I-90 is one of the major U.S. West – East Interstate highways connecting West Coast ports to the mid-west and East coast. It sends 31,000 vehicles through the length of our fire district every day. In addition, we cover approximately 20 miles along SR-970 extending to SR-97 up to the top of Blewett Pass. This accounts for many collisions, extrications and injury accident responses during the busy summer weekends and snow-covered winter months in this Cascade Mountain range. In total the district covers 40 miles of major highway in addition to our county roads.

During the summer, car, truck, grass and wildfires add to the frequent car and truck crashes which continue during the hot summer months as I-90 and SR-970 pass through the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest completely surrounds Fire District 7 on 3 sides creating a Wildland Urban Interface that is unique. The fire hazard to our community has been dramatically highlighted by recent state and national responses such as the Jolly Mountain and Taylor Bridge Fires . These external impacts of the Interstate Highway and immediate proximity to forest fire affects the national forest and raises our needs for fire protection services to a very high level. Our community of 5000 residents provides funding for Fire and EMS responses through a very small tax base. There is minimal revenue reimbursement available for the local fire departments to help offset the costs of responding to incidents on these highways. This is what makes our need to maintain and increase our career staffing so critical. Our local fire crews are ALWAYS the first responders for initial attack to forest and wildland fires within our immediate response area. Without them, there would be no emergency response to the freeways, our residents, or into the surrounding forest lands. While the forest service and state Department of Natural Resources do have wildland fire crews, they must respond from far away or could be tied up on another fire which is very common at the peak of fire season.

Kittitas County Fire District 7, KCFD#7, was founded in the early 1980’s. We started with one fire station and a few volunteers. Today Fire District 7 has grown to 8 stations; each station has at least a fire engine and a wild-land brush truck. We also have 7 water tenders and 4 licensed Aid Cars (ambulance) and a ladder truck. This is the only ladder truck in Upper Kittitas County. The District is staffed with 15 full-time (three per shift) career firefighters and 40 volunteers from the community. The goal of the District has been to continue to enhance and increase our services to the public. The district continues to grow as more homes are built into the wildland urban interface. The District has expanded from 80 to 126 square miles.

Kittitas County Fire District #7 - Firefighter has 1 vacancy.

Kittitas County Fire District 7 is requesting a list of eligible candidates from Public Safety Testing (PST) by July 31st, 2023 to establish a one year hiring list.. Thanks to a successful levy lid lift the District is looking to hire for staffing at an additional station on the east end of our District in the next year. We currently need to hire one full time Firefighter/EMT and then establish a hiring list. Notifications will be sent to candidates via email on file with PST. The deadline to test for this hiring list is July 31st, 2023.

Starting for FF/EMT is $67,176.60

Full Medical, Dental and Vision paid for FF.  Dependents health care paid at 80%.