Kitsap County residents now have a dedicated number to call for routine public safety issues that are not emergencies, a change officials say will help keep 911 lines open for urgent calls.

Kitsap 911 and Aurelian, a technology platform built for emergency communications centers, announced that Kitsap 911 has deployed “Ava,” Aurelian’s virtual assistant, on a new non-emergency line for Kitsap County.

The public can now call 360-328-7711 for non-emergency public safety matters.

The deployment marks the first time the county’s approximately 278,000 residents have had a dedicated non-emergency contact option. Kitsap County, located on the Kitsap Peninsula across Puget Sound from Seattle, includes Bremerton, Silverdale, Port Orchard, and surrounding communities that rely on Kitsap 911 for emergency communications.

KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

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PHOTOS: Firefighters in Lacey spent their weekend rescuing some ducklings in distress. First, Engine 33 crews with Lacey Fire District Three reunited a momma duck with her little ones. The next day, Engine 34 crews were called out to help after a family watched three baby ducks fall into a storm drain. The family tried to help, but the drain cover was too heavy to move safely, Lacey Fire said.

Firefighters quickly got to work, safely recovering the ducklings and reuniting them with mom. “Two days. Two stations. Two duck family reunions. Not every call is what you expect, but every call matters. We’re glad our crews could help bring a couple of tiny families back together this weekend,” wrote Lacey Fire.

KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

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Wildfire crews in northern Minnesota are utilizing a new Minnesota-made "Heat Wave" scoop system on Air Tractor aircraft.

The post MN Firm Aims to Produce a Safer Super Scooper appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Ladder 32-1-90 is a 2024 Sutphen Monarch SL 100 midmount straight stick aerial. It has a four-door cab with seating for four, a stainless steel body with hinged compartments, and 180 cubic feet of storage space.

The post Rig Review: Millstone (NJ) Ladder 32 appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

the King County Striker Volterra 6×6 ARFF truck has seating for two firefighters in a modular cab design, a Tak-4® all-wheel independent suspension, and two 700-volt DC lithium-ion batteries with more than 244 kW of energy storage.

The post King County (WA) International Airport Fleet Adds Volterra ARFF Truck appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.