Washington
The Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue team in Silverdale, Wash., agreed with FFRF that secularity at future public events was necessary in order to create a more welcoming community, regardless of religious affiliation.
FFRF learned from a Central Kitsap community member that a Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue station leader and the lead pastor of Hillcrest Church delivered a Christian invocation as part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Station 45. The complainant reported that the station leader asked the audience to bow their heads before leading them in a Christian prayer delivered in Jesus’ name.
“We hope you will agree that Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue must be even-handed and avoid any appearance of bias toward some citizens or hostility toward others,” FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line wrote to the Fire Chief Jay Christian.
Christian later informed FFRF of corrective action that had been taken in order to avoid the appearance of preferential treatment toward Christianity. “We decided to support removing the Christian prayer and will modify the program to include a nonreligious message of community safety and togetherness.”
