FIRE PREVENTION

FIRE PREVENTION

Under the direction of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Fire Chief is required to provide fire protection for the City and County of Honolulu.  In addition to fire fighting, fire protection includes a wide range of fire prevention measures including the formulation and adoption of fire codes, inspections to ensure compliance with the codes, investigations to determine the causes of fires, and the public fire safety. The FPB is responsible to carry out these duties for the Fire Chief.

The FPB is divided into five sections that are headed by a Battalion Chief and staffed by 6 Fire Captains, 20 Fire Inspectors, 1 Senior Clerk-Typist and 1 Clerk-Typist. The 5 sections are as follows:

Codes Enforcement

This section is divided into three sections (Codes West, East, and Central), each consisting of one Fire Captain and six Fire Inspectors. Their primary responsibility is the enforcement of fire regulations. They also investigate complaints, answer questions from the public, and assist the Fire Education section with requests for fire safety training when necessary.

Fire Education

This section consists of a Fire Captain and two Fire Inspectors. Their primary responsibility is to develop and implement programs that will increase the public's awareness of fire safety.  Educating the public in matters of fire safety is considered essential to fire prevention.  Call 723-7163 to request a group safety presentation.

Plans Examining

This section consists of a Fire Captain and three Fire Inspectors. They review building plans during the permit process and conduct preliminary site assessments to ensure that fire safety standards are met prior to construction. They also review permit applications for exhibitions, carnivals, and other similar types of public assemblies.

Fire Investigations

This section consists of a Fire Captain and three Fire Investigators. This section is responsible for determining the origin, cause, and circumstances of all referred fires within the City and County of Honolulu. The section works closely with the City and County of Honolulu's Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Honolulu Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms regarding fires determined to be criminal in nature.

Administration

This section consists of a Fire Captain and two civilian office workers.  They are responsible for the general administration of the bureau, including coordinating research and correspondence, performing record and report filing, and generating work assignments for the other sections.