The Firefighters' Fighter is Remembered - Hawaii Fire Fighters ...

The Hawaii
FEBRUARY 2006
An Official Publication of the
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463
The Firefighters’
Fighter is Remembered
The time is mid-June circa 1976 at a secret training session on a military base
where a group of recruits were trying to learn the job of a firefighter. Fire Capt.
Richard “Black” Perry came onto the scene and quickly struck terror into the
recruits’ hearts.
“Every job in this town belongs to the union,” he growled at the cowering
trainees, as recounted in a Honolulu Star-Bulletin article dated Aug. 1, 1979. “If
you get into the department, how are you going to work with us?”
He also growled at his boss, Fire Chief Boniface Aiu, who had also been
standing nearby. The Hawaii Fire Fighters Association (HFFA) and the city at that
time were bracing for a strike by Local 1463 members because of an impasse in
negotiations.
“Chief, I don’t want to talk to you,” Black told Aiu. “I’m leaving,” and
promptly did.
The performance – captured in a KGMB television newscast – was classic
Black Perry, a bruiser of a man that looks as though he could stop a fire just by
staring it down, using righteous but carefully controlled rage and a touch of
menace to make his point, wrote reporter Lee Gomes.
To many who remember him, Black Perry, HFFA president for 25 years and
who passed away Thursday, November 17, was that persona. But the legacy he
left behind, including bringing fire fighters from all islands under the association’s
umbrella during his tenure, is so much more. He was 67.
“He was a great negotiator, him and Francis Kennedy
(HFFA business manager) developed a style of their own,” said
former Honolulu Fire Department Chief Attilio Leonardi at
Black Perry’s funeral services on December 3. “They
were a great team together. Their negotiating stories
use to be legendary and some of them still are.
“In the late 1980s I was assigned to
Administration as a Battalion Chief intern and I
couldn’t wait for the next contract negotiations
to witness some of the stories I’ve heard. Sure
enough, at our first negotiation meeting I wasn’t
disappointed. Him and Francis did their good
cop, bad cop routine. It was an honor and a pleasure
to witness them in action.
“Black Perry, just his name ‘Black’ would
strike fear in some of the negotiators, and if his
name didn’t do it, well, he had a colorful way
with the English language that usually brought
his point across. He would pound the table, say a
few colorful words, stand up, crumble up the
paper and throw it at the negotiators and say;
‘Come on Francis. Let’s go and when you guys
want to quit wasting our time and start negotiating,
call us.
Continued on page 3

State of the Union
“We are also in the
beginning phase of our
contract negotiations.”
Robert H. Lee, President
We again begin a new year with
significant changes for our union and its
members.
First, on a very sad note was the sudden
and unexpected passing of our former
HFFA President Richard “Black” Perry. Black
passed away on November 17, 2005. He
began his career with the Honolulu Fire
Department on June 16, 1962 and was
elected President of the HFFA in January
1972. Black served as HFFA’s President until
December 31, 1997. During his tenure as
our President, he and then Business
Manager Francis Kennedy, Jr. were responsible
for negotiating many of the benefits
we currently enjoy today.
Through all of their accomplishments,
probably their greatest achievement
was working with the State
Legislature and the Employee Retirement
System to change State law and provide
fire fighters the ability to retire with 25
years of service, regardless of age. As
HFFA members and fire fighters, we owe
a ton of gratitude to Black for all that he
did for us and our families. His legacy and
memory will always be kept alive through
the accomplishments and benefits that he
provided fire fighters for generations to
come. He will be greatly missed.
For the HFFA, we’ve experienced
some changes to our Executive Board
through our 2005 election process. We
have several new members both on the
neighbor islands and Oahu. Although
most people dislike “change” in any area
of their lives, new ideas through change
also provides an organization like ours
the opportunity to review our current
practices and evaluate the effectiveness
of what we do. Sometimes if not challenged,
an organization can become stagnant.
We welcome the change and hope
our new board members accept this
responsibility with an open mind and a
willingness to learn. Much of our success
has come from the cohesiveness and
unity of our union leadership working
together for the benefit of its members.
For the Honolulu Fire Department,
we’re beginning 2006 with a new fire chief
and deputy fire chief. After a seven-plus
year run in those positions, Fire Chief
Attilio Leonardi and Deputy Chief John
Clark retired at years end and are now
enjoying a well-deserved rest. As they managed
a fire department responsible for servicing
the 12th largest Metro city in the
U.S., they are credited with advancing the
HFD in many areas; increasing training
opportunities, upgrading safety equipment,
increasing the technology of our fire
fighting equipment and working with us to
provide overtime opportunities for our
members, just to name a few. We wish
them good luck and a long and healthy
retirement.
Also as provided by law, the
Honolulu Fire Commission had the
responsibility of appointing Chief
Leonardi’s replacement and through a
lengthy selection process, appointed
Assistant Chief Kenneth Silva as
Honolulu’s 33rd Fire Chief. Chief Silva
selected Assistant Chief Alvin Tomita to
fill the slot of his Deputy Fire Chief. Chief
Silva is no stranger to the HFFA as he was
an HFFA Executive Board member just
prior to his appointment as a battalion
chief. As always, our goal is to follow the
direction set forth by our great
International, the IAFF being supportive
of positive labor-management relations
and working cooperatively with all fire
administrations throughout our State.
We’re looking forward to continuing that
tradition with Chief Silva’s administration.
We are also in the beginning phase
of our contract negotiations. We’ve
exchanged contract proposals with the
Employers and will strive to stay on track
to ensure a settlement or arbitrated
award prior to the adjournment of the
State Legislature. The majority of our
members will be at their appropriate
salary step by the end of our current contract
in June 2007. Because of this, we can
focus more attention to other issues such
as; across-the-board wage increases, stepto-step
movement for promotions, recall
issues, increasing other benefits (meals,
night alarm premium, uniform allowance,
etc.) and also non-cost issues (placement,
personnel information, vacation and sick
leave, grievance procedure, etc.).
This New Year also brings new challenges
for everyone such as compliance to
the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) law.
Every jurisdiction is wrestling with FLSA
issues and the ramifications of fulfilling
the requirements of this complex law.
The HFFA will be working with the
respective fire departments as they propose
changes to our current working conditions
to meet the FLSA mandates.
As this New Year progresses, there
will be no shortage of work for the HFFA
and its Executive Board members. Thank
you for your continued support and we
look forward to a very progressive and
positive year.
Stay Safe!
The Hawaii
An Official Publication of the
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association
IAFF Local 1463, AFL-CIO
Robert H. Lee, President
Terry Cano,
Secretary-Treasurer
Guy T. Tajiri, Business Manager
Oahu Division
Todd Hugo, Chair
William Donnelly, Recorder
Executive Board Members
Mark Castagnetti
Rankin Kaanoi
Ocean Kaowili
Cleghorn “Boy” Lopes
Kenison Tejada
Hawaii Division
Ty Medeiros, Chair
Gerald T. Kosaki, Recorder
Executive Board Member
Lester Inouye
Maui Division
Jeffrey Kihune, Chair
Alma Aiwohi, Recorder
Kauai Division
Colin D. Wilson, Chair
Steven Doi, Recorder
2

The Firefighters’ Fighter is Remembered
Continued from page 1
“They were a great team together
and they had a great strategy that
worked for them. In fact I adopted part
of their strategy in my management. It
was very effective. Black was only
brought into the negotiations when his
management-style was needed.”
Longest serving president
of Local 1463
Born in Kamuela on the Big Island
in 1938, one of six children, Perry in his
prime was “tall and muscular with no
qualms about exerting his ‘muscle’ during
talks with management,” writes the
Honolulu Advertiser’s Charles Turner in a
Jan. 9, 1975 article about Perry and
Kennedy.
In his profile of Black Perry, the
Star-Bulletin’s Gomes writes “He is president
of the HFFA, praised as a crack fire
captain and respected as an able, even
shrewd, leader of a union that represents
the entire Oahu fire department,
except its six highest-ranking officers. In
addition to the tough-talking Perry…
there is a good-natured, almost impish
side to the man. Part of it came across at
a contract signing in 1973 when Perry
sat in the governor’s koa-paneled conference
room, resplendent in a painter’s
cap, striped T-shirt, shorts and bare feet,
joking amidst all the solemnity.”
Perry moved to Oahu when he was
young, was nicknamed “Black” by seventh-grade
classmates (he’s not sure why
writes Gomes), graduated from Kaimuki
High School and joined the department
in 1962. Retiring from the department in
1993 as a fire captain at the Hawaii Kai
station, Black was president of the union
from 1972 to 1997 and was the first
long-standing president of HFFA where
other presidents served single two-year
terms.
“All the firefighters of the state
don’t realize what they owe to Black,”
Leonardi said. “He and Francis
(Kennedy) turned a small union into a
power house – fire fighters always got
the best contracts. We had great raises,
usually the highest percentage of all
unions.”
In addition, such items as night differential,
Hazmat pay, meals, longevity
pay and changing the way HFD personnel
receive holiday pay to make it fair
for all personnel and other provisions of
the contract are credited to Perry,
Leonardi said.
Perry was a mentor to current
HFFA President Bobby Lee, who was
voted into office after Perry retired in
1998.
“No matter how chaotic things
got, he had these little spurts of advice
just to make you stop and think and get
grounded,” Brother Lee said. “What
made him strong was the fact that when
he went into negotiations, it was very
clear to the employer that he had 100
percent of the membership behind him.”
Leonardi says Perry used to call the
administration on the carpet when he
felt it was needed but he also worked
with the administration to improve working
conditions, safety equipment and
assisted the department in implementing
many programs that other unions wouldn’t
touch including a drug and alcohol
random test program and health issues
such as TB and Hepatitis B testing programs.
3
Lessons learned during
negotiations
The negotiations in 1973 were
especially taxing and taught an important
lesson to Perry and Kennedy. As
reported by the Star-Bulletin’s Gomes,
the drama unfolded when a panel of
arbitrators sided with HFFA in a decision
that everyone assumed would be binding
to all parties. The panel gave the
union its request for a second-year
increase that, depending on the rate of
inflation, would have ranged between 7
percent to 12 percent.
Continued on page 9

Negotiations Update
What Happens if HFFA Cannot Reach
A Voluntary Settlement in Contract
Negotiations?
The Hawaii Fire Fighters Association (HFFA) and the
employers have exchanged contract proposals for the upcoming
negotiations. In accordance with Section 55 Duration of the Unit
11 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the parties served written
notice on Jan. 31, 2006 of its desire to amend the agreement.
The HFFA will be scheduling negotiations session with the
employers over the course of the next several months. Here’s a
brief timetable of what happens if a voluntary settlement cannot
be reached:
What happens if a voluntary settlement
cannot be reached between the parties?
The HFFA would exercise its right under Chapter 89, Hawaii
Revised Statute (HRS), to declare that an impasse exist between
the parties. More specifically, HRS 89-11 Resolution of Disputes;
Impasses, states in part, “More than ninety days after written
notice by either party to initiate negotiations, either party may
give written notice to the board that an impasse exists. The date
on which the board receives notice shall be the date of
impasse;” The written notice of the impasse is given to the
Hawaii Labor Relations Board (HLRB).
Timetable for Impasse Procedures:
• During the first 20 days after impasse, the HLRB shall
immediately appoint a mediator from a list maintained
by the HLRB.
• If an impasse continues after 20 days, the HLRB shall notify
the parties that the impasse shall be submitted to a
three member arbitration panel.
• The arbitration panel: one member is selected by each of
the two parties. The third member is selected by mutual
agreement of the parties or from a list of five arbitrators
provided by the American Arbitration Association. Within
five days after receipt of the five-member list, the parties
alternately strike names. The remaining person becomes
the neutral member of the three-member arbitration
panel.
• Upon selection and appointment of the arbitration
panel, each party shall submit, in writing, its final position
on all issues at impasse.
• The arbitration hearing must begin within 120 days of
the appointment of the arbitration panel. The parties
may submit either in writing or through oral testimony
all data supporting their respective final positions. The
neutral arbitrator and the arbitration panel are encouraged
to assist the parties in a voluntary resolution of the
impasse.
• Within 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing, the
majority of the arbitration panel must reach a decision
on all provisions that each party proposed as part of their
final positions. The parties shall review the preliminary
draft of the panel for completeness, technical correctness,
and clarity. The parties may mutually submit to the
panel any desired changes or adjustments. A majority of
the arbitration panel shall issue the arbitration decision
4
within 15 days after the transmittal of the preliminary
draft.
• The arbitration decision shall be “final and binding”
upon the parties on all provisions submitted to the panel.
• All Items requiring “Monies for Implementation” shall be
subject to appropriations by the appropriate legislative
bodies. The Employer must submit all cost items within
ten days after the arbitration.
This is just a quick overview of the impasse procedures
under Chapter 89, HRS. For those that are interested, you can
read more about Chapter 89, HRS, on the legislative website at
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov.
Cano Newly Elected
HFFA Secretary-
Treasurer
The recent promotion of Emmit Kane to Battalion
Chief and his subsequent resignation as Hawaii Fire
Fighters Association secretary-treasurer created a vacancy
in the union’s second highest elected officer position.
As provided by the HFFA Constitution and By-Laws, the
HFFA Executive Board was responsible for electing a
replacement.
By unanimous vote, Oahu Division Executive
Board member Terry Cano was elected HFFA secretarytreasurer.
Cano, who was a delegate to the 2002 and
2004 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
Biennial Conventions, has been extremely active with
the union. He developed the HFFA Recruit Orientation
Program and led the orientation in 2002, 2004 and
2006. He also conducted an HFFA Station Repair and
Maintenance briefing for the Honolulu City Council.
In addition, Cano served twice as a HFFA negotiating
committee member, was a HFFA Rank-for-Rank
Recall committee member, was the Oahu Division PAC
committee chair (2004-2005), was an HFFA-IAFF
Redmond Symposium planning committee member in
2005 and was an MDA Fill-the-Boot planning committee
member. Cano has attended a number of IAFF conferences
including the 2003 and 2005 Redmond
Symposium, the 2005 IAFF Affiliate Leadership Training
Seminar and 2005 IAFF Legislative Conference.
A 31-year veteran of the Honolulu Fire
Department, Cano is currently a captain stationed at
Kalihi Kai on Rescue 2, 2nd watch.

HFFA Continues Vigilance Over
2006 Hawaii State Legislature
A total of more than 6,000 bills are
before the 2006 legislature, according to
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association (HFFA)
Legislative/PAC coordinator Celeste Nip, with
more than half, approximately 3,600, carried
over from last session and almost 2,600 introduced
this session
“The issues before the legislature run
the gamut of interest,” Nip said. “Some suggest
tax relief for families and businesses,
some bills proposed to direct more money to
fund the current liability which the State
Retirement faces while others are request for
funds for state programs.”
The HFFA maintains a constant watch
on bills that affect fire fighters. There are a
number of bills which propose to make the
job safer such as bills relating to stricter regulation
of fire works and tax incentives for the
installation of sprinkler systems.
“We have a watchful eye on bills relating
to fire fighter benefits, particularly retirement
and health benefits,” Nip said. “Also
under our radar are bills which affect collective
bargaining.”
Nip reports that there has been a lot of
dialogue on the issue of the gas cap, funding
repair and maintenance for the schools, rehiring
of state retirees, tax relief and programs
that require appropriations because of the
$574 million surplus.
“It is still relatively early in the session
and by the first week of May the number of
bills which make it to the Governor’s desk for
enactment and funding will number about
200,” Nip said. “We will continue to monitor
the bills and continue to foster cordial relationships
with the legislators. Remember, we
will be asking for some of next year’s surplus
for our collective bargaining agreement.”
Sen. Roz Baker
Senate District 5,
Chair, Senate
Health
Committee
Rep. Clift Tsuji
House District 3
Vice Chair,
House
Agriculture
Committee
Rep. Sylvia Luke
House District 26, Chair, House Judiciary Committee.
Sen. Brian Taniguchi
Senate District 10, Chair, Senate Ways and Means Committee.
5

Executive Board Members
The newly elected Hawaii Fire
Fighters Association (HFFA) officers and
Executive Board of Directors attended a
two-day orientation held at the IBEW
meeting hall on February 7-8.
“The purpose of the orientation
was to provide training for the officers
and directors on their legal responsibilities
as elected officials of the union and
to educate them on collective bargaining
and interest arbitration as well as
grievance handling,” said HFFA Business
Manager Guy Tajiri.
HFFA President Bobby Lee welcomed
the newly elected board members
and made a few remarks about the
two-day orientation session. He candidly
stated that when he first got elected to
the Executive Board, “it was basically
learn as you go.” The HFFA previously
did not conduct orientation sessions to
train and educate board members on
their fiduciary responsibilities.
The agenda for the two-day session
featured attorney James Koshiba
describing the legal responsibilities of
being HFFA officers, attorney Alan Davis
discussing HFFA interest arbitration and
attorney Peter Trask educating the
board about grievance handling and
Hawaii Labor Relations Board (HLRB)
complaints.
Officers bound by rules of
responsibility
Koshiba, who has been practicing
law since 1968 and is a senior partner
with the law offices of Koshiba Agena &
Kubota and Adjunct Professor at the
William S. Richardson School of Law
(1987 to present). The HFFA utilized
Koshiba’s legal services during the
union’s comprehensive review of its
Constitution and By-Laws in 2002 and
2003, Tajiri said. Koshiba has also rendered
legal assistance in other areas
such as HFFA’s logo patent and trademark;
special events agreement with
First Down Promotions and Valley
Productions, Inc.; and the union’s service
agreement with The Royal Insurance
Agency.
Koshiba told the board that as an
officer or director of HFFA, they are
bound by the rules of fairness, loyalty,
honesty and good faith in their relationships,
dealings and management of the
corporation. He also covered the Duty of
Reasonable Care or the Rule of the
“Ordinary Prudent Man.,” which basically
states that “a director must conduct
the business of the corporation with the
same degree of fidelity and care as an
ordinary prudent man would exercise in
the management of his/her own affairs.”
Another important rule Koshiba
reviewed with the board is the business
judgment rule. He informed the board
that the most important duty that is
imposed upon a director or an officer is
the business judgment rule, which states
that “a director or officer of a corporation
who makes a business judgment in
good faith fulfills his/her duty of care if
he/she uses due care and diligence with
respect to the management and administration
of the affairs of the corporation
and in the use or preservation of its
property and assets.”
Explaining about interest
arbitration
Alan Davis, a San Francisco attorney
specializing in labor management
relations with an emphasis in the public
sector and a senior partner with the law
firm of Davis & Reno, represents numerous
firefighter local unions in California
and Hawaii. Tajiri explained that Davis
has represented the HFFA in interest
arbitration since 1975 and during this
period, he has handled a total of eight
arbitration hearings on behalf of Local
1463 members. During Davis’ tenure as a
labor attorney, he has represented fire
fighter unions, police officer associations,
and non-safety unions in more than 60
interest arbitration proceedings in
California and Hawaii.
Davis started his presentation by
posing the question, “Where does the
duty to collectively bargain originate?”
He then proceeded to answer the
question with his presentation:
Hawaii Constitution, Article XII,
Section 2 (prior to 1968) “Persons in public
employment shall have the right to
organize and to present their grievances
and proposals to the State, or any political
subdivision or any department or
agency thereof.”
Hawaii Constitution, Article XII,
Section 2 (after 1968 Constitutional
Convention) . . . [persons] in public
employment shall have the right to organize
for the purpose of collective bargaining
as prescribed by law.”
Davis continued by covering important
sections under Chapter 89
“Collective Bargaining in Public
Employment.” He started with Section
89-1 Statement of Findings and Policy
which: Declares that joint decision-making
is the modern way of administering
government. Recognizes the right of
public employees to organize for the
purpose of collective bargaining.
Requires Public Employers to negotiate
with and enter agreements with exclusive
representatives of designated bargaining
units. Creates a labor relations
board.
Other important Sections covered
were as follows:
89-6 Appropriate Bargaining Units
89-9 Scope of Negotiations;
Consultation
6
89-10 Written Agreements;
Enforceability; Cost Items
89-11 Resolution of Disputes;
Impasses]
89-11(f) Arbitration Criteria
The basics of grievance
handling
If the name Peter Trask sounds
familiar, it should. He began his career as
Members Shoul
Have a Grievanc
How does one tell if a HFFA member is t
some points to consider:
WHAT IS A GRIEVANCE?
Section 18 of the Unit 11 Agreement def
“. . . a complaint filed by the Union, a ba
or on an employee’s behalf by the Union alleg
plication of a specific provision of this Agreem
ring after its effective date. It is agreed that a
Employer or any of its representatives against
shall be subject to this Grievance Procedure. A
resolved in accordance with the provisions set
WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD WE BE
Does Employer’s action:
1. Violate, misinterpret or misapply a te
2. Violate existing house rules, policies/p
3. Violate, or deprive a right or benefit w
future negotiations?
4. Violate statutes, laws?
“JUST CAUSE” GUIDELINE
The basic underlying principle in disciplin
“just cause” for imposing the disciplinary actio
A common test for determining whether
Arbitrator Daugherty in the celebrated Enterp
83). A flat “no” answer to one or more quest
arbitrary, capricious and/or discriminatory in o
abuse of managerial discretion and allowing t
that of the employer.
1. DID MANAGEMENT ADEQUATELY WA
CONSEQUENCES OF HIS CONDUCT?
2. WAS MANAGEMENT’S RULE OR ORDE
TO EFFICIENT AND SAFE OPERATIONS
3. DID MANAGEMENT INVESTIGATE BEF
DISCIPLINE?
4. WAS THE INVESTIGATION FAIR AND O
5. DID THE INVESTIGATION PRODUCE SU
6. WERE THE RULES, ORDERS AND PENA
WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION TO ALL EM
7. WAS THE PENALTY REASONABLY RELA
AND THE PAST RECORD?

Go Through Orientation
a lawyer in 1977 with the law firm of
Fujiyama, Duffy & Fujiyama as an
Associate Attorney. Trask was also a staff
attorney and senior legislative aide for
U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye in the late
70s and early 80s. In the mid-nineties,
Trask was the executive assistant to state
director Gary W. Rodrigues of the United
Public Workers (UPW) Union. He is currently
in private practice with a focus on
representation in grievance arbitration
and cases before the Hawaii Labor
Relations Board (HLRB).
Some of the major topics Mr. Trask
covered during the second day of the
orientation session included an overview
of the Unit 11 Grievance Procedure, “Just
Cause” Guideline, Management Rights,
Duty of Fair Representation,
Consultation and Mutual Consent, and
Chapter 89 Collective Bargaining in the
Public Sector.
“The training provided a great deal
of knowledge, insight and resources to
everyone who attended,” said new Maui
Division Recorder Alma Aiwohi. “These
types of training sessions should be ongoing
and continued throughout the year.”
Added new Hawaii Division
Executive Board Member Lester Inouye,
“The orientation was very interesting
and informative. It is great that the leadership
of the union believes that training
is important and gave us the opportunity
and tools to better represent the membership.”
d Know if They
e at Hand
he victim of a possible grievance? Here are
ines “grievance” as:
rgaining unit employee covered hereunder,
ing a violation, misinterpretation or misapent,
including attachments thereto, occurny
type of disciplinary action taken by the
an employee covered by this Agreement
ll grievances as described above shall be
forth herein.”
ASKING.
m, condition of the contract?
rocedures or “past practices”?
hich the Union may want to document for
ary cases is that the employer must have
n.
“just cause” existed was developed by
rise Wire case (46 LA 359, 1966 and 50 LA
ions indicated that the employer’s action was
ne or more respects, thereby signifying an
he arbitrator to substitute his judgment for
RN THE EMPLOYEE OF THE
R REASONABLY RELATED
?
RE ADMINISTERING THE
BJECTIVE?
BSTANTIAL EVIDENCE OR PROOF OF GUILT?
LTIES APPLIED EVENHANDEDLY AND
PLOYEES?
TED TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE OFFENSE
Business Manager Tajiri
Appointed Trustee to State
Trust Fund (EUTF)
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association
(HFFA) Business Manager Guy Tajiri was
appointed by Gov. Linda Lingle to the
Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits
Trust Fund (EUTF) Board of Trustees.
Brother Tajiri’s name was submitted to
the governor by way of a letter signed
by the Hawaii Government Employees
Association (HGEA), the University of
Hawaii’s Professors Assembly (UHPA), the
United Public Workers (UPW), the Hawaii
State Teachers Association (HSTA), State
of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers
(SHOPO) and HFFA.
His appointment was effective in
January 2006 and runs through January
2009. The Board is comprised of ten
trustees, five representing the public
employers and five representing employee-beneficiaries,
including a retiree representative.
The other current employee representative
trustees include: John H.
Radcliffe (UHPA), Gerald Machida
(Retirees), George Kahoohanohano
(SHOPO), and Elizabeth Ho (HGEA). The
Employer representative trustees are:
Nelson Befitel (Director, Department of
Labor and Industrial Relations), Marie
Laderta (Director, Department of Human
Resources Development), Mark
Reckenwald (Director, Department of
Commerce and Consumer Affairs) and
Stanley Shiraki (Department of Budget
and Finance).
The EUTF is the state agency that
provides eligible state and county
employees and retirees with health and
life insurance benefits. The EUTF is
administered by a board of trustees
(“Board”) who determines the nature
and scope of the benefit plans offered,
negotiates and enters into contracts with
insurance carriers, establishes eligibility
criteria and management policies for the
EUTF, and oversees all EUTF activities.
The open enrollment period will
begin in March 2006 and conclude a
month later. If you have any questions,
EUTF has a website
(http://www.eutf.hawaii.gov/) with helpful
information.
Log On to the
HFFA Website
Want to find out the latest
about what is happening with
the Hawaii Fire Fighters
Association (HFFA)? For
the most up-to-date information
available exclusively to Local
1463 members, log on to HFFA’s
website at www.hawaiifirefighters.org.
Once in, click on the “members
only” section. You will be
prompted with a user name and
password – with the user name
being your first name, underscore
and last name (no spaces).
Your member’s password is your
IAFF (International Association of
Fire Fighters) number.
For your convenience
Personal Exposure Reports
can be completed and submitted
on line at http://www.peronline.org.
Please note the
Honolulu Fire Department will no
longer be accepting PERS on line
through the HFD intranet system.
Please direct all of your PERS to
the website listed above.
7

Voices of Katrina Fire Fighters Heard
at Redmond in October
What was it like for fire fighters
after Hurricane Katrina came ashore on
the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Mississippi
and Alabama on August 29 as a category
four storm, the worst natural disaster in
U.S. history? At the 18th IAFF Redmond
Symposium, General President Harold
Schaitberger and other IAFF leaders and
representatives shared their stories from
before, during and after the storm.
“When Katrina first hit on August
29, I had the same sense that I had on
the morning of Sept. 11, 2001,” IAFF
General President Harold Schaitberger
told the more than 600 members attending
the Redmond event in Honolulu.
“That is trying to get past the images
and reports of a horrible disaster and to
focus on what our responsibility as the
International union should be to our
members and their families who would
clearly need our help.”
Recognizing that the IAFF is neither
FEMA nor the Red Cross,
Schaitberger reported that the IAFF and
its leaders and members had to focus on
responding to help members in need. In
the first days and weeks after Hurricane
Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the
IAFF immediately established a command
response headquarters in Baton
Rouge, Louis., to provide assistance to
the more than 5,000 IAFF members and
their families in Louisiana, Mississippi
and Alabama impacted by the hurricane.
Although many IAFF members
evacuated their families in the days
before the storm, and suffered total
destruction of their personal property
during the storm, they did not leave
their posts, working before, during and
after the hurricane to protect their communities,
evacuate citizens and rescue
those trapped on rooftops or marooned
by floodwaters and assist their communities
– with little or no outside resources
or equipment from state or federal
agencies.
Two weeks after Hurricane Katrina
hit, Schaitberger called a meeting of
local leaders in the Gulf Coast region to
document their experiences in the first
90-120 hours following the storm.
“Many labor issues emerged during
this meeting,” said IAFF 14th District
Vice President Danny Todd, who directed
an IAFF command response headquarters
out of Baton Rouge immediately following
the hurricane. He told the story of
Kenner, LA Local 1427 members who
were admonished by the fire chief for
handing out water to members of their
community in shorts.
“They were given one hour to
check on their homes and told they
would be docked if they were late,”
Brother Todd said. “The chief of Kenner
made our fire fighters cut the grass in
front of the stations when there was no
gas and there were rescues still going on.
We will be meeting with the mayor of
Kenner to let him know that the leadership
in the Kenner Fire Department
needs to be replaced.”
Other concerns, noted Todd,
include threats of layoffs, housing needs
IAFF President Calls for
Congressional Review of
Disaster Response
Just hours after Hurricane Wilma slammed into the southern coast of Florida on
Oct. 24, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Harold
Schaitberger reminded the more than 600 IAFF members attending the 18th Biennial
John P. Redmond Symposium in Honolulu of some of the worst disasters IAFF members
face on a regular basis, from the recent hurricanes and flooding in the Northeast, to the
incredible wildfires in the West and the growing threat of a potentially catastrophic
bird flue.
“The incredible importance of this conference, with its complete and total focus
on the safety, security and health of our members on the frontlines, is reinforced every
single day as you do your job in dangerous circumstances, working in some of the most
adverse conditions,” Schaitberger said.
While fire fighters and paramedics accept the chilling fact of these incidents, and
face these threats with determination and readiness, Schaitberger stressed that it has
never been more important to approach the IAFF health and safety conference with a
more singular focus.
“Knowing what we now know – having learned from all of these experiences, and
having conducted literally thousands of hours of research to learn even more – we can
literally save the lives of IAFF members from what is covered this week.
“We will bring together the IAFF leaders, staff and members who were part of
this union’s response to Katrina and Rita. We will discuss the command and control and
what in fact was its absence. We’ll discuss the immediate needs and resources for preparedness
for our members to do their jobs. We’ll cover the unique dangers that must
be confronted when natural disasters strike.”
Equally important, Schaitberger promised to dig deep into why – when struck by
nature’s fury in this day and age, after multiple disasters from which the government
and command had to draw on – IAFF members still had to stare disaster in the face and
find themselves literally on their own.
“It’s only been a little more than four years ago that our brothers and sisters gave
everything they had in answering the call in a time of great need at the World Trade
Centers and the Pentagon,” he said. “The whole world watched, and was in awe of the
commitment and sacrifice, in a time of incredible confusion and chaos. Reports were
written, recommendations were made, laws were passed, and billions of dollars allotted
and spent to improve preparedness – yet just a few short weeks ago, we revisited those
dark days again, this time at the hands of nature.”
Hurricane Katrina made clear everything that is flawed and ineffective in the government’s
preparedness, and President Schaitberger assured IAFF members that the
International union will demand that Congress commit itself to an open, honest and
objective investigation of the government’s failed response.
“I commit to you that this IAFF will make sure Congress hears the truth, that the
media hears the truth and that America hears the truth,” he said. “We will also demand
answers.”
Knowing there will be countless talk from decision makers but little, if any, meaningful
action, Schaitberger explained that the IAFF will conduct its own review to take
what’s been learned from these tragic events in order to better protect the health and
safety of its members.
“To do that, we are going to do more than just describe what happened; we are
going to prescribe what needs to be done for the future,” Schaitberger said. “It’s our
job to insert ourselves into the political process – into the policy making process and the
program development process – and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
8
and medical monitoring issues.
Concluding his remarks, Todd said,
“What do you tell a member who found
his dad dead in a nursing home? Or
whose entire belongings fit in a gym
bag? All I could say was, ‘We are the
IAFF and we are here to help.’ And for
that they were very grateful.”

The Firefighters’
Fighter is
Remembered
Continued from page 3
Though not technically a cost-ofliving
allowance (COLA), it sounded
enough like one for the state and counties,
“for whom COLA is very much a
four-letter word.” That brought howls
from the union, which said it had been
double-crossed. It also brought repeated
claims from Perry and other union leaders
that the state and counties had but
two choices – either back down and
implement the agreement, or face a
strike.
“If I had that there was a way to
avoid a strike, people wouldn’t have
talked to us,” Perry said. “That’s not the
way to play the game. They (the state
and counties) knew one thing – that we
mean business.”
Following the rejection of the arbitration
award, Perry and Kennedy went
to work on the state legislature. During
the 1976-1978 sessions, Local 1463 put a
full-court press that resulted in a bill
granting a binding arbitration procedure
for firefighters with no strikes allowed
and the eventual signing of the bill into
law by Gov. George Ariyoshi in 1978.
That’s when the idea of union
political action hit upon HFFA’s leadership.
A small public-sector union became
a big-time player in state politics for the
advantage of Local 1463 members..
“A legend in HFD and he had huge
political clout which he rarely flaunted,”
said Leonardi.
Added HFFA President Lee, “Black
was such a blessing to the fire fighters
of this state. He came at a time when his
style of leadership was essential to building
an organization like ours and also to
foster the advancement of our profession.
There was and always will be only
one Black Perry.”
Perry, in the interview with the
Star-Bulletin’s Gomes in 1979, talked
about his view of life as president of
HFFA during the prime of his life and his
perspective of being a rank-and-file firefighter.
“He said he was a better firefighter
than a union president, enjoying the
ladder seat on the yellow wagon,”
writes Gomes in 1979. “No pilots’ seat at
the negotiating table. He said, ‘In fact
that he was pretty sure this would be
the last year as a union president – too
much politics in it, he complains.’”
“I enjoy my job as a firefighter,”
Black was quoted. “I enjoy the people I
work with. I enjoy meeting people. I like
it because it’s the job I do best.”
Perry is survived by wife Stella,
sons Richard and Denniz, daughter Toni
Lee Naone and five grandchildren.
Reflections on Former
HFFA President ‘Black’ Perry
The legacy of Richard “Black” Perry will easily go down as the greatest
in HFFA history. The former president of HFFA gained enormous wage
and lifestyle-benefit increases for Local 1463 members during his 25-year
term, garnering a reputation as a tough, fair negotiator who backed his
membership but could have friends in management.
“I remember attending my first Executive Board meeting in 1994;
clueless of union issues and watching Black and Francis (Kennedy) direct
the meeting,” said current HFFA President Bobby Lee. “I was in awe with
Black, who had the reputation of being the ‘enforcer’ of the two, display
incredible knowledge, experience and insight of union issues, politics,
and a vision for the organization.
“Black’s demeanor commanded respect, but yet also displayed compassion.
I clearly remember walking out of that first meeting thinking,
‘Wow… What is this thing, union, that I just stepped into?’ This is a big
deal. I need to learn more.’ Black was that dynamic.”
HFFA attorney Dennis Chang, who worked with Perry since 1984,
said his relationship with Black took a turn when the captain and his firefighters
responded to a 911 call.
“Shortly after that, I had the great pleasure of working with him
and Francis Kennedy,” Chang said. “Black responded to a 911 call at my
home and had the MICT rush me to Queen’s Hospital for my nearly fatal
heart condition.”
Chang continues, “I enjoyed every occasion Black asked me to represent
the union and firefighters. For someone without a formal education,
Black nevertheless played a seminal role in my development as a labor
attorney.”
Chang says Perry taught him that “good lawyering is to get to the
point and leave the witness alone. He was always compassionate and
understanding as I moved along my career even when I was not 100 percent
correct. I will always miss him and grateful to him for saving my life
and giving me the opportunity to work on behalf of the union. Thank
you, Black.”
Former HFD Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi recalls that Black
Perry had a presence to him.
“When I first met him I expected this big legendary tough guy to
shake my hand and be prepared that he would crush my hand into
pieces,” Leonardi said. “But no. He gave me a totally limp handshake
totally not what I expected. But I guess that was part of his persona to
keep everyone off balance so you could never figure him out.”
Black Perry’s reputation even extended to the mainland, where he
established many friendships with other IAFF officers. The
January/February 2006 issue of the Los Angeles Firefighter even ran an
obituary honoring Perry. The editor of the official publication of the
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC), Local 112, noted that
“our two locals have always been very close; any time we got together, it
was a celebration.”
“I well remember our local hosting the IAFF Convention,” writes Jim
Perry. “We had a special party for our Hawaiian brothers at a tavern that
UFLAC Director Joe Corcoran (now deceased) owned in Mission Hills. Black
was a big man, with an even bigger heart. It was quite a sight to see Black
preparing food and drink. He handled a machete like a surgeon’s knife
when chopping through a pineapple, other fruits and vegetables.
Any time he got out that machete, I would take a few steps back. I
can still hear him laugh and reassure me. ‘Hey brudda, us Perrys always
watch out for each other… you’re safe.’ Black will be fondly remembered
by all who knew him. Our hearts and prayers are with his family and
brothers and sisters in Local 1463.”
9

General President Schaitberger
Visits Paawa Station
After his election to the top position of the IAFF, General
President Harold Schaitberger started a tradition of stopping by
fire stations whenever possible for a meal and a “talk story session”
around the dining room table. During the 18th John P.
Redmond Symposium held in Hawaii last October, Pawaa Station
2 became President Schaitberger’s 156th station visit, and a first
for Hawaii. Before sitting down for lunch, President Schaitberger
was given a tour of the station and the equipment on the apparatuses.
“This is our General Presidents’ way of learning firsthand
how our members are being taken care of both in the station and
on the scene,” said HFFA President Bobby Lee, who accompanied
General President Schaitberger to Station 2. While having lunch
with our members, Schaitberger answered questions from our
members and also touched on subjects such as his own personal
background, the direction of the IAFF, the importance of labormanagement
relations and his involvement with the International
Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). He stressed the importance of
working together with the Fire Administrations and local leaders
to secure and improve funding for the respective fire departments
and necessary training programs for Local 1463 members.
10

‘Survivor’ Winner Delivers
Redmond Keynote
Recognized everywhere as the sole survivor and winner of
$1 million in the CBS television series, “Survivor: Palau,” (see last
issue of The Hawaii Fire Fighter), Tom Westman, a member of
the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and IAFF Local 854, told
the more than 600 IAFF members attending the 18th Biennial
John P. Redmond Symposium in Honolulu on Oct. 24 that it was
immediately obvious to his “Survivor” competitors that he was a
fire fighter.
For 39 days, Westman outwitted, outplayed and outlasted
20 competitors to win the 10th season of the popular reality
television show. Shamelessly displaying his strength from the
beginning, Westman neither hid who he was nor deceived any of
his tribe mates on his way to victory – a rare strategy for the
series, characterized by lies and deception.
“That I was a fire fighter was evident in the way I conducted
myself,” Westman said. “It’s just who we are and what we
do.” For example, he said, “I came to ‘Survivor’ prepared. I
brought my ‘A’ game. You can’t get off the rig with your ‘B’
game, and I didn’t go into ‘Survivor’ with my ‘B’ game.”
Not knowing which skills he’d need, he prepared physically
by getting back in shape – running and swimming. His mental
preparation involved significant research about the game.
“It’s how we study,” Westman said. “You don’t know which
skills you need when you get off the rig, so you have to size up
the situation. For me, it started when I knew I was getting on
the show and going to Palau. It came naturally to me because of
the job.”
In Palau, Westman’s leadership skills quickly emerged.
Advised by his wife and others not to reveal his leadership qualities
(those who do always get voted off), Westman could not
hide the spirit of teamwork and natural leadership abilities that
come from being a fire fighter.
Nobody goes home
“Who better to take advantage of the people we live,
sleep and work with than a fire fighter,” Westman said. His rallying
speech – a twist on a fire service mantra – was “Nobody goes
home.” In truth, he simply wanted to make sure everyone else
went home before he did. “I only had one shot to get it right –
not unlike the fire service,” he noted.
Still, Westman maintained his integrity throughout the
“Survivor” experience.
“I knew wearing the FDNY shirt I would be held to a different
standard, so I made sure I didn’t make promises I knew I
would break or alliances I couldn’t keep,” he said. “When things
got ugly, I knew there was no quitting. I wouldn’t go to the fire
chief and tell him, ‘Hey, there’s still a few rooms burning in
there, maybe someone else can finish putting out the fire.’ As a
fire fighter, you get the job done.”
In the fire service, this can-do attitude creates a sense of
responsibility to each other and the community. “We can’t play
with half measure,” stressed Westman. This is a culture that both
inspires and empowers fire fighters, and also endangers them.
Westman told of responding to a call and finding himself
unable to find his way out of a burning building.
“I knew I should call for help, but I didn’t,” he said. “I was
more afraid of looking foolish in front of the other companies
than dying. We’re not a cautious lot, but the difference between
a near miss and a fire department funeral is paper thin. We don’t
always recognize the importance of those moments.”
In the game of “Survivor,” Westman used risk analysis to
determine what would get him farther.
“The same tactic can help keep us safe,” he said. “Risk a lot
to save a savable life; risk a little to save property; and risk nothing
to save life or property that’s already lost. We’ve chosen a
job that’s dangerous, and we need to practice safeguards. We
owe it to our brothers and sisters who’ve made the ultimate payment
to understand what went wrong and make the job safer.
We are our brothers and sisters keepers.”
11

HFFA Members Yee and Supranovich Receive
Award at Surf Session
Hawaii Fire Fighter Association
(HFFA) members Brian Yee and Frank
Supranovich shared a special award honoring
the outstanding contestant of The
2006 Safety and Rescue Specialist Surf
Session held Jan. 14-15 at Pyramid Rock
at Kaneohe Marine Corp. Base. All told,
some 23 Local 1463 members or family
members participated in the event,
which drew a total of 44 contestants.
“The goal of the contest is to promote
camaraderie among the different
departments that have anything to do
with public safety or rescue/life safety,”
said Local 1463 member Jeff Barbieto,
the organizer of the session.
Barbieto says the special award
won by Yee and Supranovich was named
for a federal fire fighter who had a
heart attack while surfing on base at
North Beach.
“This year, both Brian and Frank
got the award for their fun and stylish
‘jiu jitsu’ style of body boarding,”
Barbieto said. “They were out there
doing flips, barrel rolls over each other,
tackling and jumping on each other.
They had everyone in stitches on the
beach.”
Barbieto would like to extend a
warm mahalo to a number of sponsors
that made the event a great success
including HFFA, Quicksilver, Da Hui,
Volcom, Da Kine, Electric, Pamalu Bed
Liners, Mike Waggoner Photography,
Kaholo Screen Printing, Lucy’s Grill and
Bar, Hinano, Town and Country, Turbo
Surf, Hawaiian Fire, Surfco, Garden and
Valley Ilse Seafood, Gordon Hansen
Shapes, JJ Seafood Kaneohe, Zia’s
Restaurant Kailua, Yohimbe Energy
Drink and Maui Drinks.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKE WAGGONER
The Hawaii
An Official Publication of the
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage
Paid
Honolulu, Hawaii
Permit No. 59
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association
IAFF Local 1463, AFL-CIO
2305 S. Beretania Street, Room 202
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826