“Last week was homecoming for Jim Walkowski II – he’s returning to the Bainbridge fire department where he grew up, and which he doesn’t plan to leave again.Walkowski was selected as operations chief to replace the retired Kirk Stickels. Last week, he moved into his office as interim chief Ken Beach moved out.I started in this department as a cadet when I was 15 and a half, Walkowski said, and my plan is to retire at this department.The island native graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1987, and remained involved even while working for the Seatac fire department from 1991-95, and the South Kitsap fire district thereafter.In 1997, the time demands of the South Kitsap job forced him to sever his ties with the Bainbridge department. He also moved to the Gig Harbor area, from which he is in the process of returning with his wife and two children.One of the big devourers of time at South Kitsap was his role as union representative working on personnel matters, he said. He sees that background as a timely asset at the Bainbridge department, where he is on the management side of the first contract negotiations with the newly formed union.The trend across the country in the fire service is for unions and management to work more closely together, he said. I’m a big believer in win-win situations, and I’m hoping the time I spent on the other side of the table is going to make our relationship stronger.Walkowski, 32, will be in charge of all operations other than the clerical staff and the building-code official.One immediate challenge, he said, will be to train the force on the new aerial truck, which will be delivered next year.He also wants to upgrade fire-ground plans — the actual plan for personnel deployment at various types of incidents. Those challenges are made more difficult by the composition of Bainbridge’s fire-fighting force – a small cadre of paid firefighters working with a much larger number of unpaid volunteers.But it’s a seamless organization, he said. All members are trained and experienced.Walkowski’s continuing challenge will be to match the level of service with the city’s demands.The citizens have demanded a very high level of service, he said, which is measured by such things as response times and customer satisfaction.But he added that Bainbridge has always stood behind the fire department in the ways that matter, specifically, approving bond issues to pay for the service residents demand.We’ve always enjoyed the ability to have 100 percent support of the citizens, he said.Others in the department are glad to have him back.He truly reflects somebody who grew up in the department, said volunteer coordinator Jim Dow.He was one of the first high-school students in our work-study program. He’s gone from being one of my former students to being my boss.Another firefighter said the department rank-and-file were 100 percent behind Walkowski’s selection.Department executive director Ken Guy – Walkowski’s boss – said the department members had substantial input into the selection process, and he believed they were pleased with the selection.He interjects a lot of enthusiasm into the department, Guy said. As a past volunteer, his strong connections make for a very smooth transition. “