"The Hawaii Fire Fighters Association (HFFA Local 1463) is an affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), AFL-CIO. Since 1963, HFFA Local 1463 has been the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all City, State and County fire fighters in Hawai'i. Its primary role is to negotiate and administer the collective bargaining agreement which governs the terms and conditions of fire fighter employment while handling grievances, and perform labor-related and legislative activities in the interest of its members. The IAFF is the driving force behind nearly every advance in the fire and emergency services in the 21st century. With headquarters in Washington, DC, and Ottawa, Ontario, the IAFF represents more than 313,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in more than 3,200 affiliates. IAFF members protect more than 85 percent of the population in communities throughout the United States and Canada. The IAFF is also one of the most active lobbying organizations in Washington, DC. The IAFF Political Action Committee, FIREPAC, is among the top one-half of one percent of the nearly 6,000 federally registered PACs in the country. It is an undeniable fact that among labor organizations, HFFA and its parent union, the IAFF, are second to none when it comes to membership representation. Whether at the bargaining table or in the legislative halls of Washington, D.C.; from the county council to the Fire Chief's office; in the courts and throughout the 50th state, Hawai'i's fire fighters are ably represented. You can count on HFFA Local 1463 members to bravely protect lives and property knowing that their Union is looking out for them. Because when seconds count, saving a life is all that matters."