Founded on December 27, 1850, by Kamehameha III and Alexander Cartwright, the Honolulu Fire Department serves and protects the entire island of O'ahu, covering over 600 square miles (1,600 km2) of territory, home to more than 880,000 residents and over 4 million annual visitors.

In the early 1800s, with an influx of missionaries, whalers, and businessmen to Hawai'i, Honolulu grew rapidly with western-style wooden buildings, which were highly combustible.

Interior lighting in that period consisted of all flame-emitting equipment (candles, lamps, and lanterns); therefore fires became common in homes and businesses.

[6] On December 27, 1850, an ordinance issued by Kamehameha III established the Honolulu Fire Department.

Prince Albert Kamehameha, a toddler at the time, admired Company 4 and was made an honorary member.

When the Japanese started bombing Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the HFD quickly responded to the crisis.

[7] The first of three responding HFD companies arrived to find Hickam Field's fire station hit by bombs.

Honolulu firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish flames and save as many U.S. planes as possible, but the second wave of Japanese Zero aircraft approached.

Hoseman Harry Tuck Lee Pang was shot and killed; Captains Thomas Macy and John Carreira died in a bomb blast.

This made the HFD the only fire department on American soil whose members were attacked by a foreign nation and were awarded Purple Hearts relating to their duties.

The Honolulu Fire Museum and Education Center is open to the public one Saturday a month for free, guided tours.

HFD accomplishes its mission largely by maintaining a well-equipped and highly trained, professional workforce of firefighters and rescue personnel.

[9] CRO also participates in numerous fire safety education community events Archived July 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine.