A late South Kitsap resident’s wish to aid those who once cared for him was fulfilled in grand fashion July 23 with SK Fire and Rescue ceremoniously unveiling a state-of-the-art addition to its EMT fleet purchased entirely through donated assets.

Ron Johnson’s appreciation for SKF&R had already been strong, his brother Jerry having served as a volunteer firefighter in the 70s and his family demonstrating decades of support before that. That appreciation would grow substantially when he took a nasty fall in December 2006, prompting his life partner Robert Roblee to call 911.

A letter of appreciation written by Johnson in 2007 notes he suffered two fractured ribs and a punctured lung when he slipped on a patch of ice in his driveway. A crew was dispatched from the Firecrest Station, arrived within minutes and administered treatment that aided Johnson’s eventual recovery.

“The personnel literally saved my life, and I will be forever grateful for their expertise and kindness in rushing me to Harrison Hospital,” Johnson wrote. “I don’t think I would have made it much longer if they had not arrived here and taken the steps necessary to save me.”

His gratitude for the service rendered to him went beyond words, going so far as to bequeath some of his own property to be transferred to and sold by SKF&R upon his death in order to fund a new ambulance. Following Johnson’s passing on May 7, 2021, the sale rose roughly $450,000 according to SKF&R chief Jeff Faucett, with just under $369,000 being used to acquire said ambulance and the associated equipment.

Roblee returned to Pilgrim Firs to celebrate the awaited fulfillment of the shared agreement with SKF&R and his late partner just two days short of the three-year mark of Johnson’s celebration of life at that very site. With the on-site Pride Garden created in Johnson’s memory behind him and the new ambulance to his left, Roblee declared to the attendees of a brief ceremony, “South Kitsap Fire and Rescue gave Ron 15 more years of life…and for me 15 more years of love.”

The ambulance is being considered a first-of-its-kind acquisition for SK, Faucett saying it is the only 4×4 ambulance currently owned by the department. A second 4×4 is expected to enter the fleet sometime this fall, something lieutenant Terry Geiselman believes will be a game-changer during the winter months given the large pockets of rural living.

“We get the wet, sloppy stuff that is just the worst to drive in. That was a big driving factor in getting what we got, making sure we don’t get stuck out there,” he said.

The new equipment to be stored in the ambulance is also being described as “state-of-the-art”. Geiselman added that ambulance loads are not getting any lighter, and the opportunity to redesign the box to fit department needs was equally crucial. “The more advances and technology changes, the more equipment we carry. So we have some compartments now to put that stuff in.”

SKF&R’s commitment to ambulance refurbishing means the “gift from Johnson and Roblee of Southworth” could be utilized for many years.

“Johnson’s first box is going to be here for many, I could say decades,” Faucett predicted. “It’s going to be here for a long time.”

A look inside SKF&R’s newest “state-of-the-art” ambulance.

Robert Roblee reads a letter written by Johnson thanking SKF&R and its staff for medical assistance given to Johnson in 2006.