Poulsbo Fire Department

What Poulsbo Fire Department does

Poulsbo Fire Department is a public government fire protection agency operating as Kitsap County Fire District #18 under Washington State law, headquartered at 911 NE Liberty Road in Poulsbo, Washington. Formally organized in 1936, the department provides an all-hazards emergency response portfolio spanning fire suppression, Advanced Life Support emergency medical services and transport, technical rescue (rope, structural collapse, trench, confined space), wildland firefighting, marine fire and rescue across 20+ miles of shoreline, and the CARES Mobile Integrated Health program addressing behavioral health crises. Service is delivered through five fire stations, four staffed 24/7 by career personnel and one volunteer-staffed, with 65 career staff (55 uniformed firefighters, paramedics, and officers) supported by a dedicated volunteer cadre.

The department's core technology stack is operational rather than software-based: NFPA-certified equipment and protocols, ALS capabilities operating under Kitsap County Medical Program Director Dr. Joe Hoffman, a CBRN-capable marine fire/rescue vessel (Marine 74), and IT integrations including Kitsap 911 dispatch, the Community Connect resident portal, and third-party EMS billing through Systems Design West. The department contributes six NFPA 1006 Technician-level personnel to the Kitsap County Technical Rescue Team (KSORT) and maintains mutual aid agreements with Subbase Bangor and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport.

Revenue is generated primarily through voter-approved property tax levies (fire levy capped at $1.50 per $1,000 assessed value; EMS levy capped at $0.50 per $1,000 assessed value — both at statutory limits since 2007 and 2013 respectively), supplemented by EMS transport billing, growth impact fees on new development, and a proposed $7.64 million six-year capital bond on the August 2026 ballot. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer emergency response (911 dispatch) plus a small set of fee-for-service offerings (CPR/First Aid training, facility rental, car seat checks, blood pressure screenings). The department is governed by an elected five-member Board of Fire Commissioners and is not a private or publicly traded entity.

Name

Poulsbo Fire Department

Legal name

Poulsbo Fire Department

Website

https://poulsbofire.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Poulsbo Fire Department is a public fire protection district (Kitsap County Fire District #18) in North Kitsap, Washington, providing fire suppression, Advanced Life Support EMS, technical rescue, marine, and wildland response across five stations to roughly 4,800 emergency calls annually with 65 career staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL), Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Technical rescue operations
• Wildland firefighting
• Marine fire rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Poulsbo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Levies: Primarily funded by property taxes through fire levy (limited to $1.50/$1,000 AV) and EMS levy (limited to $.50/$1,000 AV). Levies last approved to their limit in 2007 and 2013 respectively.
2. EMS Transport Billing: Third-party billing company Systems Design West processes all EMS transport billing.
3. Capital Bond: Six-year capital bond measure on August 4, 2026 ballot providing $7.64 million for facility improvements, apparatus, and equipment replacement.
4. Growth Impact Fees: Impact fees on new development within City of Poulsbo and unincorporated Kitsap County to offset infrastructure costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Poulsbo Fire Department is a public all-hazards emergency response agency operating as Kitsap County Fire District #18, providing fire suppression, advanced life support emergency medical services, technical rescue, wildland firefighting, and marine fire and rescue from five fire stations. It also delivers community safety and risk reduction services including fire inspections, CPR/First Aid training, smoke detector programs, blood pressure checks, car seat safety checks, and the CARES Mobile Integrated Health program.

Product overview

Poulsbo Fire Department is a professional all-hazards emergency response agency offering an integrated portfolio of emergency and community safety services. The core offerings include Fire Suppression and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as primary emergency response capabilities, supplemented by Special Operations (technical rescue), Wildland Firefighting, and Marine Fire and Rescue for specialized emergency scenarios. The department operates five fire stations (71-77) staffed 24/7 with career firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs, supported by dedicated volunteers. Community-facing services under the CARES (Community Assistance, Referral, and Education Service) sub-brand provide Mobile Integrated Health Response, behavioral health support, and crisis intervention. Additional services include CPR/First Aid training, car seat safety checks, blood pressure screenings, smoke detector programs, life safety inspections, plan reviews, burn permits, public records access, and facility rental — all designed to support community safety, risk reduction, and public education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Full-service firefighting delivered to Poulsbo, Keyport, Port Gamble, and surrounding unincorporated communities by career firefighters trained to Firefighter II level at stations staffed 24/7.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Basic and advanced life support emergency medical care and transport provided by EMTs and paramedics, directed by Dr. Joe Hoffman, Kitsap County Medical Program Director.
• Special Operations Technical rescue capabilities including rope rescue, structural collapse rescue, trench rescue, and confined space rescue at NFPA 1670 Operations level, with six NFPA 1006 Technician-level personnel.
• Wildland Firefighting Wildland fire response with eight career members and volunteers making up the Poulsbo Wildland Team, specially trained and equipped for local, state, and federal response, using a multi-use brush truck acquired in 2022.
• Marine Fire and Rescue Marine apparatus providing fire and rescue support for more than 20 miles of shoreline, including Safeboat (Marine 71) for shallow operations and CBRN-capable fire/rescue boat (Marine 74) moored in Liberty Bay.
• CARES Program Mobile Integrated Health Response Unit providing crisis intervention, behavioral health support, and connections to medical, mental health, and substance use disorder services across the North Kitsap region.
• CPR and First Aid Training HSI CPR/AED training and HSI Adult First Aid & CPR/AED courses offered in partnership with City of Poulsbo Parks & Recreation covering adults, children, and infants. CPR course: $15; First Aid/CPR/AED: $68.
• Facility Room Rental Large meeting area rental with maximum occupancy of 85 and 43 parking spaces. Rates: 501(c)(3) non-profits $25 per 4-hour period; other non-profits $25/hour; for-profit $40/hour.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~4,400-4,800 annual emergency responses handled with approximately 75% being medical emergencies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Olympic Peninsula Community CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for CARES (Community Assistance, Referral, and Education Service) program - a Mobile Integrated Health initiative launched January 2021 providing behavioral health support and crisis intervention to individuals struggling with mental health issues, substance use disorders, and chronic medical conditions.
• Kitsap County Fire Marshal's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-local agreement for fire code enforcement and inspections within the fire district.
• Kitsap 911coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerService agreement for emergency dispatch services coordinating emergency responses across the county.
• Kitsap County Technical Rescue Team (KSORT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFD contributes six NFPA 1006 Technician-level personnel to KSORT, a Type III US&R Task Force uniting all six municipal fire departments in Kitsap County with Navy Region Northwest Fire Services.
• Olympic CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAffiliation agreement for training and education programs.
• Tacoma Community CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAffiliation agreement for training and education programs.
• Department of Navy Mutual AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid agreement for emergency response coordination with naval facilities including Subbase Bangor.
• Washington State Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS licensing and regulatory oversight agreement.
• Systems Design WestcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party billing company processing all EMS transport billing for the department.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bainbridge Island Fire Department: Neighboring Kitsap County fire agency of comparable career-staffed size and island geography. Directly comparable as a small-to-mid municipal combination department delivering fire, EMS, marine, and community risk reduction in the same regional market.
• Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue: Same-county fire authority (Kitsap County) providing fire suppression, EMS, and technical rescue to a similar suburban/rural population. Direct operational peer for staffing models, levy funding, and inter-agency coordination via KSORT.
• South Kitsap Fire and Rescue: Larger Kitsap County fire authority with overlapping service profile (fire, EMS, technical rescue, prevention). Comparable governance structure (fire district/authority) and member of the same KSORT consortium.
• North Mason Regional Fire Authority: Adjacent regional fire authority providing similar career/volunteer combination staffing for fire and EMS. Directly comparable in size, funding model (levies), and rural-suburban service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Seattle Fire Department: Much larger metropolitan fire department operating in the same Washington State regulatory framework. Comparable in offering portfolio (fire, EMS, marine, technical rescue, prevention) but serves a far larger urban population with a much deeper budget and broader specialty units.
• Tacoma Fire Department: Major Washington municipal fire agency with overlapping services including ALS EMS, marine fire/rescue, and technical rescue. Acts as a higher-tier reference point for service scope and capability within the same state regulatory regime.
• American Medical Response (AMR): Large private-sector EMS provider active in Washington. Comparable in core EMS transport capability but operates on a private, contract-funded model rather than a tax-funded fire district model; represents the alternative service paradigm PFD could be benchmarked against.

Regional players

• Navy Region Northwest Fire Services: Federal fire service providing coverage to Naval Base Kitsap including the submarine base. PFD provides first-due ALS to portions of these facilities via mutual aid, making Navy Fire a direct operational counterpart within the same geography.

Others

• Kitsap 911: Consolidated public-safety answering point (PSAP) providing all 911 dispatch for Kitsap County, including PFD's emergency response tones. Critical infrastructure partner rather than a competitor — direct dependence for response coordination.
• Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic: Federally qualified health center that co-developed the CARES Mobile Integrated Health program with PFD. Not a competitor but a strategic clinical partner essential to the CARES service line.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCTSN2US79iypGOwjxupKl1A
• Facebookfacebook.com/PoulsboFire
• Instagraminstagram.com/poulsbofire
• Xx.com/poulsbofire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Poulsbo Fire Department