Chief Dan Smith and Captain Toby Schultz from the North Kitsap Fire & Rescue attended Boy Scout Troop 1555’s weekly meeting to discuss disaster response and possible service projects to help with emergency preparedness in our area.

Commissioner Gillian Gregory, who is also a Scout Parent, arranged for the meeting. Emergency preparedness, she pointed out, is in accord with scouting’s guiding motto “Be Prepared.”

The Troop has always emphasized work on merit badges that enhance emergency preparedness. At Camp Parsons last summer, the Scouts worked on Emergency Preparedness and First Aid merit badges, and the trooop is currently working on Emergency Preparedness and Fire Safety merit badges.

Jeff Boyce, scoutmaster for Troop 1555, pointed out how other troops helped their local communities during the last major flood. One troop stood by to help evacuate a nursing home if it became necessary; another troop filled and delivered sandbags from the troop’s staging area to help reduce flood damage.

Troop 1555 is now reviewing a community service plan proposed by Gillian Gregory. The Troop will determine what services they could provide to support NKFR efforts locally.

Troop 1555 will have a Food Drive at Albertsons on March 21 and 22 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.,and will hold another service project — filling sand bags for flood abatement — at NKFR’s headquarters on March 21 and 22 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Additionally, Troop 1555 will have a table at the Kingston Open House at the Kingston Middle School on March 18, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.