By Jon Phelps
The New Hampshire Union Leader
HUDSON, N.H. —Hudson fire Lt. Todd Berube brought an upbeat and positive vibe to the department no matter what was happening on his shift, said Fire Chief Scott Tice.
The department’s members are trying to do the same after Berube, who had been with the department since 2002, was killed in a motorcycle accident Monday evening on Route 102.
Police and firefighters who worked alongside Berube began to administer life-saving care, according to a news release, but to no avail. Berube, 48, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene.
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“There’s a lot of heartache, but they are holding up well,” Tice said of the department. “They are leaning on each other for support.”
The department also is making peer support counseling available to anyone who wants it.
Investigators determined a 2018 Mazda 3 traveling east on Route 102 took a left-hand turn and Berube, driving a 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle in the opposite direction, crashed into the passenger side of the Mazda. The accident occurred around 6 p.m.
Tice received the news in a phone call from the shift commander.
“When you respond to someone that you don’t know, you are able to kind of block out the emotion,” the chief said. “When it is somebody that you know, you are not able to block out the emotion. It becomes very personal.”
First responders who were at the scene will “get all the support they need,” Tice said.
Fire departments across the region shared pictures of Berube and the Hudson Fire Department patch with a mourning band across it on various social media platforms.
Berube joined the Hudson Fire Department on July 1, 2002, as a full-time firefighter after starting his career in Milford as a call firefighter. Since January 2020, he also worked as a call firefighter in Litchfield.
Berube received Litchfield Fire Rescue’s “Firefighter of the Year Award” in 2021.
Until recently, Berube served as the department’s training officer. He frequently covered full-time shifts for other firefighters.
“Firefighter Berube spent countless hours during his three-year tenure ensuring Litchfield firefighters were trained to the highest level possible,” a statement reads.
The statement continued, “Todd was looked up to by many members of the department and is a tremendous loss.”
“Todd was promoted to the rank of lieutenant with the Hudson Fire Department on Jan. 29, 2017, and was well known for his dedication and pride of the fire service and for his love of his family,” read an announcement from Hudson Fire. “We wish to offer Todd’s family, friends and coworkers our most sincere condolences as we all process this tremendous loss.”
Berube went by “Woody,” according to a Facebook post by Professional Firefighters of Hudson, IAFF Local 3154.
“Todd was very dedicated to the fire service and made a large impact at Hudson Fire,” the post reads. “Among his accomplishments were implementing our RED Shirt Friday program, acting as an advisor to Explorer Post #550 and serving on the Fitness Committee.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Hudson police had no update Tuesday afternoon on the crash, which remains under investigation.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact officer Adam Royston at 603-886-6011.
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