Selectboard Candidate Doug Field's Statement

It is a pleasure to be running for the three year term on the selectboard. I feel that the town selectboard and the residents of Ashfield have gone through a lot this past year and it is time to start to bring credibility back to the selectboard and help the town heal.

I graduated from Sanderson Academy and served in the navy. After the navy, I returned to Ashfield and married Dianne, my wife of 45 years. We raised three daughters and have four granddaughters and one great grandson.

I joined the Ashfield Fire and Ambulance Departments in 1976 and became an Emergency Medical Technician in 1977. My wife and I served as Ambulance Directors from 1982 – 1990. I became Ashfield Fire Chief in 1987 and retired in 2009. During those years as Fire Chief, I had 22 years of trouble-free management of the town’s fire department and decades of proven responsible fiscal management. At present I am the town’s Emergency Manager. During those years as Fire Chief, Massachusetts required you to take courses in Management, Fire Science, and in all the new Incident Command systems.

After May 1st, I will work with the other selectboard members and get the town hall handicapped accessible so that we can have all the meetings back in the town hall, where they should be. We all know that the finances are not good. We will have to work to make sure that all the departments work within their budgets. At times there will be uncontrolled circumstances that will have to be addressed and handled immediately.

Douglas Field