CLARIFICATION

CLARIFICATION - On January 2nd we posted that Deputy Chief Bonnie Johnson had 29 years of service. We also stated that she has the most years of service to date of any employee past and present, starting as a dispatcher in 1985 to her present position. Sorry for that wording as it is not correct as stated. The clarification is that we are talking about the 29 years being full time and all the years being in a position in the organization of the employees who still "actively work the board" or still dispatch calls. Although you don't hear the 2 deputies all the time dispatching calls, they are still the 3rd dispatcher on duty week days and dispatch calls when the 2 front line dispatchers get tied up with calls. That being said, Bonnie has the most years in reference to employees who still dispatch calls. Others with more years of service are a combination of full time and part time years (Ed Mattson and Win Wright) and Retired Chief Paul Szoc who had 31 years of full time service (7 of those years as Chief). The Late Chief Callahan also had more years in the fire service (Keene FD) and Fire Mutual Aid and was Mutual Aid Chief from the beginning of the system until 1987. Sorry for the confusion and if anyone was offended. It certainly was not our intent.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Deputy Chief Joe Sangermano for 25 years of dedicated service to Fire Mutual Aid. Another long time employee with such dedication to Fire Mutual Aid.

* TODAY IS THE LAST DAY* FIRE MUTUAL AID HAS OPENINGS FOR PART TIME DISPATCHERS

Southwestern New Hampshire District Fire Mutual Aid is accepting resumés in order to fill current openings and to establish an annual hiring list for part-time dispatchers. Oral boards will be conducted in January 2014. Resumés can be dropped off at the dispatch center or mailed to Chief Philip Tirrell, PO Box 443, Keene, NH 03431 by 15:00 hours on Friday January 3, 2014. Please do not call the dispatch center.

THE YEAR 2013

Southwestern NH District Fire Mutual Aid Dispatch Center dispatched 16,547 incidents in 2013. From calls that involved a single piece of apparatus responding to calls that involved many towns responding to a multi alarm building fire, each incident involves receiving and making phone calls and can involve up to 100 or more radio transmissions. Quite often these incidents seem to happen at the same time, bringing more of a challenge to the dispatchers on duty. When an incident is not being dispatched and tracked, the phones are still ringing for various reasons. We at Fire Mutual Aid, from the command staff to the dispatchers to the radio repair technicians take great pride in our profession and strive to do the best job we can for the citizens and responders that we are here to serve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From all of us, please have a safe and happy 2014.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Deputy Chief Bonnie Johnson for 29 years of dedicated service to Fire Mutual Aid. Since the dispatch center opened in 1962, she has the most years of service to date of any employee past and present, starting as a dispatcher in 1985 to her present position.