CAMANO ISLAND — After serving Camano Island Fire and Rescue for 30 years, Gary Bradley is stepping down.
Bradley has served on the Board of Fire Commissioners for 12 years, Assistant Chief Levon Yengoyan said.
“Gary, he’s just given so much to this district,” he said.
Bradley lost his post to Don Timmerman in November’s election.
Bradley first joined the fire department in 1979 as a volunteer firefighter.
“I got talked into it,” he said.
Three different fire districts protected Camano Island then.
Volunteering as a firefighter was a way for Bradley to help his community.
He quickly worked his way up and became chief of one of the districts. He worked to merge the three districts into what is now Camano Island Fire and Rescue, Yengoyan said.
Bradley ran for the board of fire commissioners in 1996. Since then, he has helped hire full-time firefighters and build new facilities.
Still, Bradley is not leaving the fire department for good. He plans to serve as a photographer, going out on calls with the crews and photographing events.
“I feel ownership of the fire department,” he said.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
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