Street dedication ceremony honors longtime volunteer firefighter

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, June 17, 2026

On June 11, the Bainbridge Island Fire Department held a street dedication ceremony on Nolta Loop, named after longtime volunteer firefighter Gary Nolta, coinciding with what would have been his 85th birthday. Nolta, who passed away in 2022, served 59 years with the department before retiring in 2021.

During his time at BIFD, Nolta served as a volunteer firefighter, volunteer captain and volunteer assistant chief. BIFD chief Jared Moravec said Nolta is the second-longest-serving member in BIFD’s history. Volunteer Chuck Callaham was the longest-serving member in BIFD history, serving for 73 years.

“This is an opportunity to recognize assistant chief Nolta for his contributions to the community. Many people may not realize the work behind the scenes that goes into the naming of the island’s roadways and the importance it plays not only in public safety but in everyday life. Nolta spent countless hours performing this work in the service of the community,” Moravec said.

Nolta served in the U.S. Army as a Pay Master for three years and was stationed in Oahu, Hawaii, and later worked as a letter carrier in Seattle before transferring to BI.

“One of his roles at the department was to review and approve street names and assign addresses. Bainbridge Island has over 142 miles of roadway and hundreds of different road names. Gary had his hand in most of these and worked very closely with retired BIFD volunteer Jim Dow. As we place Gary’s name on this roadway, we create a lasting reminder of a life dedicated to serving others. May everyone who travels this street remember the impact one person can have through a career of selfless service,” Moravec said.

Dow said he served with Nolta for 32 years and described him as a mentor and someone who was committed to serving the community.

“He was someone who you learn the ways of the world. Everyone would go, ‘what would Gary Nolta say?’ I don’t think there was any budget for the Volunteer Firefighters Club that wasn’t approved by Gary,” he said. “First of all, he took care of all our gear…he always made sure that they had the best gear possible. It didn’t matter if you were a volunteer or paid. What was important to him was that everyone was equipped, everyone was safe, and he kept right on top of that and made sure that we were really in good shape.”