Three generations serve on MVFD

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Three generations of Dawes firefighters, left to right, Bob Dawes, Ryan Dawes, Matt Dawes and Kevin Dawes, celebrate Matt Dawes being sworn in as a member of the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department. Ryan, who is a junior firefighter, will be the next Dawes to join the department. (Brett Kales photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Matt Dawes has joined his father, Kevin, and his grandfather, Bob, as a firefighter in the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD). He and three other men were sworn in September 14 (see article on page 6). This makes three generations of the Dawes family serving as active firefighters at the same time. And one more is coming along. Ryan, 14, is a junior firefighter, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and brother before him.

Volunteering at the department isn’t limited to the men in the family; the women volunteer, too. More on that in a bit.

Matt, 19, is an Eagle Scout who graduated from Abbott Tech in Danbury in 2019 and is an electrician. He said working his way up to becoming a firefighter came naturally. “I grew up here (at the fire station),” he said. My grandfather, grandmother, and aunt were all volunteers here. Matt joined the juniors when he was 15 and served as a lieutenant in the junior firefighters for two of the last three years.

When he was 18, he began his apprenticeship and hours of required department training. Kevin said Matt has about 200 hours of training already. He was in training 4 hours every Tuesday and Thursday and 8 hours every Saturday for three months.

Looking toward the future, Matt said he’d like to work his way up in the department, hopefully becoming an officer in the future. Grandad Bob, 73, currently a firefighter, did that and has served as a lieutenant, captain and first deputy chief over the years. Bob credits his in-law’s encouragement with getting him involved in the department.

Matt’s dad, Kevin, 49, is a licensed electrician who works for the Middlebury Department of Public Works. He said being part of the MVFD is “kind of in our family.” “We were always down here hanging around,” he said. He also started out as a junior firefighter and said he couldn’t wait to join the department. After he became a firefighter, like his dad, he served as a lieutenant, captain and deputy chief over a 10-year period, but he said serving as a firefighter works better with his family obligations.

“People join to give back to the town,” Kevin said. “It’s volunteer, so you kind of have to want to do it. It’s not going to pay the bills.” He said he found it really satisfying to be able to help the townspeople.

Grandad Bob also likes being able to help others, particularly since the town does a lot for the fire department. Bob, who often serves as a driver, said he really enjoyed the department’s trips around Middlebury neighborhoods when the COVID-19 lock down began. “The kids loved it,” he said.

While the men in the family have been serving as firefighters, the women also have put in hundreds of volunteer hours. Matt’s grandmother, Jean (Middlebury’s retired tax collector), and her sister, Linda Carlson, both are longtime members of the Ladies Auxiliary. For more than 20 years Jean also served as an EMT on the Middlebury Ambulance.

Jean’s late uncle, Cy Mellette, served as chief, and his wife, Elsie, was one of the founding members of the Ladies Auxiliary. Jean’s father, Leon Charbonneau, was a longtime MVFD member and served as an officer. Jean said she volunteered because, with so many family members involved there, “I grew up over there.”

Jean said the Ladies Auxiliary springs into action whenever the department is working on a bad fire or other incident, cooking meals at the firehouse for the firefighters. She said the women helped pay for the new kitchen.

Matt’s aunt, Kristine Boisits, 49, also is in the Ladies Auxiliary and has been serving as an EMT for Middlebury Ambulance for 18 years. She said her dad, Bob, and her brother, Kevin, also are EMTs. Asked if she ever thought of becoming a firefighter, she said, “No, I never really did. When I was younger, it wasn’t as popular as it is now for women to become firefighters.”