A longtime volunteer firefighter’s career has come to a close on Whidbey.

Bob Moore, 80, retired from Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue earlier this month, concluding a 15-year stint with the department. Friends and family gathered at a ceremony in his honor Nov. 13 at a fire commissioner’s meeting, where colleagues awarded him with a shadow box displaying his badge and patch.

Health issues necessitated Moore’s retirement. He leaves the department with nothing but good things to report.

“There are just a lot of good memories. They’re caring people, that’s all I can say,” Moore said of his Central Whidbey colleagues. “I’ve made some lifelong friends.”

Dynamism is what Moore loved about working at Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue, where he served as a firefighter, engine operator and lieutenant, according to the department. He recalled calmer moments of service, like removing fallen trees from roadways on windy winter days, as well as high-intensity rescues. Moore said he performed CPR “hundreds of times.”

Rising to the occasion, doing whatever needs to be done to help someone in need, makes Moore proud. Whidbey is not the only place he has committed himself to serving. He spent nine years as a search and rescue diver, then a decade as a volunteer firefighter, all in California.

“I’ve done volunteer work for so many years. I don’t know any other way to do it,” Moore said. “I feel like if we don’t take care of our own communities and help where we can, then we’re not doing our part as a citizen.”

Moore understands the importance of citizens stepping up to help one another well. About 30 years ago, a car going 70 mph struck Moore and his wife “head-on” as they drove back to California after a visit to Wenatchee. The driver, a young girl, lost control of her vehicle, and the impact broke almost every rib in Moore’s body. He recalled that first responders had to drive more than 50 miles in “desert country” to reach him.

“I just feel like they saved our life. The least I can do is give back,” he said.

Despite his equanimity, Moore’s plan for his newfound free time — tending to the garden with his wife — is far calmer than his previous responsibilities.

“She’s put up with this all these years,” he said. “We’re just gonna spend more time together now.”