In a change to Thursday’s school board debate, the two candidates vying for a seat on the fire board will speak and answer a small number of questions at the end of the evening.

Brigitte Schran Brown and Tamalyn Nigretto are running for the fire seat being vacated by longtime commissioner Rex Stratton. Their portion of the evening is expected to be about 10 minutes long, organizer Hilary Emmer said, and will begin at 8:30 p.m. or shortly after. Though short, the time is intended for the community to meet the women and begin to get a sense of where they stand on some of the important issues facing Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR).

Planning for the debates was already under way in August, when the women filed to run during the a special filing period, Emmer said, noting that she and co-organizer Susan McCabe did not want to create a separate debate for just two candidates. However, they decided to create a space for them on Thursday after learning of community interest in hearing from the women.

Brown worked for many years as a nurse, is active with VIFR’s strategic plan process and has been a volunteer EMT with the department for the last 12 years.

Nigretto has worked with the Seattle Fire Department for 28 years and received several promotions, moving up from fire fighter, to lieutenant, to captain and finally battalion chief, a position she has held for 16 years.

The debate will begin with school board candidates at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Penny Farcy building on Bank Road. The park commissioner debate will take place there at 7 p.m. Oct. 6.