Darren, 32, joined the VFD in September 2008. He has certifications in WHMIS, TDG, EMR, Basic Emergency Management and Emergency Vehicle Defensive Driving. His favorite truck is the Rescue Unit. He also enjoys working Dispatch and doing the incident reports.

Darren is single and is currently employed as an Emergency Dispatcher with ATCO Electric in Vegreville. He enjoys travelling, hiking, photography and spending time with his friends.

"I am originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick, but have traveled around Canada quite a bit over the years. Along the way, I have lived in several places, including Toronto, Banff, Calgary and now Vegreville.

Living in Vegreville has been a big adjustment for a city boy like me, but this town has made it easier by being very open and welcoming. I have met a lot of great people here and I hope to call Vegreville "Home" for many years to come.

Joining the VFD is my way of trying to give back to the community that has taken me in and in the process, I hope to aquire skills and life experience that will benefit me in the years ahead. I enjoy serving the community and I'm meeting a lot of great people along the way!

Being on the Fire Dept for the last couple years has been a real eye opener for me. We tend to see people on the worst day of their lives, but we have an opportunity to make that day a little more bearable. The things we see and the interactions we have in the field have really given me a new outlook on life. While I may not take life's little bumps as seriously as I used to I also value life and time spent with others much more now."