The Town of Vegreville is pleased to announce the hiring of Mitch Newton as Fire Chief/Health & Safety Officer for the Vegreville Fire Department, effective December 5, 2022.
Newton brings a wealth of experience to the position thanks to a twenty-two-year career in the emergency, fire, and law enforcement sectors. Most notably, Newton has served as the Manager of Protective Services for Lac La Biche County – a position tasked with overseeing seventy-seven volunteer firefighters, four full time staff, and five district fire halls.

“I’m thrilled to accept the position of Fire Chief for the Town of Vegreville, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve this community with, from what I understand, is a tremendously dedicated and passionate team of firefighters in Vegreville.”

Mitch Newton, Fire Chief, Town of Vegreville

Newton’s hiring rounds out the creation of the Town of Vegreville’s new Protective Services department, managed by Allan Weiss, who was hired for the role last month. Weiss’ municipal experience spans forty years in the fire, paramedic, and municipal bylaw enforcement services. Prior to joining the Town, he served as the CAO/Regional Emergency Manager & Director of Emergency Management for the Beaver Emergency Services Commission.

“We as an organization are very excited about having Mitch [Newton] and Allan [Weiss] join our team. On the heels of our organizational review in the fall, a need was identified for a new department that would focus on the protective services needs of our citizens and I’m confident that we’ve hired the right people to help streamline our processes and lead our frontline staff.”

Chris Leggett, CAO, Town of Vegreville

Under Weiss, the Town of Vegreville’s Protective Services Department will include management and administration of the operations of the Fire Hall, Peace Officers, Occupational Health and Safety and liaising with the Vegreville RCMP detachment.