Father, son jump into firefighting together

Pulling hoses, fighting fires and crawling through small, dark spaces.

Not only is it training at the Kitsap County Volunteer Firefighter’s Recruit Academy, but for Lake Tahuyeh resident David Brisbon and his 20-year-old son Wes it’s a bond they can share together.

Although David and Wes are not the first pair of family members to go through the volunteer academy simultaneously, they are the only father and son duo who are currently training together.

“It’s been a good time, I get to watch him in action,” David said, referring to Wes.

The two are graduating from the volunteer academy, hosted at the Olympic College Readiness Response Institute, on Dec. 5. They live only a few houses away from Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue’s Station 55 at Lake Tahuyeh which will make responding to the station easy.

“It will take us less than a minute,” David said.

Having been a CKFR volunteer firefighter 10 years ago, the second time’s the charm for David. He and his family were stationed in the area and lived in Jackson Park Navy Housing. He served as a volunteer firefighter for three years before being transferred.

“I had a good time, it was a good way to help the community and it was fun,” David said.

This time around it was actually Wes’s idea to join the volunteer academy.

“I was attending Western Washington University and I thought firefighting sounded like a good idea,” Wes said.

He adds that it was the fraternity of firefighters that drew him to the profession and seeing his dad volunteer when he was younger, it was something he wanted to do.

David has since retired from the Navy, but still works as a dental hygienist on Bainbridge Island. Wes works as a sales associate at Home Depot and with both of their busy schedules, training also serves as a way for the two to reconnect.

“It’s nice we get to do something together, but it’s also not too much time together,” David said with a chuckle.

Throughout training they have learned valuable skills that will serve them well once they graduate from the volunteer academy.

“We practice pulling hoses, setting ladders, search and rescue drills,” David said. “We’re expected to work next to career firefighters.”

For Wes, it is his goal to volunteer for a about a year-and-a-half and then begin the process of applying for a career firefighter position.

With about 110 volunteer firefighters,

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