Donald Dixon

Fire lieutenant, Marshfield

Photo by Greg Derr

Tell us about yourself.

“My father was a plumber in town.... He’d go to fires; I’d tag along with him. Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be a firefighter.”

“I’m a master plumber, kind of followed my dad in that.”

“I’ve always been kind of a class clown. Even around here, always trying to be funny, trying to make people happy.

“I’m a pretty hard-working guy, try to give my family the best.”

“I like helping people. It’s very rewarding. You got people at their worst. You try to make it better for them.”

“I actually go to church every day in the morning, Our Lady of the Assumption. Gives you peace of mind.”

THE SKINNY
RANK: Lieutenant
AGE: 49
APPOINTED: Appointed a call firefighter in 1980, a full-time firefighter in 1987 and a lieutenant in 2002. He has been an intermediate-level EMT since 1996.
BIO: Dixon graduated from Marshfield High School in 1976 and attended college in Vermont. He later earned an associate’s degree from Massasoit Community College.

He also went to plumbing school, worked with his father as a plumber and became a master plumber in 1986. He lives with his wife and four children in the Green Harbor house he grew up in. A fifth child, a daughter, died as an infant in 1996. His children are the fifth generation in the house.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? Firefighter

What would you have been if not a firefighter? Would have gone into banking, finance or money management

Best advice you ever got: “Treat people like you want to be treated.”

Person who gave it to you: My father

What do you do in your time off? “With all the kids and their sports activities, that takes up a lot of time, which is great. I love it.”