Speaker Bios

Kara Putnam IAFF Local 2819

Kara Putnam, IAFF 2819 in Kitsap County, was born and raised in rural Nebraska and moved to Washington State in 1997.  She and her wife, Margot, reside in southeast Seattle.  Putnam has been with Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue for 12 years.  In 2018, she was  was promoted to the position of lieutenant.

About serving on the Committee she says, “I am honored to be a member of the WSCFF Diversity Committee.  I believe a fire department should reflect the community it serves.  To meet this goal, we need to improve our recruitment, hiring, and retention processes.  We need to be willing to look outside the fire service to discover what other organizations have done to improve their inclusivity. I look forward to being a positive voice for systemic and long-lasting change.”