Jim Ghiglione and his family vacationed in the San Juans for close to 15 years, and they often mused about what it would be like to live here.

When the Lopez Fire Chief position opened up at the beginning of this year, Ghiglione jumped at the chance to apply.

He was offered the job on April 10, and accepted with the stipulation that he wouldn’t start until July 1. “But the fire commission really wanted me here for July 4 and Tour de Lopez,” so he worked part-time until his official start date, commuting from Shelton, WA where he was still fire chief.

Ghiglione put a lot into planning for the fireworks show, attending meetings with Lopez Community Fireworks, Lopez Chamber, and the Fire Department. “July 4th went perfectly. There were no fires, but we were ready if something occurred. My first goal is prevention; my second goal is to be prepared if something does happen. And one of my key philosophies is that I don’t get it done by myself. You put together a group with a common goal. It’s different on Lopez because it’s an island and access to other departments is limited. That’s a little bit of a transition. But I used the same principles I did in Shelton, and it went smoothly. And I give a lot of credit to the department,” commented Ghiglione.

Ghiglione, whose name is pronounced gill-yone-ee, spent 27 years at the Shelton Fire Department, starting out as a firefighter and rising in the ranks until he was promoted to fire chief, a position he held for eight years before moving to Lopez.

He began vacationing here in 1985 with wife Sherry Brummel and their son, Zac, who was then four. They spent time in the San Juans every year since then, until 1999. “We thought it was an idyllic spot. We camped on Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, Jones, Patos, Sucia, and Stuart Island. It’s really a dream come true to live here.”

After being on the job these past few months, Ghiglione is thrilled with their decision to relocate. “I love it. I love this place. This exceeds my expectations. The volunteers, staff, fire commissioners, and community have been wonderful to me and my wife, Sherry. From participating in the duck race to July 4th to emergency calls and training, it’s been perfect.”

Sherry has worked for Washington State’s Children Services for nearly 29 years, and now works in Friday Harbor as supervisor of San Juan County’s Children and Family Services department.

Ghiglione doesn’t have any long-range plans for Lopez Fire and EMS yet, but he will continue the work of former fire chief Rob Miesen. “The previous chief left us in really good shape. But the thing about this job is that you’re never done.”

Two upcoming projects include improving poor radio communication on the south end of the island and improving access to water in some areas. He will also continue to meet with homeowners associations about widening driveway access for emergency vehicles. Ghiglione explained that many of the properties on Lopez were developed when fire equipment was much smaller, and narrow driveways can impede call response and incoming vehicles can damage trees and brush.