Join North Kitsap Fire & Rescue firefighters as they host their annual September 11^th Community Breakfast on Thursday from 7:00am until 10:00am at the Paul T. Nichol Headquarters fire station (26642 Miller Bay Road NE near Kingston).  Partnering with Suquamish Clearwater Casino to offer a generous continental breakfast free of charge, the firefighters will also be accepting donations for Kitsap YWCA.  Kitsap YWCA cites among its missions, the empowerment of women and the elimination of racism.  Mark the 7^th anniversary of the September 11^th attacks alongside your neighbors, strengthening community ties and supporting the important work of Kitsap YWCA.  For more information, call 297-3619.
 

Public Buildings: Your Safety and Ours – In the United States, about 3,000 people perish in fires every year. That toll is one of the highest per capita of all industrialized nations.   80% of this country’s fire deaths occur in homes.  This is, in part, because more stringent fire safety standards are imposed on buildings that are accessible to the public: stores, motels, schools, offices, etc. As part of our mission to protect the community’s lives and property, we want to do what we can to ensure that a higher level of safety is maintained.  As a result, local businesses are seeing us more frequently as we dedicate additional resources to fire prevention inspections and pre-incident planning. Before conducting one of our visits, we usually call the business in advance to set an appointment. Often, people simply aren’t aware of the danger posed by the things we might point out during an inspection.  Regular fire inspections can also keep fire insurance rates in check. So, we see these visits as an opportunity to partner with these folks to help them stay open and operating; as many as 75% of businesses struck by fire don’t re-open.  While we’re at a business, we are also collecting information to ensure that our crews know more about the buildings to which they may respond.  This helps firefighters to deal with future incidents more effectively and more safely. We have much to do, locating all of our community’s businesses and making visits to each one. But we know that it’s important work to protect businesses, customers, firefighters and the area’s fire insurance rates.  To  learn more about the program and common problems found during fire inspections, click here.