County OKs Fire District name change

Chief Wayne Senter cleared one more hurdle this week in his quest to have his district known as South Kitsap Fire and Rescue as the Kitsap County Commissioners approved the name change at their regular meeting on Monday.

“This change is a reflection of our becoming more efficient,” said Chair Chris Endresen. “We used to have 15 separate fire districts, but over the years the fire districts have done an excellent job of consolidation.”

With the commissioners’ approval, Senter can now legally file for an official name change, although few pieces, if any, of the district’s equipment will display the new moniker for years to come.

“We’re not just going to throw things away that are perfectly good,” Senter said, explaining that currently he still has dozens of shirt and jacket patches that will be used before ones with the new name will be purchased, and even the trucks that the district recently bought will be outfitted with Fire District 7 decals.

“We’re not in a big hurry to change, and it makes sense to do it over a long period of time,” he said.

The first item to reflect the name change may perhaps be the district’s letterhead, which should be running out soon, Senter said. In all, Senter said the change should cost little more than the county filing fee, which he estimated would be less than $70.

The Fire District’s commissioners approved the name change last month, after receiving assurance from Senter that as little money as possible would be spent in the process.

“I talked to my personnel, and they felt pretty confident we could do it with no additional costs,” Senter said.

The change will give the district a name that immediately identifies its location and the communities it serves, Senter said, and will bring it in line with the other fire districts in the county.

“When you hear Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue or North Kitsap Fire and Rescue, there’s no doubt where those districts are,” he said.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.