ATHOL — A single incident more than 40 years ago changed the trajectory of Fire Chief John L. Duguay’s chosen career path.
After 36 years and 10 months service for the Athol Fire Department, Duguay has retired as fire chief and emergency management director, and over the years gained the respect and gratitude of his community.
After graduating from Athol High School in 1977, like hundreds of others in this mill town, Duguay went to work at Union Twist Drill/Union Butterfield, making precision cutting tools.
“There were a bunch of call firefighters at UTD and there was a bell system through the shop. When it went off you knew it was a fire call,” Duguay said.
He said one day in 1979 the system alerted the men to a fire and as one firefighter rushed past him, he called out there was a house fire on Arthur Avenue.
“I realized it was my parent’s house, and my brother lived across the street,” said Duguay, whose brother worked in an adjoining department, dashed from the factory in wake of the firefighters to the site.
A spark from a torch had ignited glue being used during a bathroom remodel. “It blew up,” said Duguay. “The plumber got my mother out. Everybody got out.”
The incident and quick response of the firefighters grabbed Duguay’s attention and he spoke to Chief Brian Martin about the call fire department. His interest grew and eventually he took the Civil Service, medical and physical exams and was accepted to the Civil Service list.
“Back then there were many people trying to get on the department,” said Duguay. “I was hired in 1981.”
Duguay served as a call firefighter under five fire chiefs — Martin, Lee Lozier, Jerry Lozier, James Wright and Tom Lozier.
His first year was the most difficult. “There were seven fatalities on Route 2 that year,” he said. “It’s gotten a little better.”
Duguay was appointed fire chief on April 6, 2015, after having served as acting chief following the Feb. 1 retirement of Chief Lozier.
Duguay recalled an event leading up to the decision by Lozier to offer him the job. “There was a fatality and I was there,” said Duguay. “Tom was pleased with how things went and (later) offered me the chief’s job. Tom knew I could do the job. I thank him for that.”
Upon his appointment Duguay promoted Jeffrey Parker from captain to deputy chief. Parker is presently handling the day-to-day business at the department while the town’s five-member Fire Chief Search Committee conducts its search for a new chief.
Duguay was lauded at a surprise retirement party held at the Orange Gun Club, and was presented citations from the House of Representatives and the Senate acknowledging his many years of service. The celebration, which included a bit of roasting, was a festive gathering made more special by the presence of his brother Lester “Bum” Duguay, from North Carolina.
Uncomfortable with any kind of focus on himself, Duguay admitted that he received a commendation for his role in saving a life during a near-drowning at Silver Lake. “There were several of us involved in saving that kid’s life,” he said. “Every day is like a citation in my mind. This is a job we do every day.”
Reflecting on his long career, Duguay, who maintained his emergency medical technical certification until he retired, recalls that in 1997 the town started the ambulance service.
“There is a lot involved in certification,” he said, noting every member of the department is an EMT-Firefighter. The town started with one ambulance, eventually running up to three units, and conducting interfacility transfers.
In July of 2014, when staffing was reduced, the department stopped interfacility transfers.
“We now have two ambulances,” said Duguay. “The ambulance business is very busy, the staff really are put to the task every day. Things are different today — there are codes, laws, regulations. And the opioid epidemic is not going away any time soon.”
He said staffing is a struggle due to the stiff requirements of Civil Service.
“It’s hard to find a paramedic firefighter who will move to town,” said Duguay. “They come, stay for a while, then leave. It’s a different world, a dangerous world.”
Duguay said the union agreed to increase the residency requirement from 15 miles to a 50-mile radius. That’s how he found EMT William Publicover of Worcester, the newest member of the department.
Duguay said he had advertised for an EMT/Firefighter for two years, and sent out a last-ditch request to Civil Service prior to retiring. A month after posting the job, he got a voicemail from Publicover who found the notice in his SPAM folder on the computer. He asked if it was too late to apply. Duguay checked with Civil Service who said “Hire him. They allowed it,” said Duguay. “He went through the normal procedures, the testing, physical agility test, medical and background checks — everything came back good.”
Publicover went through orientation at the department and is presently on ambulance duty. He will attend the fire academy in the coming months.
When he joined the force Duguay said there were eight firefighters on each apparatus, and the town had three engines and a ladder truck.
Duguay said the Athol call department is presently critically low in numbers, and has 10 call firefighters.
“We are at an all time low in numbers,” said Duguay, who said he was looking at establishing an Explorer Post, to get young people interested in fire service. “The interest is not there.”
In all, Duguay said he has enjoyed working with the town, “they have been very supportive. The employees at the town hall are outstanding and the accountant’s office is over the top. Very helpful,” he said, “I enjoyed going to work everyday and working with outstanding firefighters. It’s like a second family.”
Leaving that family is bittersweet, he said. “It’s finally starting to sink in — I’m really leaving it.” He plans to take the rest of the year off to reflect and destress.
“I like to hunt and fish,” said Duguay. “I’m going to do some of that.”
Duguay, who started up the Vacant and Abandoned Buildings Committee, said he will not rule out serving on town committees, but will take a little time off from volunteering.
“I had a very good career. I was born here, brought up here and will die here,” he said, then laughed. “I’m not a Florida person — you won’t see me ‘winter’ in Florida.”
Duguay’s last day on the job was extremely busy, he said, and included a bit of excitement.
“In the middle of the day, (Athol Police Lieutenant) Ron Cote came into my office and said ‘we need to go for a ride’ — and we went down to the bank.” He said a woman met them there and handed checks of $50,000 — each of them to be used specifically by the police department and fire department. The woman asked that she remain anonymous and only that the money go directly to the two departments and not to the general fund of the town.
Duguay and Cote immediately set up separate trusts for the donations in the names of the fire and police departments, to be used at the discretion of the chiefs.
“What a day,” said Duguay.
And a nice way to wrap up a career.