(BEAVER DAM) Beaver Dam has lost a familiar voice in public safety and local government.
Delbert “Del” E. Yaroch, the former Beaver Dam fire chief and a past Dodge County Board supervisor, died Feb. 8, at Hillside Manor in Beaver Dam. He was 79.
Yaroch spent more than three decades serving the city through the Beaver Dam Fire Department. He joined the department in 1974 as an EMT, driver and fire inspector, later serving as deputy chief before being appointed fire chief in 1992. He led the department until retiring in 2006.
During his tenure, colleagues said he approached every call with pride and a steady hand, whether responding to a medical emergency or a fire. In retirement, he often said he especially enjoyed visiting local elementary schools to teach children about fire safety.
Before joining the fire department, Yaroch served six years in the Wisconsin National Guard as an infantryman and drill instructor, earning an honorable discharge as a staff sergeant. He also worked as a telephone lineman for Wisconsin Bell and served with the Village of Rio Police Department, becoming police chief in 1971.
Yaroch’s public service extended well beyond emergency response. He was elected to the Dodge County Board of Supervisors and served on numerous local and county committees, including as an election canvasser. He was a past president of the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association and remained active in several professional and veterans organizations.
In retirement, he served as post commander of AMVETS Post 33 in Beaver Dam and helped create the Beaver Dam Veterans Memorial Park, where he will be laid to rest. He also served as commander of American Legion Post 146 and was a member of its honor guard.
