The Honolulu Fire Department treats every call for assistance as an emergency call and dispatches its apparatus as an emergency vehicle. The Honolulu Fire Department is required by the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii traffic codes to use emergency warning devices while responding as an emergency vehicle. The use of lights and sirens allows fire fighters to respond safely, efficiently, and expeditiously to each emergency.

People who call for help expect a quick, professional, and effective response. Those not involved in the emergency might understandably be surprised, annoyed, and angry at the sound of sirens. The Honolulu Fire Department takes both perspectives into consideration and recognizes that the most important expectation is that we respond as safely and expeditiously as possible. The Honolulu Fire Department meets this expectation through professional call-taking and effective emergency vehicle response.