PETERSHAM — Dozens of residents of Petersham and surrounding communities gathered on the common on Saturday morning to pay tribute to a man who, after 50 years of service, has retired from the Fire Department.

Impressively, Dana Robinson served the last 35 of those 50 years as chief — an accomplishment few people are able to boast about.

The former chief, however, is not one to boast, so comments lauding him for his service and dedication had to come from local dignitaries during Saturday’s celebration. In addition, units from the fire departments of several neighboring towns were on hand to hammer home the message that Robinson’s years of service benefited not only his hometown, but those communities who often needed assistance from the call firefighters of Petersham.

Some 18 vehicles, mostly fire trucks, took part in a parade to honor Robinson, whose resignation became official at the end of June. Vehicles from Phillipston, New Salem, Barre, Westminster, New Braintree and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Forest Fire Control all contributed to the festive look — not to mention the decibel levels — of the parade.

Standing in front of the steps of the bandstand on the common, Petersham Selectboard Chairwoman Nancy Allen briefly thanked the crowd for showing up to celebrate “Dana’s Day” before handing the microphone to the man who succeeded Robinson as fire chief, Bob Legare.

“It’s a great honor to be here for Chief Robinson, who’s given 50 years of dedicated service to our community,” Legare began, “especially his 35 years as the fire chief of our beautiful town.”

He said it had been a pleasure serving with Robinson. “Thank you for your leadership,” he concluded, “and especially your friendship through all these years.”

He also solicited a round of applause for the nearby departments that participated in the celebration.

“I want to thank all the other towns that showed up today, and those in the fire service,” he said. “We can’t do it alone; we have to have everybody together. When we have to call, these are the same towns that come and help us.”

Allen then read from a proclamation that was presented to Robinson from the Selectboard.

“Fifty years ago,” the proclamation said in part, “as a young lad, you stepped forward and joined the Petersham Fire Department as a firefighter. You heard the call, you suited up, you drove the truck, you manned the station, you manned the hoses, you faced the fire. As Petersham fire chief these past 35 years, you sounded the alarm at all hours of night and day. You led your crews to protect lives and homes in times of pain and tragedy. You provided care and comfort to those in need. You faced the fire.

“In gratitude for your service, courage and leadership,” Allen continued to read, “we add our grateful thanks to the voices of your friends and neighbors across Petersham and the region to say ‘thank you.’”

State Rep. Aaron Saunders, before presenting Robinson with citations from the House and the Senate, first offered “a word of thanks and appreciation to all those in the fire service who volunteer.”

“It’s a much, much different animal to volunteer in a department when you have a full-time job; where, when you get that call, you could be doing any number of things,” the Ludlow Democrat said. “The North Quabbin region depends on our volunteer departments, now more so than ever.”

Turning to Robinson, Saunders said, “Leading a department, any department, for any length of time, is an achievement in and of itself. But, for the better part of four decades, it is a unique achievement that most fire chiefs could only dream of. So, it is with tremendous appreciation, on behalf of Sen. [Jo] Comerford and myself, to offer these citations.”

Robinson also was lauded by the president of the Petersham Firefighters Association, Atakan Kati, who thanked him for his many years of service to the department and his support for the men and women who served under his command. Legare then presented Robinson with his retirement badge.

The former chief said, “Thank you to the town for their support over these many years. Thank you to the department, both past and present members.”

Underscoring the fact that public service is in his DNA, Robinson, whose father had also served as chief while his mother served as a “red phone” operator, pointed out that his cousin, Kyle Butterfield, is chief of the Westminster Fire Department.

When offering thanks, Robinson singled out former Assistant Fire Chief Ron DeJackome, saying “He was a great help to me during his time of service.” Robinson also mentioned several other retired firefighters with whom he had served.

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