PHILLIPSTON — Deputy Fire Chief Donald Smith is retiring from firefighting after 30 years of service — not by choice, but because he has “aged-out” of the system.
“I’m not ready to go,” said Smith.
Massachusetts law requires mandatory retirement at age 65 for firefighters, police officers and corrections officers.
Smith started his public service career in 1977, working as a Royalston police officer for 10 years. He moved to Phillipston in 1987, attended a firefighter’s meeting and joined the fire department shortly after. He has worked under four fire chiefs — Joe Bosselait, Charles “Chip” Jones, James Garner and Richard Stevens. He has served as deputy chief for the past six years.
“It always creates a hardship in small communities when you have someone who has 30 years of knowledge, experience and training leaving your department,” Stevens said.
For the past three or four years, the department has had two deputy fire chiefs splitting duties — one focuses more on the fire-related responsibilities and the other on emergency medical services.
“It’s a big help,” said Stevens, who noted the position will be filled through the normal promotion process.
Smith said that over time, he has seen many good changes take place “in fire apparatus, training — it’s all about fire science, it’s huge — and having the proper equipment to do your job with.”
Smith has also been an emergency medical technician for the past 25 years. He started as a firefighter, got on the rescue squad, and worked his way up the ranks to deputy chief, earning the respect of the 20-plus men and women on the fire department.
A year and a half ago, Smith took early retirement from his job as a correctional officer at the North Central Correctional Institute in Gardner after 13 years, and from the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, a maximum security facility, where he worked 12½ years.
“It’s time to go,” said Smith, “I’ve accepted that. It’s tough on your family doing two different careers like this. But they have been very supportive of me. I can’t tell you how many Christmases, birthdays and holidays I have been called away from for fires and accidents.”
A member of the Firefighters Association, Smith has been a departmental training officer for many years. The association works to buy equipment the town cannot afford.
“We purchased a defibrillator, boat, helped pay for a Jaws of Life, our newest stretcher, a stair chair and computers for the ambulance system (splitting the cost with the town),” he said.
Over the years, the association has also purchased equipment for the brush truck, fire truck, chainsaws and brush fire tools, he said.
“We are pretty-well modernized, due to the efforts of the chief, the department and the town,” said Smith.
The fire station went through many changes, starting with two buildings with four bays to the new fire safety complex built in 1996.
“Things changed dramatically,” said Smith.
In 1997, Smith and his wife, Judy, were part of a group of firefighters who started the Firefighters Explorer Post 39 through the Boy Scouts of America. The group taught interested 14-year-olds how to use air packs, work the hoses and do ladder work, among other segments of firefighting.
“Of the 14 to 16 kids instructed over four years, five went on into the firefighter-medical service,” said Smith, “The early training helped steer them toward a career. They had a lot skill by the time they turned 18.”
The Explorers would observe training centered around the controlled burning of old houses and get to learn how to work on the line. Before a building was set to fire, firefighters would “smoke” the rooms and gain training on what it was like to enter a smoke-filled building, without the immediate danger of a fire-weakened structure.
Smith recalled attending fire musters around the state and locally.
“We used to have a muster team that competed in Ashburnham,” he said. Fire departments from around the state competed. He said the practice “fell by the wayside,” because times changed and firefighters are now required to have so much training.
He noted that volunteer firefighters require a vast amount of training.
“The firefighters — 1 and 2 levels — go through the firefighting academy to attain the level of knowledge needed to work on the line, whether you’re a call firefighter or full-time firefighter,” he said.
He said this winter, like most, was busy. He said he worked for the fire department, correctional facilities, does plowing for the Phillipston Highway Department and works part time for Red Apple Farm.
“Come May, I am headed for New Hampshire,” he said with a smile. “And, waiting for warmer weather to start on the lawn. I hope to take it easy.”
His wife nodded in agreement, adding she has a to-do list to keep him busy in retirement, and it keeps getting longer.
Smith said he will remain a member of the Firefighters Association. His wife will remain a member of the auxiliary. The Association holds an annual turkey raffle and golf tournament. Twelve years ago, he started the annual toy drive conducted at Christmas time, reaching out to the church “and everybody,” he said.
“Some donated toys, others gave money to purchase toys. It has been successful over the last 13 years,” he said.
He said he also helps with the Lions Club’s food distribution at the holidays.
“The Lions give turkeys and we do the fixins’.” he said. “It’s an idea a member came up with three or four years ago.”
“We used to do photos with Santa,” his wife said., “And, hold a Christmas party for the Fire Department members.”
She said the department also did Pictures with Santa at the Phillipston Memorial School for a few years at the Christmas Prelude and at the fire department.
Judy Smith is no stranger to the commitment of public service. She was a dispatcher and a police officer in Millbury when she met and married her husband. The Smiths met in 1994 and married in 1996. Judy’s father, brothers, uncles and their son, who was once a firefighter in Phillipston, as well, also work in public service. They couple has five grandchildren. One grandson is more interested in being a police officer than a firefighter.
“He would have been a fifth-generation firefighter,” said Smith.
“We shared the same passions, we enjoy each other’s company,” she said. “I’m used to him getting up in the middle of meals, holidays, birthdays to go respond to a situation. I’m glad he’s out of the Souza-Baranowski facility. I was more nervous at him being there than being a firefighter.”
He agreed, “It’s a tough place to work. I’m glad I’m out of there.”
Smith said he is pleased with the career he had with the Phillipston Fire Department.
“I can’t praise the department enough,” he said. “Having the fire department here is a big benefit for the town. It changes response time from a lot of minutes to a few minutes. I can see it growing for the better in the future. It’s a good town to live in. There are a lot of good people, especially those in public service.”
Smith said he will continue to plow for the highway department, even though the 15-hour stretches on the roads are still fresh in his mind.
“I’ll fill in when the other guys can’t make it.” he said.
Other than that, Smith has decided he is going to enjoy his retirement. And so is his wife, she said. The pair plan to spend precious, uninterrupted time with their grandchildren, spoil them the best the can, care for their two German shepherds and enjoy each other’s company.