Otter Lake Fire chief hangs up his helmet

Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
OTTER LAKE June 16, 2018
A fire chief who had served over 50 years with his crew was honoured at a party on Saturday, as the Otter Lake Fire Department wished him well in his retirement with music, speeches and a few cold beverages.
Fire Chief Rodney Vadneau was the toast of the department at the Otter Lake Fire Hall, when crew members from departments across the Pontiac joined the party for the big send-off.
“I’m glad to be getting out now, while the paperwork isn’t too high,” laughed Vadneau.
Surrounded by co-workers, neighbours, friends and family, Vadneau had the fire hall laughing as he thanked everyone for their continued support year-after-year.
First joining the department in 1967, Vadneau quickly rose the ranks to become chief just five years later.
“When I first started with the fire department, the garden hose was your best friend,” said Vadneau, with a laugh. “We saved a lot of basements.”
While not everyday was a cause for celebration, Vadneau was proud to share that his crew helped as many as they could over the years and that he was fortunate to have to chance to do so for as long as he did. Vadneau’s career extended all the way up to 2018, a total of 51 years, when he served his last day as chief at the end of April.