Don VanEtten looks up as he presides over this month's Stamford Fire Department monthly meeting at the Stamford Fire Hall. He thought he was posing for an ID photo.
STAMFORD – It is difficult to find a person who exemplifies service to their community and someone who makes it a better place. Each year we reach out to see who the greater community has in mind for our Person of the Year, and, as usual, they have given us a good candidate.
This year it is Don VanEtten, chief of the Stamford Fire Department, president of the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation's Board of Directors and dad of four.
VanEtten has been a member of the Stamford Fire Department for 27 years. He was named a fire coordinator for Delaware County last year and is privileged to be designated "County Car 6" after one of his mentors, Sam Mason. Mason was the source of getting many members to join the SFD and was dedicated to the fire service. VanEtten was honored to receive Mason's call number. It had not been assigned to anyone else since Mason's passing in 2007. "He is the one who told me I should run for the chief's position," VanEtten said recently. "I didn't think I was ready. I thought I still had a lot to learn, but he told me I could do the job. He had confidence in me and that meant a lot to me."
Mason saw something in a young Donny VanEtten, who has worked his way up through the ranks. He and his good friend, AJ Vamosy, launched their careers in the fire service as junior firefighters in the SFD while they were still in junior high. Vamosy has also served as fire chief and is a county fire coordinator. The two have a close friendship. Vamosy said his dad, Al Vamosty, who served many years as a line officer and chief and was also a county coordinator, mentored the two young men, along with many of the senior members of the department. "They helped us along and have supported us along the way."
VanEtten was nominated as Person of the Year by Josh Sutton, for his dedication to the fire service and the community.
Sutton lovingly refers to him as Mr. Stamford. "He always supports local businesses and consistently donates to special events or charity events. He also donates a copious amount of time to the community and the county, through his work as the local fire chief and as a Delaware County fire coordinator."
You may also find him playing Santa Claus or standing on the sidelines at one of his kids' sporting events.
"Donny is a great family man and father, consistently at one, or many of his children's sporting events," said Sutton. VanEtten and his wife, Amber, who is an important part of his personal team, have four children, ranging from a college age student to a 16-month-old and include Paige, Gavin, Bailey and Carter.
Recently, VanEtten was on kitchen duty for the Stamford/Jefferson girls modified softball team, helping at a fundraising pancake breakfast at the fire station. You might also find him scrubbing the bathroom at the fire hall. He constantly reminds members that the fire department belongs to "us all" and that everyone needs to take part in keeping it clean and should take pride in their SFD home.
"I nominated him because he would be a true asset to any community. I can most certainly speak for others when I say, I'm glad he chose Stamford. He attended school in Stamford, had a business in Stamford, works in Stamford and has raised his family in Stamford. I think people will look back in 50 years and remember Donny and what he meant to the community," said Sutton.
VanEtten worked on a local farm and held various jobs before becoming a partner in a local furniture outlet, Stamford Furniture, where he and his partners often helped the community whenever they could. He then worked as a security guard at Mallinckrodt in Hobart. Now he is president of the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation Board of Directors where he also serves the community. The Foundation provides grant funding to not-for-profit organizations.
He has served as chief o