What's Being Discussed

The Hawaii State Fire Council is holding its first quarterly meeting of Fiscal Year 2027 on August 4, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Honolulu Fire Department Headquarters. The meeting can also be attended remotely via Webex or phone. Topics include:

• Firecracker sales rules: The council will continue reviewing whether sellers of firecrackers must hold a Certificate of Fitness (COF). Part of this discussion may happen in a closed session with the council's attorney.
• Fire Protection Systems certification: Ongoing review of testing and exam requirements for people who work on fire protection systems.
• Restaurant kitchen hood cleaning: Discussion of certification requirements for businesses that clean commercial kitchen hoods, which are a common fire hazard.
• Hawaii State Fire Code changes: Possible updates to the state fire code are under consideration.
• National fire standards updates: Updates from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Code Council (ICC).
• Plug-in solar (photovoltaic) systems: New topic addressing fire safety concerns related to plug-in solar panels.
• 2026 Summer Wildfire Season: A briefing on current wildfire conditions and activity.
• New HI-EMA administrator: Introduction of David Lopez, the new head of Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency.

Decisions Expected

• Approval of minutes from the previous quarterly meeting held on May 19, 2026
• Possible actions or policy decisions on firecracker seller requirements and fire code amendments

Who Should Pay Attention

• Firecracker and fireworks sellers affected by potential licensing requirements
• Restaurant owners and kitchen hood cleaning businesses
• Fire protection system contractors and inspectors
• Homeowners with plug-in solar panels
• Anyone interested in wildfire safety or statewide fire code policy