New Deputy Fire Chief Sings Praises Of Department, Town

BREWSTER – If Jeff Sivert is one thing, it’s a team player. 

The new deputy fire chief at the Brewster Fire Department started just over a month ago and has already found the community to be warm, welcoming and above all, supportive. 

Sivert had previously worked with the Clinton Fire Department for 25 years, starting his career in the call department for around two and a half years. After being promoted to a full-time position, he quickly rose through the ranks from EMT to captain and finally deputy chief. 

Sivert grew up visiting the Cape during the summers. His aunt and uncle owned a home in Yarmouth which he would frequently visit. Around three years ago, his wife’s extended family purchased a “fixer-upper” in Harwich.

“Jen and I kind of fell into the routine of doing maintenance and upkeep on the house,” he said. “We've spent holidays and tornadoes and hurricanes and blizzards in the house in Harwich. So I've been trying to get down here for a very, very, very long time and the opportunity to take on the job in Brewster popped up and it seemed like the perfect fit.”

Sivert’s role in Clinton included fire response, something the Brewster deputy chief is not responsible for. Although it’s a typical five-days-a-week role that supports the department administratively, Sivert said it doesn’t take away from his hands-on nature. 

When he was offered the position in Brewster, Sivert and his wife purchased “a nice little house that needed a little bit of work” in Harwich, minutes from the Brewster line. The proximity gives him the advantage of responding to emergencies, even on his off days.

Sivert is most astounded by the inter-department support within the town. 

“The level of cooperation amongst departments within this community is incredible,” he said. “The support from one another is unlike anything I've ever personally experienced. Everybody here within this community works well together for the overall benefit of the community. And it's been incredible.” 

He said before he was an official member of the department, he visited town hall to fill out some paperwork. Susan Broderick, the director of human resources for the town, brought him around and introduced him to staff members in the building. The conversations between Sivert and town staff were so influential and supportive that he knew immediately he had made the right decision accepting the job. 

Aside from his firefighter background, Sivert is also an instructor at the Massachusetts Fire Academy in Stow where he helps train new recruits on complex firefighting techniques. He is already bringing this type of mentality to the department here in Brewster. 

“Chief Varley has afforded me the opportunity to continue with the training component of it here in Brewster,” he said. “And that's something I absolutely look forward to doing, and that's something that I absolutely have kind of already jumped in waist-deep with.”

Sivert participated in the basic training camp held earlier this month. He has already scheduled Barnstable County’s car fire prop and mobile burns unit to visit in October. 

He said the crew genuinely wants to continue training, so scheduling upcoming training workshops has been made easier for him. Sivert also said he is relying heavily on his captains’ recommendations, feedback and help to support the department’s development in the best way possible. 

Sivert said the department works well because the firefighters are putting in the work for the Brewster community. It’s not just one person, it’s the team.

“I'm not the one stretching the line on Sunday at the house fire, making an entry on the nozzle and putting it out,” he said. “It's the firefighters that do the work. It's the firefighters that go on the calls. 
It's the firefighters that have that direct impact on making whatever the emergency is or emergencies are that day, that truly make it better.”

Outside of the firehouse, residents can find Sivert taking advantage of his new surroundings with his family. They love to hike and relax at the Cape Cod National Seashore beaches with their over-sand vehicle. 

He also prioritizes his health, noting that being a firefighter means being healthy for the community. His son Jack and he train regularly using the CrossFit program.  

“It's been so refreshing, and I’m truly grateful for that,” he said of his tenure so far. “For the opportunity, but more so for the support, from [the] firefighters and the captains and everybody here.”