Town Manager Tom Christensen and Town Council President Connor O’Shea flank incoming Fire Chief Christopher Beecher and retiring Fire Chief Paul Morrisette.
Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen
EAST LONGMEADOW — “The end of one legacy and the beginning of another.” That is how firefighter Ed McCandlish described the Change of Command ceremony hosted by the East Longmeadow Fire Department on March 7, during which retiring Fire Chief Paul Morrisette handed the reins to incoming Chief Christopher Beecher.
Firefighter Ed McCandlish, who led the ceremony, said Morrisette “embodies what it means to be a townie.” A lifelong resident of East Longmeadow, Morrisette spent 33 years with the Fire Department, starting as a volunteer firefighter and serving for the last dozen years as chief. Morrisette made several improvements to the department over the years, including implementing ambulance services and expanding services to 24/7 coverage.
Beecher, a longtime member of the department who has served as deputy fire chief for the past few years, thanked Morrisette for his tutelage. Beecher said he takes the role of leader “very seriously” and envisioned the department under his tenure as one of “teamwork, integrity and continuous improvement.”
State Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow) and state Reps. Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield) and Brian Ashe (D-Longmeadow) were in attendance to present Morrisette and Beecher with citations congratulating them on retiring and becoming chief, respectively.
Puppolo remarked, “When everyone is running out of the building, these people behind us are running in.” He added there is not always enough time to thank them properly.
Ashe spoke about having known both Morrisette and Beecher for several years. Of the chiefs, he said, “It makes a big difference in your job when you actually like and respect the people you work with.” For Oliveira’s part, he said both the outgoing and incoming chiefs “understand the community” and that was something “you want in someone leading your fire department.”
