WILLIAMSBURG — A new year has given the town and its firefighters something else to celebrate — a full-time chief.

Area chiefs and others gathered at the Public Safety Complex on Tuesday morning to mark Jason Connell’s first day as a full-timer in the job he has held for more than 10 years.

Connell, 46, said he was honored to be chosen to lead the department into a new era.

“I’m excited to put my whole life into helping my town out,” he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

His full-time job until now was as a dispatcher at the State Police barracks in Shelburne, a post he said he had found a little nerve-wracking to leave.

Initially, he said, he was able to fit in the job of fire chief after hours and on weekends, but the Fire Department’s call volume has increased steadily over the years.

In 2022, the department responded to 423 calls, which was the most recorded in a single year. Connell said the numbers aren’t final for 2023, but it will be approximately 640, a jump of more than 50%.

“That’s a lot of calls for service,” he said.

Neither Connell nor Deputy Chief Daryl Springman could say exactly why the number of calls has increased, but the same trend can be seen across Massachusetts and the nation.

Nationally, fire calls more than tripled between 1980 and 2021, while the number of fires has steadily dropped, from almost 3 million in 1980 to approximately 1.3 million over the last decade, according to statistics compiled by the National Fire Protection Association.

Calls for medical aid have quintupled over the same period, from 5 million in 1980 to more than 26 million in 2021. False alarms and “other” calls have also risen substantially.

Along with the increased call volume, fire departments conduct numerous inspections of items such as solar panels, propane tanks and fire alarm systems. Administrative duties are also growing, and Connell noted he would be able to get firefighter training more organized as a full-time chief.

“It also allows for a dedicated person during the daytime and a point of contact in an emergency situation,” he said.

Like most volunteer fire departments, Williamsburg is confronting a dwindling pool of volunteers, and Connell said the department relies heavily on some retired people during the day.

Springman — who joined the department the same year as Connell, in 1996 — said it’s good to have someone available to handle the day-to-day administrative work.

“It’s a big change for the town,” he said.

Town Meeting approved the full-time fire chief in June, appropriating funds for six months’ salary this year. The position is budgeted at $75,000 for FY25.

The department historically has operated out of two stations, one in Williamsburg and the other just down the road in Haydenville. Now, firefighters are consolidated in the new $5.3 million, 8,000-square-foot Public Safety Complex, with the department 90% moved in to the new building, according to Connell.

When everything is cleared out of the old stations, they will be turned over to the town and put up for sale, he said.

Among the guests at Tuesday’s ceremony was State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, the former Northampton chief. He said he was glad to see the leadership shift.

“Chief Connell has always been a good partner to us in Northampton,” he said.

He also saluted the town for investing in the public safety building, which also houses the police department.

“It’s good to see them moving forward,” Davine said. “They had outgrown the space where they were.”

He said he anticipated benefits also for neighboring towns, with Williamsburg now able to host regional trainings.

Springman said a full-time fire chief has been needed for some time.

“It’s a step I think many towns will be taking over the next five to 10 years,” Connell said.

James Pentland can be reached at jpentland@gazettenet.com.