LITCHFIELD FIRE RESCUE
PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY OF LITCHFIELD
SINCE MAY 13TH, 1946
Litchfield Fire Rescue was established as a volunteer fire department May 13th, 1946. Before then, Litchfield depended on Manchester, Londonderry, and Hudson to provide their fire service.
During the 1940’s and 1950’s fire fighters were called one at a time by phone when they were needed. Because they had party lines, Chief Robert Jerry’s wife would try giving the phone a very long ring. The first fire number in Litchfield was 1-2-7 Ring 2. Often was the case that someone had to run out to the field to relay the message.
In the late 1940’s the town purchased a 38’ International truck. Robert Jerry attached a 750 gallon tank and trailer pump motor to it. It moved slowly from the weight of the water, but worked well.
Most of the fire department’s equipment was stored at either the French homestead, the residence adjacent to the school, at the Broadview Farm or at the Litchfield Garage. The firemen at their May 26, 1954 meeting discussed construction of a fire station, but it was not until March 13, 1957 that a building committee consisting of Leon Calawa, Jr., Eugene Pelkey and George Adams was named. Fred McQuesten donated the sand and gravel while George Adams donated the use of two cement mixers.
The construction of the two bay station was accomplished over the next several years with volunteer labor, donated materials, and monies from fund-raisers around town. Sterling Colby donated the lumber. The only problem was that the “lumber” was still growing in the forest. The fire department gathered every weekend to cut down the wood and bring it to the saw mill. The town did not own the land under the fire station until the early fifties. It was purchased from Mrs. Repman who owned what is now the large white residence just south of the Aaron Cutler Library on Charles Bancroft Highway.
During the following years, the fire chief continued to be elected by the firemen or appointed by the Selectmen until March 10, 1959, when the Office of the Fire Chief became an elected position at the annual Town Meeting.
During April 1973 the Insurance Services Office (ISO) of New Hampshire presented to the selectmen a list of recommended improvements the town would need to do to have its fire department officially recognized. All recognized fire departments in the United States must follow the guidelines of ISO’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) program. This program sets the insurance rates for the community based on the location of hydrants vs. homes on top of other variables such as training, types of equipment carried and quantity of fire apparatus. The fire department in 1973 had fourteen actual members, owned one tanker and had no operable pumper truck.
During town meeting in March 1979 an addition to the fire house was approved to accommodate another new engine. In June the department started the addition to its 20 year old structure at no cost to the town. Two Litchfield businesses agreed to donate the cement blocks. Rick Charboneau agreed to do the site preparation work before the construction began. The department got used overhead glass doors and the addition was completed.
On June 1st, 1980, the Litchfield Firefighters Association was established.
On September 22, 1980 five members of the fire department, William Mitcheson, Timothy Ring, Dennis Laplante, Elliot Thomas and Brian Barton became the first official Board of Officer’s for the newly chartered Litchfield Firefighter’s Association, Inc. The new non-profit organization was made up of the 32 members of the Litchfield Fire Department.
In 1985, the first two full-time firefighters were hired, Francis Fraitzl and Ken Goulding covered the town from 8:30am to 4:30 pm Monday-Friday.
On December 4, 1991 the new tanker/pumper arrived. The 1992 Mack / KME 2500 gallon pumper-tanker replaced the 5500 gallon Mack tractor trailer running as Tanker-2. At the time of this purchase, the new truck arrived with the largest size fire pump the department had, a 1250 gpm (gallon per minute) pump.
July 1, 1995 the Emergency Response number 9-1-1 was put into effect in Litchfield.
On December 3rd 1995, we received a 1250 gpm red pumper which became the new Engine #2.
The 1996 Spartan / 3D custom 6-person engine replaced the 1976 Ford Pierce.
In 2003 the Litchfield Fire Department put into service a new Forestry Pickup Truck that was approved by the residence during March town voting. A 2003 Ford F350 diesel with a Fisher V-plow was purchased. The plows purpose is to gain access to unplowed driveways for access for fire apparatus or an ambulance during an emergency. The 1985 Chevrolet pick-up that served as Forestry-1 was retired after eighteen years of service.
In 2004 Engine-1, the 1980 Ford/Pierce was taken out of service permanently for failure to pass state vehicle inspection due to rotted/ cracked frame rails. An emergency vehicle replacement was approved by the Litchfield Board of Selectmen. Fire Chief Thomas Schofield in a cost and time saving move purchased a 2003 Emergency-One Typhoon custom pumper demonstrator from the manufacturer. The delivery of the vehicle was taken within a month after a few additions were made to the truck instead of the standard one year custom building usually required.
The 1980 Ford / Pierce was traded in for very little money towards the new replacement. Although the trucks frame rails were rotted / cracked making it illegal to use in the United States, it was donated and shipped to an overseas country to begin a new life to a fire department that could not afford to buy a truck.
During 2007, the fire department replaced the 1999 Ford Explorer Fire Chief’s vehicle with a severe service police package 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe command vehicle. The new vehicle is operated by the fire chief at incidents and is equipped with multiple radio systems for incident command. The 1999 Ford Explorer was kept in the fleet to be used in a support role for transporting people and towing the department’s smaller utility trailers.
March 7, 2011, Litchfield voters cast ballots to change the Fire Chief’s elected call position to a part-time appointed position. The fire chief’s job had been an elected position for the past 52 years. Litchfield was one of only a few towns in the state that still elected their fire chief. With an appointed Fire Chief Position, the Board of Selectmen could now ensure that the Fire Chief met a determined set of minimum qualifications for the position. The newly appointed position required the Fire Chief to hold a bachelor’s degree in fire science or a closely related field. The Fire Chief must have 10 years fire or emergency medical service experience, and five years experience in a supervisory capacity, or equivalent combination of experience and education. The position required that the appointed Chief be proficient in managing budgets and staff. And, the Chief must maintain knowledge of current laws and regulations pertaining to the position.
On March 14, 2012, Francis X. Fraitzl III became Litchfield’s first part-time, appointed Fire Chief. Frank Fraitzl began his career in the fire service, back in 1985, when he was hired as Litchfield’s first full-time firefighter/EMT with Firefighter Ken Goulding.
LFR TODAY
Litchfield Fire Rescue is a combination fire department (career and paid on-call staff). The department is comprised of two (2) full time Firefighters, a part time Fire Chief, a part time Fire Inspector, and approximately forty (40) On-call Firefighters.
The Litchfield Fire Rescue Station is located at 257 Charles Bancroft Highway, and is staffed with two (2) Firefighters on duty from the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, five (5) days a week (Monday-Friday, excluding Town Holidays).
During the evening hours after 4:00 PM and on weekends, Call Firefighters respond to the station from their homes or other locations to get the appropriate emergency vehicle/s and then respond accordingly.
LFR's Apparatus include 3 engines, 1 tanker, 1 rescue, 1 small forestry, 1 big forestry, 1 utility, 1 SUV, 1 OHRV, 1 rescue boat, and 1 light trailer.
LITCHFIELD FIRE RESCUE - Mission Statement
We will be responsive to the needs of our citizens by providing rapid, professional humanitarian services essential to the health, safety and well-being of the community.
We will accomplish our mission through prevention, community education, fire suppression, advanced medical services, hazard mitigation and other related emergency and non-emergency activities.
We will actively participate in our community, serve as role models and strive to effectively utilize all of the necessary resources available to provide a service deemed excellent by our citizens.
We will strive to provide high quality emergency response and protect life safety through our COURAGE to act, COMPASSION to help and willingness to serve our COMMUNITY.
LITCHFIELD FIRE RESCUE - Vision Statement
We will strive to be role models in the community and leaders in our profession.
We will be accountable to those we serve, each other and any emergency service organizations we interact with.
We are commited to providing the best public service through continued training, education and maintaining quality equipment.
We will take our Fire-Rescue services into the future through productive teamwork, open and honest communication and quality decision making throughout the organization.
We are commited to our values, mission and dedicated to our fire service profession. Our organization is driven to provide efficient and cost effective Fire & Rescue services while honoring our values, accomplishing our mission and achieving our goals.
