Kitsap County Fire District 7 is asking South Kitsap residents served by South Kitsap Fire and Rescue to approve a bond measure to issue $4.9 million in general obligation funds through Proposition 1, which would be collected from excess property taxes annually over five years.
The proposition would authorize the fire district to upgrade its apparatus, and fire and safety equipment.
A challenging time
SKFR is struggling to maintain its current level of firefighting and emergency-response services for more than 72,000 residents in South Kitsap, Fire Chief Steven Wright said.
In fact, the challenges SKFR faces to adequately cover 117 square miles of the district often keeps him awake some nights.
“Essential services are at risk,” Wright said.
“This last year, SKFR made some difficult decisions that included reducing its career staff by 12 firefighters and EMTs, modifying staff deployments and closing three stations.”
Wright’s primary concern has been the district’s aging equipment and apparatus, which are either at the end of their operational life — or well beyond it.
It’s been seven years since the last piece of new equipment was purchased, Wright said. Of the current fleet of 13 fire engines, Wright said six are more than 25 years old. Two are more than 15 years old and four are more than 10 years old.