Meet Yarmouth’s new fire chief

Mike Deveau on himself, life in Yarmouth and how to get involved with fire fighting

In mid-April, the town of Yarmouth announced Mike Deveau as fire chief for the Yarmouth Fire Department. Occupying a position that sat vacant since 2019, his upgrade from acting chief to a fulltime role has him excited to continue his important work. In honour of the momentous promotion, we caught up with Deveau to talk about him, his life in Yarmouth and his search for volunteer firefighters.

Q: It’s been a couple of weeks; how have you been settling into your new role?

A: I’m settling into the new/ current role quite well.

The transition was easier for me due to the fact I’ve been doing it for a year and a half now. Having such dedicated career and volunteer staff makes this job very exciting.

Q: Outside of fighting fires, who is Mike Deveau?

A: Outside of the fire service, I enjoy fishing with my dad and spending time with my mom, both of which were instrumental in who I am today. I have two boys:one is finishing a course in refrigeration. The other is in Grade 11 and is considering the Canadian forces. I’m a licensed mechanic and have spent the last 11 years as a wind turbine technician.

Q: What do you love most about the community you serve?

A: Yarmouth is my hometown. It is a very close-knit family that will do anything to help a person in need.

Q: What would an ideal day in Yarmouth look like to you? What would you eat, see and do?

A: I’m currently in my “midlife crisis,” so I purchased a motorcycle and enjoy riding when I can. Supper at my folks is high on my list of favourite things to do.

Q: Volunteer recruitment is one of your main goals as fire chief; why is it important, and what is the need in Yarmouth?

A: the Yarmouth fire department is a composite department. That means that we are incredibly fortunate to have career and volunteer staff. We need the volunteers to supplement the staff on calls such as structure fires and motor vehicle collisions.

Q: You have a new volunteer recruitment program happening now. How can everyday members of the community become volunteers?

A: Anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer can visit www.helpfightfire.ca. On that webpage, they will find some solid information on what it means to be a volunteer firefighter and have some of their initial questions answered. There is also a very brief form they can complete. Once we receive the submission, we contact them to discuss the application. People may also call the department at 902-7427411.

Q: Best fire prevention tip?

A: Check your smoke detector/fire alarm once a month, change the batteries every six months and replace the unit every 10 years.

Q: Any last words?

A: I’m very honoured to have the opportunity to work with such a world-class group of professional career and volunteer firefighters and I hope to see a good number of applications for volunteer positions in the near future.