Early in 1999, Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi and Deputy Fire Chief John Clark began discussing the 150th anniversary of the Honolulu Fire Department that would take place on January 11, 2001. They agreed that one of the ways to commemorate the event would be to develop an anniversary patch that would be worn by all members on the right sleeve of their uniforms. Chief Leonardi suggested that a department-wide contest should be held to determine the best design for the patch. On April 26, 1999, a Special Notice was sent out asking for entries in the Commemorative Patch Contest, and each entry was required to:
- Reflect 150 years of progress within the department
- Depict a fire theme coupled with a Hawaiian motif
- Provide a written statement explaining the significance of the design
By June 15, the entry deadline, eight designs had been submitted from FF1 David Johnson (two designs), FF1 Albert McCollum, FF1 Eric Morgado, FF1 Trevor Wilson, FF1 Keola Young, McCully Station First Platoon, and Pawaa Station First Platoon. During the Staff Meeting held on September 15, 1999, the eight designs were reviewed and voted on by all of the chief officers present. The winner was FF1 Eric Morgado from Engine 18/3. His written statement explaining the significance of his design is as follows:
The horse-drawn pumper from the 19th century and the modern day pumper signify the progress the Department has made through the years.
The crown above represents the Hawaiian Monarchy which the Department initially served, and the City and County of Honolulu coat of arms below represents todayʻs governing body.
The 30 stars encircling the pumpers are representative of the 150 years of service, each star representing five years as do the service stars on our uniforms.
The maile lei enclosing the design is an adornment symbolizing Hawaiian customs and the aloha spirit.
