ALOHA TO ALL!
Welcome to the exclusive home of the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association (HFFA), Local 1463, IAFF, AFL-CIO. We are the exclusive bargaining representative for Hawaii’s approximately 1,900 active-duty and 1,000 retired County and State fire fighters across our 50th State. Our members make up the Honolulu Fire Department, Kauai Fire Department, Maui County Department of Fire Control, Hawaii County Fire Department and the State of Hawaii Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Division.
Hawaii’s uniqueness presents public safety services with distinctive challenges throughout our State. The beauty of our mountains and beaches draws visitors’ interest and attention without the understanding of its hidden dangers. And because of our geographic isolation and not having the benefit of immediate mutual aid from other states in a time of crisis, we need to be self-sufficient and resourceful in meeting the level of service and protection that our island communities expect and deserve.
Protecting and enhancing our members’ rights, benefits and compensation is HFFA’s primary purpose. Hawaii’s cost-of-living continues to be one of the highest in the nation. We continue to work hard to improve our members’ and their families’ quality of life through ongoing negotiations and fostering cooperative labor-management relationships.
One major goal of this website is to enhance HFFA’s efforts to keeping our members informed. It is through good communication that will allow us to keep working together as one, in one direction with goals focused on the common good for all. Keep moving forward and don’t look back!
We also welcome visitors to peruse our website. We are proud of who we are and what we do and we take great pride in our commitment to helping our members, their families and the community.
The Fire Service in its totality is engrained with tradition and culture and Hawaii’s fire fighters and fire departments are no different. To our members, we will do our best to keep this website full of the latest and most current information available for you, just a fingertip away. And to our visitors, we hope you find this website both interesting and informative, and if you have the chance, come and enjoy our islands, our hospitality and our home!
Stay Safe and Aloha,
Bobby Lee
President
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association
DEDICATING 61 YEARS OF SERVICE TO ITS MEMBERS
AND THE STATE OF HAWAII
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, HFFA Local 1463 was established as an affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) on January 27, 1963. The union was created out of employee discontent in which fire fighters wanted their own representation by individuals who understood the unique concerns and working environment of professional fire fighting. HFFA initially represented the 350 members of the Honolulu Fire Department and later incorporated fire fighters on the neighboring counties of Kaua’i, Maui (which includes Moloka’i and Lana’i), and Hawai’i Island through a new collective bargaining law governing public sector employees known as the Hawaii Public Employee Relations Act of 1970 (HRS 377). In 1972, HFFA was selected as the exclusive bargaining representative for Hawai’i’s County fire fighters and eventually, State fire fighters in 1974.
From the first contract granted in 1973 to the current contract — 21 to be exact — HFFA continues to fight to protect our BU-11 membership by addressing fire fighter work hours, conditions of employment, training and safety which, in turn, also protects the families of our fire fighters.
We are all in this together.
We are #HFFA1463Strong!
HFFA Turned 61!
On January 27, 1963, a Charter of Affiliation from the International Association of Fire Fighters was granted to the newly-formed Uniformed Firefighters Association, Local No. 1463 of the Hawaiian Islands. The Charter recognized these 25 members as founders of Local 1463. The union’s name would be changed to the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association the following year.
| David T.K. Ho Henry Onishi Paul Horn Arthur Meyer Albert Lew Wang |
Thomas Blondin Leong Wah Chun Joseph Kahiapo Christian Ellis Roland Char |
Richard Miyashiro Abraham Kuni Ronald Yamada Anthony Lopez William Jones |
Louis Kaimi Walter Love Mogul Crabbe Lung Bung Lum Abraham Akau |
James Young George Nobunaga Benjamin Mendiola Francis Peneku Harold Hewett |
It would be 10 years of advocating for fire fighter rights and benefits before HFFA would see its first contract. Pride and Perseverance!
