Doug deBest has been involved in the fire service for over twenty-nine years, with the majority of his time spent in volunteer roles within volunteer or combination departments.  He has served in many different compacities within the fire service; from volunteer & career roles on municipal departments, part-time on a private fire department, and even as an industrial fire brigade member.  Doug served on the Baroda Fire Department for fifteen years, rising from the role of firefighter to the rank of Fire Chief.  Currently, Doug serves as a Lieutenant and the Training Officer for the St. Joseph Township Fire Department – Station # 1.

Doug has earned a Bachelor Degree in Fire Science from Lake Superior State University, and a Master Degree from Western Michigan University.  He recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management & Disaster Resilience from Eastern Kentucky University.  Doug was awarded an “Alumni Fellow” from Lake Superior State University for his contributions to the Life of the University in 2005; he is the recipient of the only Alumni Fellow to be awarded to a Fire Science graduate.

Doug has attended hundreds of hours of training related to the areas of fire fighting, emergency medical services, technical rescue, and emergency management.  Doug holds numerous certifications from the Office of Fire Fighter Training (OFFT) in Michigan; including Fire Fighter II, Fire Officer III and Instructor II.  He is also a licensed Emergency Medical Technician and an Emergency Medical Services – Instructor / Coordinator.   Doug has maintained his certification as a Professional Emergency Manager from the Michigan State Police, since 2001.  Doug is also a license Drinking Water System Operator, at the S-3 level with the State of Michigan.

In early 2022, Doug was credentialed as a Chief Training Officer by the Center for Public Safety Excellence; for his achievements and hard work in the area of fire training and instruction.  This was the second time that Doug was recognized for his achievements and efforts in fire service leadership, as he received the designation as a Fire Officer by the Center for Public Safety Excellence; in December of 2012.