Volunteer Information

Community Service
At Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue, our primary mission is the protection of lives and property. We recognize that our agency is funded through tax dollars, and that each one of us — volunteer or paid — is accountable to the public. So, achieving our mission involves more than fire prevention and public education, firefighting and emergency medical operations; it requires a deep commitment to community service.

Benefits and Rewards
Every day, our members are involved in activities that make a difference in peoples' lives. Whether their actions include teaching children about fire safety, fighting fires, performing CPR, or supporting teams who provide those functions — fire department personnel gain great satisfaction from their work. There are other benefits to service. Members receive training and continuing education, and active members participate in a retirement and savings program. And, while many volunteers are motivated only by their interest in serving the community, some members view their participation as a foundation for a fire service career. Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue has produced numerous career members from the ranks of our volunteers.

Commitment
Fire department membership, while exciting and rewarding, requires a significant commitment from the volunteer and his/her family. Driven by our department's emphasis on firefighter safety and quality service, many hours of initial training are required before a member can respond to calls. Once qualified, volunteers are expected to maintain their qualifications by attending training and answering alarms on a regular basis.

Training Requirements

Position Initial Training On-Going Training

Firefighter 110 hours At least 8 hours per month

EMT 114 hours At least 3 hours per month

How to Become a Volunteer Firefighter
Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue Volunteer Firefighter program allows the citizens within our district boundaries to participate in the fire service and assist their community at the same time. Filling out an inquiry card identifying your areas of interest is all it takes to get started and it can be obtained from Station 41 (7600 Old Military Rd NE, Bremerton) or Station 51 (10955 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale) or the Administration Building (5300 NW Newberry Hill Road, Suite 101, Silverdale). Inquiry cards are then held on file until the next available Recruit Academy. Typically, Recruit Academies are held twice each year, in April and September. The District Training Officer will host an orientation meeting prior to the academy to discuss time commitments, schedules and answer any questions.

Candidates will then be notified of the date, time, and location of both a written and physical ability entrance examinations. The written test is a general knowledge exam designed to measure an applicant's math and reading comprehension skills as well as mechanical aptitude. The physical ability test evaluates the candidate's strength and stamina for the tasks a firefighter is required to perform. Click here to read more about volunteer firefighter testing.

Candidates that pass both the written and physical ability exams will then be scheduled to attend a 110-hour Recruit Academy. The academy is held on Tuesday and Thursday nights and all day Saturday and Sunday for approximately 7 weeks. Students will be taught the basics of firefighting and a basic medical first aid class.

Upon completion of the academy, new members will be assigned to a fire station closest to their residence and will start attending drills on Wednesday nights. They will be contacted when an incident happens in their assigned area and to respond to their station.

If you would like more information on volunteering, please contact our Training Officer:

Paul Stewart

or send a letter with your name, address, and phone number so that we can notify you of our next orientation meeting. Send your information to:

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