The Overview

A new Massachusetts law lets the Dalton Fire District employ Christopher Cachat as its interim fire chief until he turns 70, past the state’s mandatory firefighter retirement age of 65. But Cachat, 68, retired in March, four months before the law was signed, after the district was told he could not keep working while the exemption was pending. Capt. Ryan Foley has led the department as interim chief since then. ​

Gov. Maura Healey signed House Bill 4321 on July 28, making it Chapter 150 of the Acts of 2026. Rep. Leigh Davis (D-Great Barrington) filed the bill in March 2025 at the district’s request, with Sen. Paul Mark as a co-petitioner.

What The Law Does

Cachat could serve until the first of three events: turning 70, retiring or being removed by the district’s board of water commissioners. He must stay physically and mentally fit for the job, and the board can order an exam by an impartial doctor at the district’s expense.

Cachat’s pension stops growing at 65. No retirement deductions come out of his pay after that age, and his benefit will be figured as if he had retired at 65. The law took effect when it was signed.

The Demo

Dalton is a town of about 6,200 people in roughly 2,900 households, according to the Census Bureau. Its fire department had about 10 full-time firefighters and 15 on-call volunteers in November 2025, the Berkshire Eagle reported.

The Debate

The bill sat on the House calendar for months before the House passed it April 16, and the Senate passed it July 16. Patrick Charles of the state Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission called it “a standard maximum age exemption bill which is common in many Western Massachusetts communities,” which “often have difficulty filling positions,” iBerkshires reported.

Former Dalton Fire Chief Christian Tobin, whom the district fired last year, asked state agencies in March to review whether keeping Cachat on the job while the bill was pending complied with retirement law. Less than two weeks later, Cachat and three other officers 65 or older retired. “They age out at 70, and there is no recourse at that point,” district chair James Driscoll said.

What’s Next

Whether Cachat returns is now up to the board of water commissioners. Foley remained listed as interim chief on the district’s website in September.

The law fixed a problem the district had already worked around by replacing its leadership. Cachat was 68 in March, so any return would end by his 70th birthday, and the commissioners would then need a permanent chief.

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