Longboat Key's fire marshal says farewell

Lou Gagliardi got the axe from the Longboat Key Fire Department on Thursday.

In a good way.  It’s a firefighter thing.

Gagliardi, the town’s fire marshal for the last 12 years, retired on Thursday and was the guest of honor at a celebration to honor the occasion and his service to the town.

And the axe? Think of it as the equivalent of a gold watch for people who run into burning buildings for a living.

Calling him his “go-to’’ guy, Chief Paul Dezzi said one of Gagliardi’s most important contributions to the department was keeping safety in mind.

“One of the main jobs is to ensure a building is safe, not only for the occupants but for us as well,’’ Dezzi said of the fire marshal position. “He did that.’’

Gagliardi, 67, started his career in 1974, and his first job was in Broward County where he worked in the town of Oakland Park as a public-safety officer. Part firefighter, part police officer, professionals in that field, he said, might be patrolling the streets in a squad car one minute and fighting a fire the next.

But, he said, he knew of the Gulf Coast lifestyle liked what he saw. So when he saw a position advertised on Longboat Key, he jumped at the chance.

Then Chief Julius Halas called him the same day Gagliardi filed his application. Gagliardi eventually interviewed with a board that included his replacement in Longboat Key,  Jane Ross-Herrin, who came out of retirement from the Sarasota County Fire-Rescue.

“It’s paradise here,’’ Gagliardi said, adding he wanted to thank Mayor George Spoll and the town commission for its support of fire safety and the fire department through the years.

Gagliardi said his retirement is just that -- an end to the working life. He plans to spend time at his vacation home in Hiawasse, Ga., where he enjoys hunting, fishing and camping.