On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, Mayor Rick Blangiardi joins host Brandi Higa to talk about fallen Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) fire fighter Jeff Fiala, the effort to prevent the next fireworks disaster, following a deadly blast on New Year’s Eve, and the Mayor’s Inauguration Ceremony.
Fallen HFD Fire Fighter Jeff Fiala
On the evening of January 6, 2025, Honolulu Fire fighter Jeff Fiala was killed in the line-of-duty battling a house fire in McCully.
Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon K. Hao released the following statement in-part following the tragedy: “Jeff was a dedicated member of the Honolulu Fire Department for about a year and a half. He was a courageous fire fighter who served our community with honor.”
On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, Mayor Blangiardi talks about his conversation with Chief Hao and the Fiala ‘ohana as they reflected on Jeff’s remarkable character and passion for the Department.
Illegal Fireworks in the City and County of Honolulu
Just days before, dozens of Honolulu’s first responders were called to the scene of a deadly fireworks blast in Salt Lake. Four individuals have died from the incident so far with dozens still recovering in hospitals.
“These people suffering in the hospitals are going to be in there for a long time,” added Mayor Blangiardi. “We owe it to them, their families. We owe it to this community to do everything we can to minimize illegal aerial fireworks.”
Mayor Blangiardi goes on to say that his Administration will be looking at implementing new technology at Honolulu’s seaports.
2025 Inauguration Ceremony
On January 2, 2025, an inauguration ceremony was held for Mayor Blangiardi’s second term at the Mission Memorial Auditorium on the Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds next to Honolulu Hale. In his inauguration address, the mayor outlined his vision for his team over the next four years – not in terms of policy goals, but mindset moving forward.
“It’s about what we expect and demand from ourselves,” said Mayor Blangiardi. “And with the public’s demand that we know what we need to do, we want to exceed their expectations. It’s about deliverables.”
To view Mayor Blangiardi’s full inauguration address, visit https://youtu.be/DzfFAwGypUE
