Over 1,500 men and women have given of their time and skills to the citizens and visitors of DeBary since the group was formed in 1953. Let’s meet some of the people currently serving:
A Milestone Unrivaled
Donald J. Neyer — currently serving as our Vice President in charge of membership — has celebrated his 50th year of volunteer service with the DVFA.
A lifelong DeBary resident, he joined the Association at the age of 18 and became a volunteer firefighter with the Association. Note that this was LONG before it was ever dreamed that DeBary would become a city.
Don rose through the ranks of the department, eventually serving as Fire Chief, before the city elected to contract out its fire protection services, first to Volusia County, and now to Orange City.
Don has worked for Volusia County EMS (previously known as EVAC) since 1981 as a Paramedic, saving lives daily “On The Streets”. He is thankful for all the volunteers and career firefighters that he has worked with over the years and proud of the many who have gone on to their own careers in Fire and EMS.
On December 6, 2023, Don was recognized for his long service by the DeBary City Council with a proclamation read and presented by Mayor Karen Chasez. Then we adjourned to a local eatery for a celebration in his honor. Below are some pictures from this event. For video from the presentation, click here and here.
The rest of our leadership
Alan Crawford
President · Serving since 1983Alan came to DeBary from northern NJ where he worked as a Respiratory Therapist and volunteered with the Hawthorne Volunteer Ambulance Corps for 7 years. Alan moved to Florida in 1982 to go to work for Florida Hospital where he worked for 30 years.
He moved to DeBary in 1983 and soon joined the DVFA as a volunteer firefighter. In 1989, along with his late wife Denice, he was instrumental in founding the Mutual Aid Support Team (MAST), the forerunner of today’s Firefighter Support Team. He was also a member of the Volusia County Fire Prevention Team. He has held various leadership positions, including President and Vice-President.
He currently resides in Leesburg along with his wife Judy, who also serves on our Board. Alan is also very interested and knowledgeable in the history of the DVFA and the City in general.
David Butlien
Treasurer & Quartermaster · Serving since 2017Dave came to DeBary in 2009. Originally from New Rochelle, NY (yes, the home of the Petries on the Dick Van Dyke show), followed by a stint in the Chicago suburbs, Phyllis, David and Rachel came south.
As a kid, Dave loved watching Johnny and Roy on “Emergency”, starting a lifetime interest in Emergency Services. He became certified in CPR for the first time in 9th grade. He took his first Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class in 1982 and immediately joined both the campus emergency squad at Cornell University and a Volunteer Ambulance Corps near his home in the NYC suburbs. He soon took his first Paramedic class, and remained with Harrison EMS and other emergency services until moving to Chicagoland in 2001.
There he joined the Morton Grove (IL) Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA), which became the Emergency Management Agency (EMA), where he rose to the Lieutenant and Supervisor ranks, serving this Chicago suburb in a variety of Disaster and Emergency Preparedness roles.
Soon after arriving in DeBary, Dave learned of the DVFA and joined up. He now serves not only as the Treasurer, but also as the Quartermaster, in charge of supplies, equipment, and uniforms. Dave is very interested in radio communications and is a licensed Amateur (Ham) Radio operator — most of his vehicles over the last 30 years have looked like porcupines due to the multiple antennas affixed. Dave is married to Phyllis, and has one adult daughter.
Yvonne Staab
Secretary · Serving since 1991Yvonne settled in DeBary after immigrating from Canada in 1990. In March of 1991, she joined the Association with the intention of helping out in her new community. Not long after, she was bitten by the “fire department bug” and joined DeBary Station 33, where she was a volunteer firefighter for seventeen years.
Yvonne is currently part of the Support Team and has served as Secretary of our Association for so many years, it is hard to remember how long she has held the job!
Yvonne is married to Paul Staab, who was a past Chief and Association President in DeBary and is a retired Firefighter from the Orange County (FL) Fire Department. Newly retired, Yvonne continues to enjoy helping out with Association events and the community in general. Her hobbies include travelling, photography, sewing, and enjoying time with friends and family.
David Casey
Director · Serving since 2019Dave is a relatively recent addition to the DVFA, but has already made a tremendous impact with his expertise and contacts. He was, for example, instrumental in arranging the donation of our Support truck to the Association and the City of DeBary.
Dave is the co-founder of Ascend Leadership, a company specializing in the development and testing of leaders in the Fire Service, and is often on the road teaching and administering promotional testing. He is an accomplished author and co-author of several books and articles, including as lead author of the NFPA/ISFSI/IAFC textbook Live Fire Training: Principles and Practice. He has been published in Fire Engineering and other regional magazines, and co-authored Fire Engineering’s video series “The Right Seat – Officer Development Beyond the Textbook” (six volumes).
He served as Louisiana’s State Training Director for Municipal firefighters and previously was the Superintendent of the Florida State Fire College — overseeing the state curriculum leading to certification at the certified training centers and community colleges in the state, and directing the Florida Firefighter OSHA program. He was the Fire Chief of Clay County (FL) for 11 years, and served with several other Florida departments including Sunrise and Plantation.
He has a Master’s degree in Public Administration, is a NFA EFO graduate and was a CFO designee. A Florida Instructor III, he is a frequent presenter at FDIC and various state and provincial Fire Chiefs’ and Training Conferences. Dave lives in DeBary with his wife Colleen, a former Emergency Services Dispatcher who now works for Volusia County Schools.
Judy Crawford
Director · Serving since 2011Judy came to Florida from Fall River, Massachusetts almost 40 years ago. She has worked in various fields: manufacturing, retail, daycare and most recently eldercare.
She joined the Association in 2011, shortly after being introduced to her husband Alan. She has been a director for the Association since 2016. Her outside interests include gathering with friends both inside and outside the Association, playing cards and bingo, and helping the community at large.
Member List
These members have been invaluable to the Association and continue in active service.
Yvonne Staab
Caroline Beske
David Butlien
Melissa Patton
Amy Perkins
Eddie Redmond