Proposal will appear on the August 6, 2024, primary election ballot

Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue invites the community to learn more about the fire levy lid lift that will be on the August 6, 2024, primary election ballot. The lid lift would fund additional firefighters to respond to higher call volumes and replace aging apparatus.

Residents are encouraged to attend one of two public meetings hosted by Fire Chief Jason Christian to ask questions and learn more:

Saturday, July 20, at 10 a.m., at Station 41 (7600 Old Military Road NE, Bremerton)
Monday, July 22, at 6 p.m., online via Microsoft Teams at www.ckfr.org
Call volumes have increased 39 percent in the past six years. Last year, the fire district responded to 11,384 calls – 68 percent which were for medical emergencies.

“We’re stretched thin,” says Chief Christian. “We need to hire more firefighters and paramedics to maintain the level and quality of emergency services that residents require.”

CKFR has a history of good financial stewardship, having passed all independent and accountability audits, but revenue from the fire levy is not keeping up with demand for and costs to provide services.

CKFR is asking voters to consider returning the fire levy from $1.34 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $1.50, which is the levy rate voters approved in 2019.

The $0.16 levy lid lift will fund up to six firefighter/paramedics over the next six years, allowing the district to staff additional stations (Lake Symington and Olympic View) 24 hours a day and reduce response times districtwide. The district also plans to replace an ambulance and refurbish three fire engines, as well as improve firefighter and paramedic training programs to ensure emergency personnel have the most current lifesaving skills.

The lid lift would cost the owner of a $500,000 home an additional $6.67 per month or $80 per year.

Learn more at one of the upcoming public meetings or at www.ckfr.org. Chief Christian also welcomes your questions at jchristian@ckfr.org and 360-447-3550.

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Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue provides fire and emergency medical services to 74,800 residents over 115 square miles. In 2023, the fire district responded to 11,384 calls – of which 68 percent were EMS-related. Call volumes have increased 39 percent over the past six years. The district’s emergency personnel are highly trained to provide services for fire suppression and prevention, EMS, technical rescue, hazardous material spills, vehicle accidents and extrication, and fire and life safety education programs.

The Board of Fire Commissioners passed a resolution to place a fire levy lid lift on the August 6, 2024, primary election ballot. The lid lift would fund additional firefighters to respond to higher call volumes and replace aging apparatus.
Call volumes have increased by 39 percent in the past six years. Last year, the fire district responded to 11,384 calls – of which 68 percent were for medical emergencies (EMS). Revenue from the district’s current fire levy is not keeping up with higher call volumes and costs to provide service.
Additional firefighters and paramedics are needed to maintain the level and quality of emergency services the community requires. Some emergency apparatus has also reached the end of its usable life and needs to be replaced to ensure service reliability when responding to calls.
If approved by voters, the fire levy lid lift will fund:
• Up to six firefighters over the next six years – allowing the district to staff two additional stations (Lake Symington and Olympic View) 24 hours a day and reduce response times across the district
• Replace an ambulance that has reached the end of its usable life
• Refurbish up to three engines, saving taxpayers up to $2 million as opposed to buying new ones
• Improve firefighter and paramedic training programs
The lid lift would also fund the CARES program to reduce non-emergency calls to 911 and improve service for residents. CARES is a program that helps assist community members with issues before they become emergencies.
The fire district is asking voters to return the fire levy from $1.34 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $1.50, which is the levy rate voters approved in 2019. The $0.16 lid lift would cost the owner of a $500,000 home an additional $6.67 per month or $80 per year.
Find more information at www.ckfr.org. Fire Chief Jason Christian also welcomes your questions at jchristian@ckfr.org and 360-447-3550.

“We operate under a balanced budget to fund emergency services,” fire chief says

Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue adopted its 2024 budget. The fire district operates under a balanced budget and its funding decisions are guided by a strategic plan, which identifies the operational and capital needs to provide fire and EMS to the community.

The strategic plan is approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners who are locally elected to represent the community’s priorities. All board meetings are open to the public and meeting information can be found on the fire district’s website.

“Transparency and accountability are key to maintaining public trust,” Fire Chief Jason Christian said. “We report to you and believe it is critical for our community to understand how we are funded. This is a partnership to save lives and property and we are grateful for the community’s support.”

How we fund emergency services
Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue (CKFR) funds its daily operations through a fire levy capped at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. In 2019, voters approved a fire levy rate of $1.50. Since then, the levy rate has dropped to $1.34.

“There is a common misconception that revenue for the fire district increases annually by the same amount as assessed property values,” Chief Christian said. “That is not the case.”
State law limits fire districts to a set amount of revenue per year plus a small increase approved by voters. Even if property values double, the fire district can only collect approximately the same amount from the previous year plus that small increase approved by voters.

This is called “levy compression” and impacts the fire district’s ability to provide emergency services.

“Revenue from our current fire levy of $1.34 is not keeping up with higher call volumes and costs to provide service,” Chief Christian said. “We need additional personnel to respond to calls.”

Calls have increased by 39 percent in the last six years. In 2023, the fire district responded to over 11,300 calls – and the majority of those calls, 68 percent, were for medical emergencies.

CKFR is considering asking voters to return the fire levy rate to $1.50 in the August primary election.

The $0.16 lid lift would fund additional emergency personnel to respond to higher call volumes and maintain the level and quality of emergency response the community requires. The fire district also needs to replace apparatus to ensure service reliability when responding to calls.

Stretching tax dollars further
The fire district applies for grants and works with neighboring agencies to share costs. The fire district prefers a “pay as you go” method for capital items – such as apparatus – through the regular fire levy instead of borrowing money, which costs taxpayers more in interest payments.

Additionally, the fire levy funds the CARES program to reduce non-emergency calls to 911 and improve service for residents. CARES is a program that helps assist community members with issues before they become more expensive emergencies.

In addition to operating under a balanced budget, the fire district maintains adequate emergency reserves and has passed all its independent financial and accountability audits. These strong financial practices earned CKFR an AA+ credit rating, which is one of the highest possible ratings.

Just before 1:00 am this morning, CKFR crews were dispatched to a residential structure fire in the 7300 block of Morning View Avenue NE.
New Year’s Eve fireworks had been swept up and put into garbage can placed against the house.
The can caught fire and ignited the side of the structure. It was extinguished by the homeowner and responding units.
There were no injuries and the fire damage was contained to the exterior of the home.
Bremerton Fire Department provided mutual aid.

12:06 AM: Dispatched to a residential structure fire (pictured) in the 10000 block of Brush Arbor Lane NW, Seabeck.
Initial information indicated the occupants, a family of 5 that includes a baby, had evacuated safely.
It appears to have started as a chimney fire that extended into the home, causing fire and smoke damage.
Red Cross was not dispatched as the occupants said they have family in the area.
The County Fire Marshal responded and will investigate the exact cause.
Mutual aid was provided by Navy Region Northwest and Bremerton Fire.

1:42 AM: A commercial structure fire call came in for the Vintage At Silverdale. Crews responded to find that food left in the oven of one of the apartments had burnt badly enough to cause several floors of the tower to become smoky.
Residents had self evacuated. The structure was ventilated and occupants were able to return to their units.
Mutual aid was provided by Navy Region Northwest.