U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines recognized Mike DeVries of Fergus County as Montanan of the Month for his dedication to serving his community and his courage during the Denton fire last December.
Through his “Montanan of the Month” initiative, each month Daines will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the official Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress.
Daines welcomes anyone to nominate fellow Montanans for Daines’ “Montanan of the Month” program by calling Daines’ office at 202-224-2651 or by filling out the contact form on Daines’ website: HERE.
The following is a statement submitted to the Congressional Record:
TRIBUTE TO MIKE DEVRIES OF FERGUS COUNTY
Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Mike DeVries of Fergus County as Montanan of the Month for his dedication to serving his community and his courage during the Denton fire last December.
Mike joined the volunteer fire department shortly after moving to Denton with his family in 2004 and has been loyal to the department and community ever since, serving as chief for 11 years. On December 1, 2021, Mike’s love of his community and resolute leadership was on full display. As the West Wind Fire tore through the town of Denton, Mike acted swiftly to maintain incident command and ensure the safety of his firefighters and members of the Denton community.
As Montana suffered a terrible fire season in 2021, Mike not only coordinated aid and resources, he showed care and compassion to his fellow residents of Denton and the surrounding area. He met with folks who were impacted by the fires and connected personally with all of the local firefighters and community members who showed up to help.
Serving as the Denton fire chief is just one of the ways Mike gives back to his community. He is also on the elder board of the Denton Bible Church and has served several terms on the town council. As a volunteer fire chief, he has spent countless hours training, traveling and managing the department. His son Joel says that Mike is held in high regard by other firefighters as he works to build relationships between Denton and surrounding departments.
While Mike is quick to give credit to his crew, he deserves recognition for his leadership during the 2021 fire season, loyalty to the Denton fire department and compassion for his community. Keep up the great work, Mike. You make Montana proud!
###
Contact: Rachel Dumke, Katie Schoettler