Fire Levy Lid Lift

On August 1, 2023, the citizens of South Kitsap Fire and Rescue (SKFR) will be asked to vote on restoring the District’s Fire Levy. Fire district levies are not new taxes. This is a renewal of the current fire levy that was approved in 2017. If approved by the majority of SKFR voters, the fire levy would restore to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The $0.41 increase to the current levy rate of $1.09 would be used to hire Firefighter EMTs and Firefighter Paramedics to add to the current daily staffing of 19.

The $0.41 over the six-year restored levy will provide:

• Additional Firefighter EMTs and Firefighter Paramedics on duty every day
• 24-hour staffing at Station 10 – Banner Road
• Faster response times to emergencies
• Improved community and firefighter safety

In 2013, SKFR began staffing 19 Firefighter EMTs and Firefighter Paramedics, when our call volume was less than 9,000 per year. Over the last 10 years, as the community has grown, so too has the need for our services represented by a 55% increase in call volume, while our daily staffing has remained the same. The results are slower response times, fewer available fire engines and ambulances to respond to simultaneous calls, delayed care to the community, and increased risk and injury for our personnel.

Without the $0.41 to restore the levy, SKFR and the community face:

• Fewer Firefighter EMTs and Firefighter Paramedics on duty every day beginning in 2024
• The potential of station closures
• Slower response times
• The potential loss of automatic and mutual aid from neighboring fire departments

SKFR conducted 10 town hall style meetings in March of 2023, with nine in-person opportunities at various locations throughout the fire district, and one virtual. The insight gained from these town halls was then shared with the Citizens Advisory Group over two additional meetings, resulting in recommending and supporting the levy restoration.

We take our mission of “doing the work our community needs with purpose, performing as a team of professionals, always evaluating, always improving” seriously. Regardless of their role within our organization, all the professionals and volunteers are proud to serve our community and are committed to providing the best service possible. As our community continues to grow, so too must SKFR. Let’s grow together!