ASHFIELD — Community members gathered at Edge Hill Golf Course on Saturday to offer kind words and appreciation for former Fire Chief Del Haskins, who recently retired after 47 years of service, including 12 as Ashfield chief.
Current Ashfield Fire Chief Kyle Walker said that those involved had been planning this surprise event for almost three months, and were counting on almost 140 guests to arrive. It was confirmed when Haskins arrived that the party had remained a surprise. The planning to make that happen, Walker added, was not easy.
“It was so difficult getting townspeople to come because we couldn’t put posters out” or send mass emails, he explained. Instead, they resorted to word-of-mouth, phone calls, small group emails and Facebook (which Haskins doesn’t use).
With those methods, Walker was able to include — along with Ashfield family members and friends — guests like retired and current firefighters and fire chiefs from both Franklin and Hampshire counties, as well as local business owners.
Planners had help from local businesses, too. Hilltown Tents provided the chairs, tents and tables, and Ox and Rabbit Restaurant catered.
For $5, guests could buy six raffle tickets with the potential to win donated items, from a Weber grill to local restaurant gift cards. Fifty percent of the money raised will go to the Ashfield Fire Department, while the other 50 percent will support Haskins’ retirement.
When Haskins arrived, he was met with a standing ovation. The event became lively and celebratory, filled with food, drinks and appreciation for Haskins’ decades of service. A series of speakers touched on Haskins’ time with the department, as well as their gratitude his work and commitment to Ashfield.
Assistant Fire Chief Matt Haskins, Del Haskins’ son, contacted retired Senior Capt. Mark Hurley, who wrote a letter to Del that Matt read to the crowd.
“You kept (the town) glued together in hard times,” Mark Haskins read on Hurley’s behalf. “Many things the chief did were out of the sight of the public.”
The letter continued, naming countless times when Del Haskins was the first to sign on before anyone else in the department (and neighboring departments), how he served as a mentor for younger firefighters and how he continually gave the job his all.
After Hurley’s letter came a presentation of a certificate from the Massachusetts Call Volunteer Firefighters Association (MCVFA). Past President and current Regional Vice President Kevin Connolly presented Haskins with the certificate.
“He has 47 years with the department, and he’s been a member of our organization for as long as I can remember,” Connolly said of Haskins.
In addition, Haskins was given a $500 gift card to KOA campgrounds and $100 for his model train hobby.
Numerous fire chiefs from Franklin and Hampshire counties also stood up to comment about the mark he left on not only his town and his department, but other departments across the region.
“When I think of Ashfield Fire, I think of Del. When I think of West County, I think of Del. Del was always there,” Greenfield Fire Chief Robert Strahan said. “Del taught me to put my community first, and to put my firefighters above that.”
Bernardston Fire Chief Peter Shedd added that Haskins taught everyone without reservation.
“Del was doing it all — not that he would ever mention that at meetings,” Shedd continued, noting Haskins’ role model quality. “Thanks, Del. And congrats on a job well done.”
From Conway to Northfield, and many places in between, it was made clear that Haskins’ leadership was a large part of what makes the Ashfield community feel so supported by the department. To Haskins, Chief Walker expressed his gratitude: “If it wasn’t for what you’ve done and how you trained everybody, I wouldn’t have such a great group under me.”
According to retired Chief Haskins, however, the celebration and work was still not about him — it’s about connecting and keeping the community safe, and supporting everyone at Ashfield Fire.
And he’s not finished, either. Haskins still plans to help do the “fun” part of the job. He just won’t go near the paperwork.
“It makes me feel proud that people respect what the Fire Department does. This is a great town,” Haskins said. “It means a lot to me. I respect this town, and there are a lot of good people here.”