Tim Carey will be sworn in tonight as the newest member of the board of commissioners for the Bainbridge Island Fire Department.

Carey, who has been a special service volunteer for the department, was appointed to the Position 5 seat on the board at the commissioners’ last meeting. He will fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Glen Tyrrell, who stepped down May 12 pending a move to Oregon.

Carey, 46, moved to Bainbridge Island in 1999. He graduated in 2009 from the first Bainbridge Island firefighters’ academy and served as a volunteer firefighter before later working in a special service role under Capt. Dave Dilley.

“I truly was honored,” Carey said of his appointment.

Carey took a leave of absence from his job with the fire department so he could accept the appointment to the board. He will serve until voters pick a new commissioner in the November election. Theresa (Teri) Dettmer and Holly vanSchaick are both running as candidates for Position 5.

Carey said his temporary appointment was another opportunity to give back to the community, and that was the prime reason he first decided to join the department years ago.

“The whole reason for getting involved in the fire department four or five years ago was because I wanted to put down deeper roots in the community,” he said. “This just happens to be another way to serve the community — from a little bit different perspective.”

Tyrrell will be a tough act to follow, Carey said.

“He has given so much to not only the fire commission, but the community, in so many ways. Everything from acting fire chief down to when they were rebuilding Wilkes Elementary; he was the one acting as a traffic monitor when parents were dropping off their kids,” Carey said. “He was everywhere and so involved. I can’t even hope to hold a candle to what he did.”

“I”ll do my best,” he added.

Carey will take the oath of office during a special meeting of the fire board on June 26. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Station 21 Headquarters, 8895 Madison Avenue NE.