By David Pierce
The New Hampshire Union Leader
PELHAM, N.H. — What better way to celebrate 100 years of firefighting than tearing a car apart with new battery-powered cutters or helping kids climb into fire trucks and spray water from real fire hoses?
The Pelham Fire Department’s open house Saturday afternoon was an acknowledgment of history and a celebration of advances that make the community safer.
Fire Chief Dan Newman has been on the job in Pelham since July after serving for 23 years in Merrimack. He said he’s embraced Pelham’s history and wanted to open the doors of the station to the town for a few reasons.
“One is that we’re here and we stand ready to answer the call, whatever it is. They understand that there’s a person behind this, that we’re actually people. And that they see us as partners in the community and we’re accessible,” Newman said.
Like its chief, the station is fairly new, having been built in 2013, but its roots go deep.
“Back in 1924, they figured we needed a fire department in this small town, and we’ve been going at it ever since,” Newman said.
Pelham has invested in new equipment for its firefighters, approving the money for new battery tools to replace old hydraulic tools like the Jaws of Life extrication tools that required long hoses and had limited reach. Firefighters can now get closer to water or further into the woods for bad crashes, he said.
“We’ve gone from hydraulic tools to battery tools. The town was gracious enough to approve that for us, so we wanted to demonstrate what we’re using that tool for,” Newman said.
Firefighters Brian Campbell, Chris Fischer and Greg Hein demonstrated how to cut the roof off a car using the new tools.
When kids weren’t watching firefighters remove the doors and roof of an old Mazda, they were spraying fire hoses, getting their own little plastic firefighter hats, learning about 911 and climbing into fire engines.
“We had a lot of families coming through and seeing what we have and what we do,” Newman said.
The department also kicked off its annual Toys for Tots drive with the help of Marine Sgt. Brandon Demers of Pelham . Several families brought toys. Toy collection bins will be available at several locations, including the fire and police departments.
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