GREENFIELD — Ed Jarvis has always liked helping people, so when a good friend of his encouraged him to join the Greenfield Fire Department’s call force in 1986, he didn’t think twice about it.
Over the last 30 years, Jarvis has moved up through the department’s ranks, becoming a full-time firefighter in 1991 and eventually taking the role of deputy chief 3½ years ago. Now, at the age of 55, he’s decided to retire from the department.
“It’s been challenging at times, but it’s been fun. I like a challenge and it definitely provided one,” Jarvis said of the job, adding it’s the profession to be in if you like helping others.
A Greenfield native, Jarvis graduated from the high school and went on to study forestry at Paul Smith’s College in New York. He was working at Hardigg Industries in 1986 when a good friend of his from Boy Scouts, who was a captain of the call force at the time, encouraged him to join the department. Five years after getting his start as a part-timer, Jarvis was hired as a full-time firefighter.
“I said, ‘I don’t want to work in a factory all my life,’ so I decided to take a pay cut and go to work for the fire department,” he said. “I’d never do it differently, it was definitely worth it. It’s the challenge, the camaraderie of the people, doing something for the community — giving back.”
During his time on the department, Jarvis held a number of leadership roles, including shift captain, fire prevention captain, enforcing fire codes for the city, and most recently, the deputy chief in charge of operations. He said the transitions were easy because he always wanted to move up through the ranks, but Jarvis never envisioned himself as the chief or deputy chief until later on in his career, when he was ready for a new challenge.
Fire Chief Robert Strahan said Jarvis has made a positive impact on the department throughout his career, also serving as union president and an EMT. As a firefighter, Strahan said, Jarvis was instrumental in raising money for new equipment, including the Jaws of Life, as well as writing a grant that supplied every permanent firefighter with a radio.
“Ed was dedicated to the community and the department that he served, and the community was in good, safe hands while he was a member of this department,” Strahan said. “He will be missed.”
Jarvis said over his career he’s also seen the department grow and evolve, noting significant technological advances and the changing role of firefighters, who now respond to everything from hazardous materials incidents to high-angle technical rescues. When he first joined, Jarvis said the department did about 500 runs a year. This year so far, the department is up to 2,500 runs.
“When you’re busy, the time flies. It doesn’t seem like it was 30 years ago when I started,” he said. “I just like to stay busy, and I like to help people, and that’s just my nature.”
But Jarvis also said he knew it was time to retire.
“It’s the weekends and nights and cold weather, and the 3 o’clock in the mornings — that kind of stuff,” he said. “It wasn’t bad when you’re younger, but as you progress and get older, it gets a little tougher to get up in the morning and out there in 10-degree weather.”
Strahan said the department has not yet hired anyone to fill the position.
Jarvis said he’ll miss most his colleagues, whom he called a great groups of guys who always go above and beyond. He plans to kick off his retirement by spending time hunting and fishing.
“That’s my passion — I love the outdoors, and we’ll see what happens when the spring comes,” he said.