UPDATE: The unveiling of the Blaze sculpture, scheduled for Oct. 3, has been canceled so fire department personnel can attend the memorial services for former fire commissioner Gerald R. Orr.
Thank you to the many community members who attended our annual Sept. 11 breakfast and donated more than $500 to support Kingston’s Village Green Foundation. We were especially honored by those who came early to join us for our informal memorial ceremony preceding the meal.
‘Give Burns the Boot’
North Kitsap Fire and Rescue firefighters “Give Burns the Boot” and kick off National Fire Prevention Week at Kingston Albertsons from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Oct. 3. Stop by for fire prevention information and help firefighters support the important work of the Northwest Burn Foundation.
Blaze Sculpture Arrives
We’re inviting everyone to join us for the official unveiling of a sculpture memorializing Blaze the firedog at the Paul T. Nichol headquarters fire station on Miller Bay Road in Kingston. The unveiling will begin at 3 p.m. Oct. 3.
Blaze, the very popular dalmatian that served as a member of the district’s fire and injury prevention team for more than 13 years, died in February 2008. Wanting a permanent memorial to his unique contributions in safety education, NKF&R officials commissioned sculptor Cathy Erdmann to create a piece of public art. The high, bas-relief sculpture depicts the dog in a seated pose.
The artist referenced hundreds of photos and worked closely with fire personnel to capture Blaze’s look as well as his character, sculpted in clay.
A mold was made from the clay piece. Molten bronze, including several old fire hose couplings provided by NKF&R, was poured into the mold to produce the 28-inch by 44-inch sculpture. Quiring Monuments is fashioning the sculpture’s granite foundation for installation near the entrance to the district’s headquarters, and made significant in-kind contributions to the effort.
No tax dollars were used to finance the project, which was funded through donations by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, the Suquamish Tribe and the employees of NKF&R.
Refreshments and activities for children will follow the unveiling ceremony.
Stay Fire Smart!
This year’s National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 4 – 10) campaign focuses on keeping homes fire safe, preventing painful burns and fire escape planning and practice. Roughly 3,000 people die in home fires each year in the United States another 200,000 are injured.
By following simple rules, you and your family can stay safe:
Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges.
Never hold a child in your arms while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.
Install tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent children from sticking an object in the outlet.
Never leave a child alone in a room with a lit candle, portable heater, lit fireplace or stove, or where a hot appliance might be in use.
Wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when cooking.
Set your hot water temperature no higher than 120 degrees.
Test your home smoke alarms monthly.
Plan and practice your fire escape.
Find more tips and activities at www.firepreventionweek.org.
Escape planning contest
Update your family’s fire escape plan and help your child’s classroom get treated by firefighters to an ice cream sundae party. Participating teachers will be sending home escape planning forms this month.
Every child who returns the completed form will win a prize and, at each school, one classroom (the one with the highest percentage of returned and accurate plans) gets the sundae party.
Remember that a good fire escape plan includes two ways out of every room, one meeting place outside and practice. You can also download a copy of the contest entry form and escape planning blank at our Web site: www.nkfr.org
More October notes
Fire officials from around Kitsap County will appear on Bremerton-Kitsap Access Television (BKAT) during the month of October to discuss some of the region’s most devastating fires and how they could have been avoided. Check BKAT’s Web site (www.bkat.org) for program times, and watch this interesting discussion on Comcast’s Channel 12.
As fall sets in, keep in mind that fireplace and woodstove chimneys should be professionally cleaned and inspected before their first use every year.
First Aid and CPR Class will be held this month in partnership with the Port of Kingston.
Classes run 9 a.m. to noon, Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, at the port offices.
The tuition of $40 per student must be paid in advance to reserve a space in the class.
For more information, call us at (360) 297-3619.
