Station 10 Banner will be staffed only with volunteers starting March 1 as its full-time firefighters will be moved to Station 11 Bethel due to increased calls there.

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue will now have four staffers at Bethel. SKFR still will have 24‐hour staffing at Stations 8 (Orchard Heights), 9 (Manchester), 16 (Gorst), 17 (Glenwood) and 31 (Port Orchard).

Two years ago, SKFR began a thorough analysis to determine where service could be improved, and develop a long‐term plan based on growth and need, a news release says.

“This decision was not made lightly; we experienced another significant call volume increase of over 5% last year which does not show any signs of slowing down. By positioning our 19 daily firefighters in the areas they are needed most, we increase the likelihood of achieving a positive outcome,” fire chief Jeff Faucett said.

SKFR will be hosting sessions with residents in March to discuss increased call volume and staffing challenges. For details go to www.skfr.org.

SKFR is the largest emergency services provider in Kitsap County. Serving the community for over 75 years, the agency provides fire and EMS to more than 79,000 people over 117 square miles. Full‐time and volunteer emergency personnel responded to over 12,708 calls in 2022, a 5% increase compared to the year before.