Bryon DeVries has a mind dedicated to safety and has the drive to learn and serve his community. He has been a member of both the Citizens Police Academy and Arlington Fire's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) since June 2015.

Since then, he has completed more than 20 FEMA Independent Study courses and completed the Texas Division of Emergency Management's HazMat Awareness and HazMat First Responders courses. He is currently working towards his Advanced Professional Series through FEMA's Emergency Management Institute.

While completing these trainings, he has gone above and beyond by engaging as a member of the CERT Admin Council.

In 2018, he continued his volunteerism by looking for a Volunteer Fire Department to join. He is currently completing his Fire Fighter I certification with an expected completion in May with live fire burn check offs, to be followed by Fire Fighter II certification.

"All I can say is once you have been bit by the bug there is no turning back. I figure the more prepared I am to take care of my family and neighbors, it frees up our first responders to help those who are in a greater need,' DeVries said.

"Final thought - You will get out of it what you put into it. This goes for everything you do,' he added.

We cannot do what we do without volunteers like Bryon who bring ideas and energy to our team. The Office of Emergency Management appreciates all of the hard work and dedication that Bryon gives the citizens of Arlington so that we may be better prepared for future emergencies.