Fairhaven Fire Department’s Lt. Brian Daniel announces retirement after 38 years of service to town

“Fairhaven Call Firefighters Association would like to wish Lieutenant Brian Daniel all the best in a long healthy retirement. As of midnight tonight Lieutenant Daniel has to retire due to aging out, and he is going right up until the clock strikes midnight!

Lieutenant Daniel was hired by Fairhaven Fire Department in 1985 and retires tonight, 38 years later. He is a proud Call Firefighter, he is a “Good Jake”. He is the last firefighter on Fairhaven Fire Department serving from the 80’s, the last of an era within the department. Lt. Daniel served on Engine 5, Engine 2, Lt. Engine 1 then Lt. Engine 3. He was a proud member of the Rescue Squad. Lt. Daniel started when FFD had 3 stations, 2 active call fire stations until 1990 and headquarters.

Lt Daniel has served under 4 different chiefs, outlasted the entire service life of a ladder truck which was put in service the same week he started, and he outlasted the last open cab fire engine that was just retired 3 weeks ago. He fought fires all over the South Coast to name a few; Mullins Freezer, La Salette, Lincoln Park, Taunton Dog Track, and Ash Street Jail riot.

He has received:

• Commendation: July 4th, 1988, Commendation for saving 6 lives, at an incident where a boat with 15 people sank. He also performed CPR on a USCG vessel after going back to look for more people at night in the fog.
• Commendation: November 6th, 1994, Commendation for saving a life from a structure fire, successfully making a rescue of a female resident from a burning house.
• Commendation: State of Massachusetts; for saving the life of a seal trapped on ice. (Year unknown, February mid 1990s)

Citations: Massachusetts Department of Fire Service Awards:

• Call/Vol 20 Years of Service
• Call/Vol 25 Years of Service
• Call/Vol 30 Years of Service
• Call/Vol 35 Years of Service

He is a true leader, one everyone looked to on the fire grounds. He always had the best jobs on the fire grounds, always inside on the hose line, or had the jaws of life in his hands at car accidents. He was always 1st on scene and last to leave.

He instilled brotherhood, being a family, and watching out for everyone. He always wanted to have all the “call guys” around as a group hanging out together. He will truly be missed. Your legacy will carry on in the firefighters you have taught so much to over the last 38 years! We wish you the best, enjoy that well deserved retirement!

“I’m ending what I feel was a lifetime as a Call Firefighter for the Fairhaven Fire Department, the red lights go away the smelly dirty gear gets turned in, the pager turned off, but the memories never leave, the great people I worked with will never be forgotten, that’s what we have in common we’re Firefighters till the end. This is my end, never will I regret one day of the last 38 years it was my life but that’s me.” – Lieutenant Brian Daniel.”