Dave Williams died Sunday in Chatham

Heather Wright/The Independent

Dave Williams exemplified the “Service Above Self” motto, say Dawn-Euphemia firefighters who served with him.

Williams, the long-serving former fire chief of the department, died in Chatham Sunday night. The passing of the lifetime member of the Dawn-Euphemia Firefighters’ Association was announced on social media this morning.

When Williams retired in May 2022, he had served 30 years. He was one of the last original members of the Dawn-Euphemia Fire Department which formed in 1991.

Williams started as a firefighter as the department formed and told The Independent on his retirement that they “were just a bunch of farm boys and we had no pre conditions…nothing to go by…We made up the rules as they suited us,” Williams says. “It is a totally different creature today than it was then.”

Williams moved up the ranks until he became deputy chief to Jerry Burns. Under Burns’ leadership, Williams says he learned patience. It was a lesson he learned well since at least one member of the department, Capt. John Sanderson, when Williams retired, called him “Mr. Cool because he says I never seem to get rattled.”

Williams worked to the very last day on the job – a hot, windy day when Brennan’s Poultry’s facility burned to the gorund.

“It was hot, dusty and frankly not the sort of day anyone would want to be at a structure fire. But, while most would perhaps call it a day. Not David. He rolled up and reported to Incident Command as usual.

“I think that says about all one in the fire service needs to hear about a fellow firefighter to know what sort of fabric a guy is made of,” wrote Chief Don Ewing at the time.

Monday, Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Al Broad and Councillor Jason Meyer offered condolences to his family with Meyer saying: “A truly great man who will be missed dearly.”

Funeral arrangements are not yet available.