After nearly 40 years of service, Ron Garrison has retired from his post as a commissioner with the Brinnon Fire Department.

His replacement was appointed at a special meeting Monday, July 6 at Station 41, on Schoolhouse Road, thus officially capping Garrison’s 37-year tenure in the position. 

“He’s been good to work with and he was very passionate,” said department spokesperson and longtime administrative assistant Peggy Ware. “I’ve found him fun to work with all these years.”

In a June 30 Facebook post, Fire Chief Tim Manly broke the news of Garrison’s imminent departure and praised his dedication to public safety.

“I want to thank Commissioner Garrison for his years protecting Brinnon as a firefighter, and for his leadership as Commissioner,” Manly wrote. “Under his stewardship, the Brinnon Fire Department has put a renewed focus on emergency medical services and has ushered in a new era with historic investments in the firehouse, training, and equipment.”

Garrison reportedly announced his intent to retire June 9, saying he would depart June 30.

His plans for retirement?

To spend time with his wife Diane and family in Ocean Shores, according to Manly. 

It was, according to the chief’s online announcement, a well-deserved reward. 

“Ron, thank you for your knowledge and wisdom,” Manly wrote. “You have taught me the value of honor and credibility and I am forever grateful.”

Garrison will be honored later this year at the Washington Fire Commissioners Association conference, Manly said, and “by all of us here at the fire department when social distancing restrictions relax.”

At last Monday’s special meeting, Richard “Dick” Moore was selected as the new commissioner. 

Moore has been a member of the department for about five years, according to Ware, acting primarily in a support capacity.

Moore was, she said, the only person to submit a letter of interest, though that was not exactly a surprise. 

“I didn’t expect a lot of people jumping for the job,” Ware said. “We must be doing something right [because] people aren’t clamoring to attend our meetings or anything.” 

It is, she said, a measure of the community’s satisfaction with the fire department, a condition that exists thanks in no small part to the longtime service of Garrison. 

“As the department grew, he’s been here for all that,” she said.