and each other. Our mission is to provide for their safety through prevention, preparedness, and effective emergency response.

Vision Statement

The Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) is a family working together to provide exceptional emergency and nonemergency service to the community. The HFD’s strength comes from a foundation of members who are part of the Department’s rich history, value each other, embrace their roles in the Department, and provide the same level of care and attention to the community as they would want to receive. The HFD is not a career, it’s a lifestyle which promotes safety, well-being, professionalism, and a duty to act.

Motto

Pride, Service, Dedication

Guiding Principles

These guiding principles set standards and expectations that we have of ourselves as individuals, as a Department, and as a family. Our strength comes from within our membership and how we value each other, our responsibilities, and our community. We remain accountable by practicing these values in our day-to-day duties. A lifestyle of commitment, these values are a maxim that allows us to embody the true meaning of servitude, professionalism, and well-being.

Hoʻihoʻi Hou – Give Back

In everything we do, give our best and give back. This is a principle of E ʻOhana Hou, to give of ourselves so we can help to make the lives of our community better. In this, we find deeper purpose in what we do and a great reward in the health and well-being of those around us.

ʻAuamo Kuleana – Carry Our Responsibility

Carry our responsibilities with pride, and acknowledge we are blessed and privileged to have this kuleana (responsibility) bestowed upon us. Remain proficient in our ways, and do things with integrity, diligence, and safety so we can put forth our best to serve.

Laulima – Work Together

When we work, we do it as a team of like-minded individuals with a common purpose, who are on the same page to accomplish the same mission: ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia. No task is too great when done together by all.

Core Values

The HFD’s core values represent our ideals as we fulfill our mission to achieve excellence. These core values set standards and expectations of ourselves as an individual, a crew, a battalion or bureau, and a Department. We continuously strive to remain accountable as we practice these values on and off duty everyday.

Palekana – Safety

Safety is at the forefront of everything we do. Although the inherent nature of fire fighting involves facing dangerous situations, embracing safety allows us to continue our duty and be protectors of Honolulu’s citizens.

Lōkahi – Integrity

Integrity is the moral uprightness that we possess to hold ourselves to our values and keep us dedicated to the people we serve. It means being whole and that our values are in alignment with our actions.

Laulima – Teamwork

Teamwork is the manner in which we do our job. We work together to accomplish great tasks. It is said, “ʻaʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia,” no task is too great when done together by all. Teamwork promotes excellence.

Mākaukau – Competency

Competency means we possess the required skills to do our job. Coupled with integrity, we go above and beyond what is expected of ourselves to provide the best service possible to our communities and each other.

Paʻahana – Commitment

Commitment means we dedicate ourselves to our profession and our cause. We vow to put our best efforts toward accomplishing our mission.

Strategic Plan 2022-2027

This strategic plan sets goals, objectives, and short-term direction for the Department.

View the digital publication.

Accreditation

internationally accredited agency logoThe Honolulu Fire Department was accredited in 2000 by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and re-accredited in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. The CFAI is a branch of the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Accreditation is a comprehensive all-hazard, self-assessment, and evaluation process that enables organizations to examine past, current, and future service levels and programs and compares them to industry standards.

This approach is focused on improving service delivery through a process of ongoing self-assessment aimed at continuous quality improvement.

Accreditation is an international recognition of achievement. Of the nearly 30,000 fire departments in the U.S., the Honolulu Fire Department is one of only 270 accredited agencies in the entire world.