At 30 years old, Jared Young, Waitsfield, is one of the younger chiefs to lead the Waitsfield-Fayston Volunteer Fire Department. Sworn in as chief in December, Young has been a member of the department since he was 15 when he started as a junior firefighter.
Young steps into the position held by Tripp Johnson for six years. He comes from a long line of volunteer firefighters, including his grandfather and mother Shawn Young.
“My grandfather was the reason I joined as a junior firefighter inn 2009. He was chief then and I wanted to join and be part of the crew,” he said.
Over the years, Young progressed through the ranks, completing the 200-hour fire academy and receiving all the requisite certifications. When he turned 18 he became a regular firefighter for nine years, then a lieutenant in the department for two years, followed by terms as second assistant and fire assistant chief and now chief. He has also been the fire warden for the town of Waitsfield for many years – a role Delbert Palmer also held.
“I picked up where he left off,” he said.
Delbert Palmer died in 2014 and his wife Sharlia Palmer died in 2019.
“There’s still a lot to learn. I will have much to learn and we have a lot of good guys and girls in the department,” Young said.
Volunteer fire and EMS work is important in all towns and also in small towns where neighbors show up for neighbors on what might be the worst days of their lives, Young said. (He also completed EMT training and was a Mad River Valley Ambulance Service volunteer for five years.).
“It requires a good group of people who want to learn how to do the job and are willing to put in the time and wake up at all hours to help the community. We’re fortunate to have a lot of people who’ve been doing it for a long time and we’ve got some new people as well,” he said.
He said he is fascinated by, and appreciative of the fact that so many people really care about doing something to help others when they need it the most.
Young is a Waitsfield native, who lives here with his wife Abby. They have three daughters, Gerrianna who is 7, Ellie who is 4 and Sophie who is seven months old.
