DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kenneth Silva became the 33rd chief of the Honolulu Fire Department yesterday as outgoing Chief Attilio Leonardi handed over command in a ceremony at Honolulu Hale. Silva was all smiles as his cousin, Louise Lum, hugged him after the ceremony.
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New fire chiefs take posts
Kenneth Silva and his deputy, Alvin Tomita, praise the past leaders
Two men credited with bringing the Honolulu Fire Department into the 21st century said good-bye to the career they loved so much, and welcomed their replacements yesterday.
Outgoing Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi retired after 35 years of service, and Deputy Fire Chief John Clark retired with 33 years of service. Both were honored during a change-of-command ceremony at Honolulu Hale, where Kenneth Silva was named the new chief and Alvin Tomita became the new deputy chief.
"The direction of Chief Leonardi and Chief Clark was tremendous," Silva said. "Under them, the department grew in leaps and bounds ... especially after 9/11. We're very fortunate to be in the department at this period of history."
Tomita said that since the World Trade Center attacks, fire departments across the nation have been thrust into a greater role of protecting their communities -- and that means being prepared to fight more than just fires.
"The Fire Department is a different place than when I began 30 years ago," Tomita said. "We carry a lot more responsibility today as first responders."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
City clerk Denise De Costa, left, administered the oath of office to Chief Kenneth Silva and Deputy Chief Alvin Tomita.
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Leonardi had actually tried to retire three years ago but was given an extension by the Honolulu Fire Commission to stay beyond HFD's 32-year career limit. The extension allowed Leonardi to finish many tasks he started, including national accreditation for HFD and overseeing the construction of a permanent headquarters for the department in Kakaako.
When asked what he will do now that his retirement is finally in the works, Leonardi said he's just going to play "catch-up" with his family.
"Going to probably take three to six months off and regroup," he said. "We bought a house and we're going to fix it up. After that, we'll see."
Clark, an accomplished waterman and writer, appears to have no plans to slow down. During his busy career with HFD, Clark managed to write and publish six books on Hawaii's beaches and Hawaiian place names. He's expecting a seventh book to be published on ulua fishermen after he retires and wants to publish three more.
But even with the promise of more to come, Clark said he will miss his 30-year career with the HFD.
"It's the best job in the world," he said.
Tomita, a Kaimuki High School and University of Hawaii graduate, was an assistant fire chief before his promotion. Since 1998, he handled HFD's budget as well as labor and union issues.
Silva, a Kamehameha School graduate, holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Hawaii. He began his HFD career in 1981 and worked his way up the ranks from firefighter to captain to battalion chief before becoming assistant chief in 2002. Silva was named the Fire Department's Manager of the Year in 2001.