Ocean Shores fire chief looks back on decades-long career

Ending a decades-long career capped off by a four-year term as the chief of the Ocean Shores Fire Department, Mike Thurier said it hasn’t quite sunk in yet as he enjoys his fourth day as a civilian.

“I don’t think it’s set in, to be honest. It feels like a vacation,” Thurier said in an interview. “I’m excited. I’m ready for the next chapter.”

After 33 years in the fire service, 25 of them in Ocean Shores, Thurier said he’s looking forward to no longer having to listen for the radio.

Faraway beginnings

Thurier began his career upstate, joining as a volunteer in 1990.

“I started up in Snohomish County, up in the fire service,” Thurier said. “Back in those years, in the early 90s, it was tough getting on.”

Thurier said his mom, who still lives in the area, let him know that there were openings at OSFD, and on January 1, 1998, Thurier officially joined the department.

Ocean Shores was a different town back then, Thurier said.

“It was quiet. Quiet town. I think the population was around 3,000. A ghost town in the evenings,” Thurier said. “But it was a tight-knit group of families here.”

Immediately welcomed into the community, Thurier moved into the city proper, where he’s lived in several houses over the years, including one he built. The department was also a bit sparser back then, Thurier said.

“When I was on shift, a lot of times, it was just two of us, and the volunteers were our support. A lot of things have changed,” Thurier said. “Now, we could have four to six people in the firehouse. It’s pretty amazing.”

Thurier joined the Surf Rescue Team two or three years after joining the department, an experience he savored.

“It was great. I really enjoyed being on the team,” Thurier said. “It was a combination of the career police officers and career firefighters. I had several saves.”

Thurier picked up captain in 2005. It was one of his favorite positions, Thurier said.

“You’re in the leadership role, but you’re not in the political role. You get to help mold the department and the culture of the department,” Thurier said. “You’re working with a number of different individuals throughout the years. That was probably the best position I had.”

That number one spot

When he started, Thurier said, he never thought he’d be a chief. From missed holidays and hard work, to stepping up to make sure the job got done, Thurier said the hard work was worth it for what got accomplished.

“I have no regrets through those years, from day one to retiring, of anything I went through,” Thurier said. “They all made me stronger and better.”

His younger self notwithstanding, his first brush with the big chair was in 2014, acting as interim chief while the city searched for someone to permanently fill the position. In 2018, he once again took the position in a temporary capacity, but on April 1, 2019, the city confirmed him officially as the fire chief.

“When Mayor (Crystal) Dingler offered it to me, it was a privilege,” Thurier said. “I was honored they had that faith in me.”

Among the accomplishments he’s most proud of, Thurier said he was elated to have added seven positions over his tenure, acquiring more apparatus for the department, getting the insurance rating for much of the city improved, and beginning the process of capability expansion for the department’s south station.

“That was a big goal to get that south station built. I started the process, but with COVID, that got postponed,” Thurier said. “It’s still basically a garage.”

Thurier said he did regret getting into a procedural conflict with the local firefighter’s union.

“I do regret — I wish we didn’t have those battles with the union that we went through. I call it growing pains,” Thurier said. “I felt I had a good plan to get us where we wanted to go but there are steps to be played.”

On to the next one

Looking toward the future, Thurier said he hopes to see the department accomplish several items under its future leadership. Assistant Chief Brian Ritter is currently acting as the interim chief while the city carries out the application process.

“Number one, I want to see that south station get accomplished,” Thurier said. “In the far future, I’d like to see more discussions about getting (a regional fire authority) created. I think that would be a relief on the citizens of Ocean Shores and be a huge benefit for the people out in the county. They’re hurting just as bad as anyone else for volunteers.”

Thurier said he’s looking forward to spending more quality time with his two young grandchildren, as well as taking more time to do things he used to enjoy doing.

“I’d like to get back into fishing. I used to be a pretty avid fisherman in the early years,” Thurier said. “Right now I’m just on the lakes, but I’d like to get back into the rivers and lakes.”

Thurier said he’s not sure what else he might get into, alongside helping with his wife Cindy with the realty business they opened jointly in 2014.

“I’ll probably be in this building a lot more,” Thurier said, gesturing at the realty office. “I don’t know what new hobbies I’m gonna be really getting into.”

Thurier said that his commitment to his adopted city is still strong after a quarter century of service.

“The thing I’ve told (Mayor Jon Martin) and the staff of Ocean Shores is, I really want the best for Ocean Shores. I’m really looking forward to the future and the projects that could happen,” Thurier said. “This is my hometown now, and I care about the department and the future of it.”

Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.