Chief bars retired firefighters from HQ

A rift between organizations representing firefighters and former firefighters widened Wednesday with Honolulu Fire Chief Kenneth Silva joining the finger-pointing.

Former Honolulu Fire Chief Donald Chang, president of the nonprofit Hono­lulu Fire Department Retirees Association, accused the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association and Silva of retaliating against his group for endorsing former Gov. Ben Cayetano in his bid to become mayor.

Chang, with Cayetano and his supporters behind him, said at a news conference in front of the HFD Headquarters in Kakaako that Silva barred the retirees group from using Fire Department facilities, including the headquarters where they have been holding meetings for years.

But Silva, at his own news conference a short time later, said the decision to no longer allow retirees on HFD property was not motivated by the Cayetano endorsement. He pointed out that his letter to Chang was sent in February, months before the Cayetano endorsement, which came in mid-May.

He said the letter rather came days after the retirees endorsed Linda Lingle in the U.S. Senate race.

Silva said his decision was made because the group had ignored previous warnings that it could not use Fire Department property if it continued to make political endorsements. The department is expected to remain neutral on political contests, Silva said.

Chang also berated the firefighters union for a series of letters that took a tough tone in criticizing the retirees group for endorsing Cayetano. One signed by firefighters union President Bobby Lee to Chang called on the retirees to retract their endorsement of Cayetano.

“Failure to do so will validate that it was your intention that the Retirees Association and its members endorse candidates that support anti-worker retiree initiatives,” Lee told them.

A fire chief under Mayor Frank Fasi, Chang said it was clear the actions were the result of the Cayetano endorsement.

“They’re afraid of what he’s going to do,” Chang said.

His group endorsed Cayetano because the former governor is committed to helping retirees, Chang said.

Cayetano said it was a shame that retired firefighters are being barred.

“The HFD’s retaliation against the retirees is mind boggling,” Cayetano said in a statement earlier. “Retired firefighters like former Chief Donald Chang built the Ho­nolulu Fire Department into one of the finest in the nation. My grandson is a firefighter and I am proud of him and all of the rank-and-file firefighters — but I find it sad and disrespectful that the current leaders of the HFFA have retaliated against the retirees simply because they endorsed me. This is like throwing one’s parents out of their own house.”

Chang said the policy to allow the retirees group to use HFD facilities was approved by him when he was a deputy fire chief and he questioned why the group is being turned away this year.

Meanwhile, Lee said at a third news conference that he sent letters to Chang both because the union was bothered not just by retirees’ endorsement of Cayetano, but by what appeared to be a lack of a formal procedure for picking candidates to endorse.

“It’s not a retaliation, it’s an ask,” Lee said.

Cayetano, meanwhile “caused a lot of heartache” for firefighters and retirees as governor, he said. The union is endorsing former city Managing Director Kirk Caldwell for mayor.

Lee also questioned whether Chang’s group is allowed to make endorsements due to laws barring nonprofits receiving federal tax exemptions from political activities.

A search of online Internal Revenue Service databases did not identify the retirees as being a federally designated nonprofit.

Chang said he did not know whether his group is eligible for federal exemptions.

The retirees group is listed as a nonprofit by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Business Registration Division website.

Chang said the retirees began making endorsements in 2002.

Asked why they did not call into question the political activities of the retirees group before, both Silva and Lee said they had been trying to be deferential and respectful of a group whose leadership is composed largely of former chiefs such as Chang.