Weyburn’s deputy fire chief Denis Poulin has filled a number of roles in emergency services, including as a fire fighter currently, in part to fulfill a promise he made to his father.
Poulin, who was born in Montreal and grew up in Milton, Ont., came to Weyburn in the past year after serving with a fire service in Drayton Valley, Alta.
His father was an RCMP officer, and he told Denis stories of the incidents he had been to where he was unable to help citizens in distress.
“I promised him that someday I would be in a position to help those individuals. I have kept that promise 11 years ago, and shall continue to do so for as long as I can,” said Poulin.
“I came to Weyburn, where I was provided an opportunity to write the next chapter of my career, to bring my skill set to a fire service extremely rich in history, and to help provide a top quality emergency service to the residents of this picturesque city,” he said.
Originally trained in information technology, he spent over a decade in software programming and network technologies, then spent a short time as a commercial diver in B.C. and Ontario before starting his firefighting and emergency medical service career in Churchill, Man., in early 2008.
When an opportunity arose in Drayton Valley, he moved there to work as a primary care paramedic for Associated Ambulance, and joined the Drayton Valley-Brazeau County Fire Services.
He rose through the ranks to end up as squad fire captain in charge of training with the fire service.
Poulin holds certification as a health and safety advisor with the Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Cape Breton University in Emergency Management.
He noted he has found Weyburn to be “extremely welcoming” in his new position, and said one of his challenges is that the Weyburn Fire Department is run in a much different way than what he was used to in Alberta.
“My plan is to bring my past experiences to the department and try to do well with what they already have in place,” said Poulin.
“With the guidance from Fire Chief Almond, I hope to continue to increase my knowledge of the fire service, and give back to a warm and welcoming community.”
