FRAMINGHAM, MA—Mike Dutcher was destined to be a firefighter.
"My mother tells me I was 4 years old, and I kept saying I was going to be a firefighter," said Dutcher. "I always told her that."
Now 50, Dutcher more than made the dreams of his 4-year-old self come true. Last month, Mayor Yvonne Spicer appointed him as the newest Framingham fire chief.
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"I love this community," said Dutcher, who lives in Milford. "I wouldn't want to work anywhere else. This is not hyperbole - I truly believe we have the best fire department around. We have an amazingly dedicated group of women and men who go out there every day and do what they're asked to do on a daily basis. These guys and gals are some of the best in the business."
Dutcher had been acting fire chief since now-retired Chief Joe Hicks went on family medical leave in November. Hicks officially retired last month.
"Michael Dutcher is the right choice for Framingham's new fire chief," Spicer said in a statement. "I've had the chance to observe his leadership style, and he is someone that I consider a 'quiet giant.' He gets things done and inspires confidence in those he interacts with."
Dutcher grew up in Framingham, living in the Musterfield apartment complex before graduating from Marian High School in 1988. He later served in the Army and the National Guard until 1998, when he joined the Framingham Fire Department.
His father, Domenic, was a fire captain, retiring in 2002.
"I got to work with him for a few years," said Dutcher. "It was really fun and interesting. It was a little awkward at first, because he was a captain, so I never knew what to call him - 'Dad' or 'Captain.'
But his father was never easy on him, which Dutcher said helped shaped him as a firefighter.
"He always made it harder for me than anyone else and he expected more from me," said Dutcher. "I appreciated it. I didn't want anything handed to me."
Dutcher rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a lieutenant, a captain and then assistant chief. He is also the assistant emergency management director and operations chief for the Central Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team.
He holds a bachelor's degree from Framingham State University and is working toward a master's degree in public administration and emergency services from Columbia Southern University.
Dutcher said he learned a lot about firefighting from past firefighters, particularly retired Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Burns and Lt. Bob Foley.
"Watching them on the ground at a fire scene, they were so calm and determined, that's what I wanted to be," said Dutcher. "That's who I really wanted to model myself after."
Along with firefighting, Dutcher is passionate about hockey. He served as assistant coach for the Framingham High School varsity hockey team for 17 years and has been an assistant coach for the Holliston High School varsity hockey team for two seasons.
"Ninety-nine point six percent of my passion is firefighting, and whatever I have left is hockey coaching," Dutcher said.
His goal as chief is to keep the department moving forward with the best equipment and training possible. He said voters and the city government have long supported the department and he hopes to continue that trend for years to come.
"We've always have had the highest tradition of good equipment," said Dutcher. "We've been so lucky that Town Meeting and now the City Council have funded us adequately. I want to continue that, and I don't want to fall behind. I want to be fiscally responsible and I want to carry on that tradition of good equipment and good training for everyone.
"My goal at the end of every day is to make sure our firefighters are safe and our citizens are safe," said Dutcher. "That's my goal at the end of every day."
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