My wife and I will be voting for Proposition 1, South King Fire and Rescue’s request for a bond to upgrade emergency and fire equipment, as well as to upgrade related technologies over the next 20 years.

We believe that in our increasingly urbanized society there is need now and certainly in the future for keeping our community’s emergency services well equipped and prepared for whatever might happen to our families as well as to any disaster that might befall our community at large.

One of the benefits of living in Federal Way is having St. Francis Hospital so near. With South King Fire and Rescue’s response time averaging 3.39 minutes and the proximity of a hospital, often less than 15 minutes away, the chances of you or your loved ones survival in an emergency are substantially improved.

Three years ago my daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren moved from Federal Way to a more rural area near Gig Harbor. A year ago, my son-in-law suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. In my nightmares I wonder if he had gotten to professional help sooner, would he have survived? What if they had not moved?

None of us can predict our future we can only prepare for it. Please vote for Proposition 1.

Bob Kellogg, Federal Way