ITEM PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK
Jake D’Eon, 10, pins the deputy fire chief of Saugus badge onto his dad, Thomas, after a swearing-in ceremony at Saugus Town Hall on Friday.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — There’s a new deputy fire chief in town.
Deputy Chief Thomas D’Eon was among five members of the Saugus Fire Department to be sworn in to a new position by Town Manager Scott Crabtree Friday morning.
D’Eon, Lt. Mark Gannon, Capt. Scott Phelan, Capt. James Hughes, and acting Lt. Damian Drella each celebrated their promotions, surrounded by their proud family members in a crowded ceremony in the foyer of Town Hall.
The new deputy chief will fill the role of former Deputy Chief Donald Shea, who retired on New Year’s Eve 2016 after 38 years of service.
Shea began his career as a dispatcher and continued to work for seven different chiefs over five decades. He became a firefighter, then fire lieutenant, and eventually fire captain under former Chief Walter Newbury. In 2015 he assumed the role of deputy chief.
“Don Shea is a mentor and I have big shoes to fill,” said D’Eon. “He’s what we all strive to be in the fire service.”
D’Eon joined the department as a firefighter 13 years ago after serving four years in the U.S. Navy and working as a plumber. The Malden native had ties to Saugus, with his grandparents and parents growing up in town.
He married his high school sweetheart, Jenn D’Eon, and later purchased his grandparents’ home in 1999. The family has set deep roots in Saugus. In addition to raising their two children, Ally and Jake, in town, D’eon has strived to take on a leadership position within the fire department, and Jenn serves on the Board of Selectmen.
“About five years ago, he told me he wanted to represent the town at a higher position,” said Jenn. “It has been a long process. It’s a sacrifice and the family makes sacrifices but ultimately it’s for the greater good and I know he will be an excellent deputy chief.”
D’Eon went back to college to study fire safety and began taking many state courses, said Jenn.
“I would take family vacations by myself with the kids because he would be at that table studying relentlessly,” Jenn said. “The books would come in the mail and they’d be as big as an encyclopedia. He’d read the whole thing from the first page and then he’d go back and begin again, but he’d start highlighting. He has worked so hard.”
D’Eon was pinned by his 10-year-old son, who said he was proud of his father and would consider following in his footsteps.
Fire Chief Michael Newbury said he has been proud to participate in all promotion ceremonies since becoming chief, but found Friday’s ceremony particularly humbling.
“I’m promoting people who have been here longer than I have,” he said. “Watching people put in the effort to be promoted to a higher level is great to see. Each level comes with more responsibilities.”
Gannon has been with the department for 23 years, Hughes for 26 of his 30 years on the job, Phelan for 19, and Drella for 26 years.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.