ESTEVAN - The Estevan Fire Rescue Service has found its new deputy fire chief.
Estevan firefighter Kyle Luc took the position in mid-September, to serve the community alongside Fire Chief Rick Davies.
Luc started his career in firefighting in 2002 in Drayton Valley, Alta. He got into the fire service through work experience in high school.
"It was something that I started to really, really enjoy," Luc shared.
After graduating high school, he went on to post-secondary at Lakeland College to further his education in emergency services.
He then returned to Drayton Valley and worked for several years in different places before he ended up in Estevan in 2009.
"I was fortunate enough to be hired on with Estevan fire. Started as a firefighter here, then I worked my way to lieutenant, and I worked my way to captain, then I worked my way to a fire inspector. And now here we are with the deputy fire chief, just about 20 years later," Luc said.
The EFRS had an open process to hire a new deputy fire chief, so Luc, who always wanted to take the job but previously felt it wasn't the right time, decided to put his name forward.
"This time around, my kids are a little bit older now, and I sat down and talked to my wife and it seemed like it'd be a good fit now. So, I put my name forward. And I was lucky to be the one that got hired as deputy chief," Luc said.
"When I was younger, I wanted to make this a full-time career. So now that I've done that, I'll just keep on moving forward with whatever training opportunities that we have. And my wife's born and raised in Estevan, so I'll be here for many years to come hopefully and take it every day as it is."
His new position will see Luc having some more administrative duties but will still allow him to do what he's been enjoying for years – being a first responder when the community needs him. He will now be on call every second weekend, rotating with Davies, and will be in the office throughout the week.
Luc said that the camaraderie he's seen and then experienced in the profession was a big part of his decision to become a firefighter.
"The thing that attracted me the most is I had friends that were in the fire service, and they would speak about the camaraderie. And when I got in, it really truly did show how tight of a group it is. Doesn't matter where you are in the world, if you're a firefighter, you're in the brotherhood and camaraderie is great," Luc said.
