Help your neighbors, be a part of a top-notch team and learn valuable skills by joining your fire department’s volunteer program.
We are recruiting candidates for an upcoming volunteer firefighter training academy that will be held on weekends and weeknights, starting in late February and wrapping up in late June with Firefighter I and Hazardous Materials Operations certification. You must be older than 18, have a clean criminal and driving record, and pass a physical ability test as well as a physician’s exam.
Don’t want to be a firefighter? How about serving as a water tender operator? These valuable volunteers bring tanker trucks to supply water for firefighting when no hydrants are nearby.
We are also interested in talking with people who’d like to volunteer to help us with less physical and non-emergency functions such as prevention education, victim/family support, and firefighter support services.
Application deadline is Nov. 30. Call 297-3619 or send an email inquiry to Assistant Chief Wayne Kier, kier@nkfr.org.
New firefighter/paramedic: After coming out on top in a rigorous testing process, Craig Barnard will fill the vacancy created when we lost one of our firefighter/paramedics last spring.
The 30-year-old was born in Edmonds and graduated from Buckley’s White River High School, but he has strong Kitsap County ties. Growing up, Barnard spent every summer with his retired naval officer grandfather in Bremerton.
While at White River, Barnard joined the Buckley Fire Department’s Explorer Program and decided to pursue an emergency services career. Barnard gained experience in the most common aspect of our trade — emergency medical services — while working with a private ambulance company for 10 years. He has been a paramedic since 2008, when he graduated from Tacoma Community College’s program in 2008.
A volunteer at Buckley Fire since 2002, Barnard earned his Firefighter I, Firefighter II and Hazardous Materials Operations credentials through that region’s joint training programs.
Barnard has been married for 10 years to his wife, Amy. The Puyallup couple welcomed their first child, Jacob, on Oct. 18. Although he’s only been on shift for a short time, Barnard is already glad to be at NKF&R.
“It’s a family, I can tell, and I’m thankful for the chance to be a part of it,” he said. Welcome, Craig!
Car seat checks: Join us on the second Saturday of every month for car seat checks at our Paul T. Nichol headquarters fire station, 26642 Miller Bay Road NE near Kingston, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries (or Your Alarm): We return to Standard Time Nov. 4 at 2 a.m. Take this opportunity to check your smoke alarms.
Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a fire by half. Test the devices monthly. Smoke alarms with non-replaceable (long-life) batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years, without changing the batteries. If the device chirps in one of these types of units, replace the entire smoke alarm. In smoke alarms with traditional 9-volt batteries, change the batteries once a year. Replace all smoke alarms after 10 years.
If you need help ensuring that smoke alarms are protecting your family and your home, call us at 297-3619 to schedule an appointment.
