A late South Kitsap resident’s wish to aid those who once cared for him was fulfilled in grand fashion July 23 with SK Fire and Rescue ceremoniously unveiling a state-of-the-art addition to its EMT fleet purchased entirely through donated assets.

Ron Johnson’s appreciation for SKF&R had already been strong, his brother Jerry having served as a volunteer firefighter in the 70s and his family demonstrating decades of support before that. That appreciation would grow substantially when he took a nasty fall in December 2006, prompting his life partner Robert Roblee to call 911.

His gratitude for the service rendered to him went beyond words, going so far as to bequeath some of his own property to be transferred to and sold by SKF&R upon his death in order to fund a new ambulance. Following Johnson’s passing on May 7, 2021, the sale rose roughly $450,000 according to SKF&R chief Jeff Faucett, with just under $369,000 being used to acquire said ambulance and the associated equipment.

Roblee returned to Pilgrim Firs to celebrate the awaited fulfillment of the shared agreement with SKF&R and his late partner just two days short of the three-year mark of Johnson’s celebration of life at that very site. With the on-site Pride Garden created in Johnson’s memory behind him and the new ambulance to his left, Roblee declared to the attendees of a brief ceremony, “South Kitsap Fire and Rescue gave Ron 15 more years of life…and for me 15 more years of love.”