SILVERDALE — Six new CKFR firefighters have been busy attending orientation for the past week and were recently given their Oath of Office at the Board of Fire Commissioners meeting.

Four of the new hires will be attending the Washington State Fire Training Academy in North Bend and will graduate at the end of July. The remaining two hires have previously completed training and will start working on shift next week.

“We’d like to thank the citizens of Central Kitsap for supporting the maintenance and operations levy this past November, making these new hires a possibility,” CKFR said in a press statement.

Once all six fire fighters are working on shift it will allow for increased staffing of career fire fighters at the Chico fire station, Station 64, thus improving current response times.