Rollinsford Fire Department

Dear Residents,

  2009 proved to be a significant year for the Rollinsford Fire Department.  March saw the retirement of long serving Fire Chief Harry Knowles after 30 years of service, and my election to replace him.  I would like to thank Chief Knowles for his many years of service to the town, and for the opportunities that he provided to the members.

  My focus for 2009 was to get the department in line with organization, safety and morale.  I can say with great pride that the department is right on track, and has surpassed where I anticipated we’d be in such a short amount of time.

  We have instituted policies that increase safety, participation and training.  Our membership is near 100%, and for the first time in many years we had a waiting list of applicants.  By moving our weekly meeting day from Sunday morning to Monday evening, participation has increased by an average of 100% and morale continues to improve.

  Joint training exercises provided our members the opportunity to train with other fire departments on both the volunteer and career level.  We plan on continuing this avenue of training as it provides members with the opportunity to broaden their knowledge base and rapport with other departments.

  Member safety is always at the forefront of our operations.  Upgrades to equipment and the planned systematic replacement of aged firefighting gear allows us to focus on the task at hand.  Restructuring the operational readiness of our apparatus has allowed us to quickly deploy large diameter attack lines and increase our firefighting capabilities.

  We have taken on a very proactive approach to life safety inspections within the town.  I have been involved with the State Fire Marshal to ensure that we are addressing life safety issues as they arise.  I anticipate that a cyclical life safety inspection program will be instituted to ensure that our residents, visitors, businesses and emergency responders are protected to the best of our ability.

  I have taken on the position of Fire Chief with great enthusiasm.  I am proud of the men and women that willingly give their time to ensure our safety.  They are dedicated individuals that bring a vast amount of knowledge and life experience to our department, and I am grateful for their commitment.

  I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to those that support the fire department in our efforts to make this community a safe place to live, work and visit.  As I have stated in the past, mine is a position that needs the support of the community and staff to be successful, it truly is a team effort.  I will be running for re-election in March and ask for your continued support.  I look forward to serving our community for many years to come.

Some of our achievements in 2009 include:

• Repair of the hose tower (Sorbello Construction)
• Identifying and fixing problematic energy loss sources
• Replacement and upgrade of the emergency stand-by generator (W.C. Colbath Electrical Contractors, Borderline Fuels and Hussey Construction)
• Donation of obsolete firefighting equipment to a department in Guatemala
• Inspection and recertification of all department air packs and ground ladders
• Lighting upgrades to Engine 3, bringing it into compliance with safety guidelines (2-Way Communications)

Sincerely yours,

Michael Spinney, Rollinsford Fire Chief