The board of fire commissioners invited Bruce Alward to join their ranks at their last board meeting.

Alward, a vice president with infrastructure consultant firm Wood Harbinger, will replace Dan Morrow, who announced his resignation on July 14.

Morrow had served in Position 3 since his unanimous appointment to the board in May 2012. He was elected to a four-year term in November 2013.

Officials said Morrow did not give a reason for stepping down and did not submit a resignation letter. He could not be reached for comment.

The board voted three to one to offer Alward the seat; YongSuk Cho was the only commissioner who opposed his appointment.

Bill Ruddick, a 35-year Bainbridge resident who owns an island consulting company was also considered for the opening. He ran for a position on the fire board last November.

Alward grew up in a family of firefighters; both his dad and oldest brother served as fire chiefs and another brother became a deputy chief in 1993.

In his letter of interest for Position 4, which was ultimately filled by Fritz von Ibsch, he wrote that his most important memory of his family’s involvement in firefighting was their relationship with responsible and supportive fire boards. “I remember one of the most important responsibilities of the fire board was seeing that the Chief had the resources and equipment necessary to keep his team and community safe,” he added.

Originally from Michigan, Alward has lived in Washington and Bainbridge Island for 26 years. He is a registered professional engineer in 26 states and has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University.