By David Pierce
The New Hampshire Union Leader
BEDFORD, N.H. — Scott Hunter is retiring as fire chief in Bedford at the end of March. To the surprise of probably no one who knows him, though, his idea of taking it easy involves hiking more than 2,190 miles from Georgia to Maine over six months and conquering six 6,000-foot peaks, to say nothing of the other 92 mountains.
The 52-year-old father of three and grandfather of one is in good health, already packing and letting his hair grow a little. Although he loves his job, the time is finally right to hike the Appalachian Trail, he said.
“I’m getting ready now. I retire on March 28. I have a train ticket on April 2, I will be hiking the Appalachian Trail starting on April 3 in Springer Mountain, Georgia,” Hunter said.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail has been on Hunter’s wish list since he was a teen. It’s something he has to do while he can, and he’s not sure what he’ll do after his trek.
“I don’t have any idea what that next thing is going to be, but I’m grateful to be able to be able to take some time to work on some personal goals, like the Appalachian Trail, before I make that decision,” he said.
Hunter has worked at the Bedford Fire Department for 12 years and has been chief for almost six years. He grew up in Goffstown, where his father, Ed, was a firefighter and eventually fire chief.
Town officials said this month they’ll miss Hunter’s leadership.
“The chief’s commitment to modernizing the equipment, facilities, and operational readiness of the department has been truly impressive and set a very high bar for others to follow,” Town Manager Rick Sawyer said. “After dedicating 27 years of his life to the fire service including more than 12 years of service to the town of Bedford and always putting others before himself, his retirement is well earned.”
Before coming to Bedford, Hunter worked in the Hollis and New Boston fire departments.
Lori Radke, chairwoman of the Bedford Town Council by night and Hollis town administrator by day, said she’s impressed with the direction Hunter has taken the Fire Department.
“I’ve known Scott for many years, and he’s just a wonderful person — warm, genuine, you couldn’t ask for a better chief,” Radke said. “He’s going to be missed.”
Management style
Before his career in fire service, Hunter worked in human services, where he developed many of the skills town officials have come to rely on. He brings a personal touch to management and beyond his expertise in emergency services, he’s a master of the spreadsheet, PowerPoint and crunching numbers, officials said.
“Personally, I have depended on the chief often, probably too much, and his work on the management team will be greatly missed,” Sawyer said. “I am happy the chief will get to spend time with his family and enjoy life.”
Radke and Sawyer both said Hunter has been passionate about making sure he has enough staffing and always brought thoughtful analysis for what the department needed going forward. That includes the proposal for a new fire station on South River Road, which voters will have a say on at Monday’s town deliberative session and when ballots are cast March 11.
“The chief’s advocacy for improving response times to the South River Road corridor (where our highest concentration of calls and high-density housing is) through the proposed construction of a fire substation has led to educated policymakers and residents in advance of the pending town vote in March,” Sawyer said.
Goffstown Fire Chief Shawn Murray has not only worked closely with Hunter as a chief from a neighboring town through mutual aid, they’ve gotten to know each other as members of the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs, of which Hunter is on the board of directors.
“We’ve had a very good professional relationship,” Murray said. “All of our surrounding towns, we work well together.”
Murray also worked with Hunter’s dad for more than a decade.
Like most hikers who set out to complete the Appalachian Trail, Hunter will need to rely on friends, loved ones and some strangers to make it through. There are several stops along the way where locals will help hikers into town or out of bad weather.
Being an EMT, Hunter knows he’ll likely pay it forward by helping anyone he comes across in need of medical attention.
“I’m coming from a team-oriented environment right into a team-oriented environment. So I am looking forward to that,” Hunter said. “I’m also curious about what acts of service are in store for me on the Appalachian Trail. How will I be serving my fellow man in that, while it may seem like a selfish endeavor heading out on the Appalachian Trail, I’m wondering, ‘Oh, what is in store for me?’”
Hunter said he’s proud of working to get the Bedford Fire Department closer to adequate staffing.
“We’ve increased our staffing here by 50%. I think that’s an important thing for the people of the town of Bedford. They are that much better off in terms of emergency services, both EMS and fire and other rescues, we’re that much more ready,” he said.
David Gilbert, the longest-serving member of the Bedford Town Council, said Hunter has been an accessible and open-minded public servant who has worked hard for his department and residents. He said he’s sad to see him go.
” Chief Hunter truly cares about the community and his department. He has volunteered time at the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill, brought back “Burning of the Greens” (a bonfire activity from the past), and opened his department to the public with special events so residents can ask questions and see what his department is there for,” Gilbert said.
Sawyer said officials have advertised the chief position locally and nationally and will start selecting candidates for interviews this month, Sawyer said.
“I can’t thank the chief enough for his support and leadership everyday during his time in Bedford and for giving so much of his personal time in service to his team and the town, including through things like volunteering at the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill,” Sawyer said.
Heading out
Hunter may be heading out soon, but he said he’s taking his community with him.
“It’s the relationships that you make within the community that matter,” he said. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve as fire chief in Bedford .”
As William Blake wrote, “Great things are done when men and mountains meet.”
Sometimes the mountain is a whole bunch of mountains, physical and perhaps hyperbolic when it comes to serving a community. Or getting a new fire station built after 30 years.
And sometimes the mountain is a metaphor for life.
For Hunter, it’s all of the above.
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