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

YongSuk Cho is seeking the Position 2 seat on the Bainbridge Island Fire Department. His opponent is David H. Lynch.

YongSuk Cho

Biography: I am a first generation immigrant. I came to Bainbridge Island at the age of 17 from South Korea in 1988.

I have been a resident in Bainbridge Island for 26 years. My Fire and EMS experience include: 22 years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT for Bainbridge Island Fire Department; 14 years as a career firefighter/EMT for Seattle Fire Department; 8 years as a member of FEMA-Disaster Medical Assistance Team (Federal deployments include the Atlanta Olympic bombing, North Dakota flooding, and Northridge earthquake); 7 years as a volunteer/EMT for Bainbridge Island Ambulance.

Statement: Bainbridge Island Fire Department has a long and proud history of providing the highest quality of emergency services to its citizens. The fire stations on Bainbridge Island are staffed by the most dedicated professionals (both Career and Volunteer) that I have ever known. I have had the honor and privilege of serving the citizens of Bainbridge Island for the last 22 years as a volunteer firefighter among those professionals. As a member of the Bainbridge Island Fire Department, I have been involved in the Cadet program, the Resident program, Technical Rescue program, Training program, and various committees involving policy changes and capital improvements. In the coming years, the Department will need to make difficult decisions regarding staffing, capital improvements, and emphasis in different programs. I hope to use my knowledge and experience to help make optimal decisions regarding these issues, and to continue to improve the high quality services provided to the citizens of Bainbridge Island.