Candidates for the board of commissioners for the Bainbridge Island Fire Department have submitted candidate statements for Kitsap County’s voters’s pamplet.

Holly vanSchaick is seeking the Position 5 seat on the Bainbridge Island Fire Department. Her opponent is Theresa “Teri” Dettmer.

Holly vanSchaick

Biography: Holly is a Nationally Certified Firefighter and Washington State Certified Paramedic. She began her career in emergency medical response starting as a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) with the Bainbridge Island Ambulance Association and went on to become a career Firefighter and Paramedic. She has had the opportunity to work in a variety of urban and rural environments and has experienced first-hand the challenges met by the departments and the needs of the community. Her professional experience includes Kitsap, Yakima, Clallam and Skagit Counties. Holly is also a busy parent raising four children on Bainbridge Island.

Statement: I will benefit the Board of Commissioners by offering the insight of a currently active emergency response professional, island homeowner and parent. I am passionate about my work and want to give back to this vibrant community in the best way possible. As a mother raising four children on Bainbridge, it’s a personal concern to me that my children are in the care of the best possible emergency services should the need ever arise. Joining the Board would allow me to bring my diverse experiences home and combine them with the unique geography and resources of our beautiful island.