Newbury Fire & Rescue Department Overview
The Newbury Fire Department is made up of 22 paid on call members including 8 Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technicians, First Responder, Basic, Intermediate and Paramedic Levels. Department officers include a chief, deputy chief, two captains and four lieutenants. The department operates three engines, a rescue and a tanker out of two stations and a fireboat
The Department provides fire and rescue service to he residents of the Town of Newbury and through mutual aid agreements assists the fire departments in the surrounding communities. Newbury firefighters are on call 24 hours a day and are notified of calls by pager from New London Dispatch.
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The Newbury Fire Department serves the Town of Newbury, located on the south end of Lake Sunapee, in west central New Hampshire. The town, incorporated in 1772, has a population of 1,920, which swells in the winter with Skiing at Mount Sunapee and in the summer with recreation activities on Lake Sunapee. Route 103, a major state road between Interstate 89 and Claremont. The town has 1,368, housing units, with many of the newer homes built on or overlooking the lake selling for over a million dollars.
As with most fire departments throughout the country, most of the department’s emergency responses are for medical emergencies. Automobile accidents are a leading cause of many of these medical calls. During 2003, fires accounted for only 8 of the department’s 147 calls. Medical calls for 2003 were up 50% from the 2002 level.. The high percentage of firefighter/emergency medical technicians on the department ensures that medically trained personnel are available for each response.
Due to the potential seriousness, yet infrequency of structure fires in the community, the Newbury firefighters continuously train to maintain their firefighting skills. Training certifications range from Level One to Career Level Firefighter. A number of the department members have over twenty years of experience.
Forest areas, such as on Mt. Sunapee and other areas of the town pose the potential for brush fires, with more homes being built adjacent to these wooded areas, the department's rapid response and extinguishing of these fires more critical. Unlike other parts of the state where fire roads allow access to the forest areas, the steep terrain and dense forest growth of the mountain make vehicle travel impassible. Brush firefighting must be done on foot with hand tools and Newbury firefighters are trained and equipped for this difficult task. The sports of hiking, mountain biking and dirt biking often in remote areas makes rescue difficult when there are accidents and injuries.
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Mount Sunapee Resort is the town's largest employer and during the winter, skiers increase the daytime population of the town considerably. The mountain's ski patrol handles medical emergencies on the slopes and the Newbury Fire Department supports the patrol in the event of serious injuries. The influx of visitors in stormy winter weather conditions also results in motor vehicle accidents that the department must respond to. There are numerous snowmobile trails in the town as well as the lake and accidents involving these snow vehicles who can travel at high speeds is fairly frequent.
Lake Sunapee takes up a large section of the town and summer homes on Great Island are only accessible by water. The Newbury Fire Department's fireboat provides the only fire protection to homes on the island. As many homes along the lake are down steep narrow roads, the boat often has better access than the engines on land. The boat's fire pumps, capable of drafting from the lake, provide an excellent source of water for firefighting, even some distance from the shore. Although the lake touches two other towns, Newbury has the only fireboat and provides mutual aid to the towns of New London and Sunapee.
The fireboat also responds to boat fires and boating accidents on Lake Sunapee. Certainly not as common as boating accidents, but the use of seaplanes on the lake has resulted in the department responding to two aircraft emergencies on the lake over the years. During the winter, ice fishing and winter sports on the lake also poses the threat of accidents and injuries.
The Bradford Rescue Squad and New London Ambulance Service supports the Newbury Fire Department in providing medical transport to of the injured to New London Hospital. Bradford responds to South Newbury and the eastern part of the town up to the center. New London Hospital EMS responds to the area east and west of Lake Sunapee from the New London line to the Sunapee town line. The Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center helicopter responds to serious medical emergencies requiring helicopter transport to a hospital.
New London Dispatch provides 911 call taking and dispatch to the Newbury Fire Department. The fire departments in the surrounding towns of Sunapee, Bradford, New London, Goshen, and Sutton provide mutual aid support to the Newbury Fire Department in the event of a major fire or other emergency.
Complete information on the Newbury Fire Department apparatus and operations in other sections of the website.