Kitsap County fire chiefs, the county fire marshal, municipal and county officials were honored with a “Clean Air Partner Award” from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.

The awards were made for the “outstanding successes in initiating the county wide burn ban that went into effect January 1, 2001.”

Dennis McLerran, executive director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency said the outreach campaign conducted for the Kitsap burn ban was one of the most measurably successful programs the agency has participated in.

Survey figures from before and after the campaign showed that awareness of the burn ban increased from 32 percent to 91 percent. Countywide, both yard debris burning and garbage burning decreased by 50 percent.

“These tremendous results are due to the hard work performed by many in Kitsap County – the county fire marshal and fire officials throughout the county, a Kitsap County Solid waste team, and many elected officials” McLerran said.

“We also want to make special mention of the fire educators in the county who took the message to the public to explain the program,” McLerran added.

The communication campaign to support the local effort was conducted by Graf+Hoke Communications of Bremerton.

Those who received the Clean Air Partner Award were: Derrick Crawley, Kitsap County Fire Marshall; the Kitsap County Commissioners; Kitsap County Fire Chiefs Association; Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue; Bainbridge Island Fie Department; North Kitsap Fire and Rescue; Kitsap Fire District #7; Bremerton Fire Department; Fire District #12, Chico; Fire District #8, Poulsbo; City of Poulsbo; City of Port Orchard; City of Bainbridge Island; City of Bremerton; Kitsap County Solid Waste Division.