Amherst fire chief retires

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

AMHERST – After nearly three decades as a local firefighter, Amherst Fire Chief Rick Todd is retiring at the end of March, selectmen announced this week.

Most of Todd’s career was with the Merrimack Fire Department, where he served nearly 27 years before being named Amherst chief in October 2007. In that time, he is credited with enhancing the department’s relationship with its mutual aid partners, forming a recruitment team for new hires, added a number of on-call members, helping restore an old truck that was added to the department’s fleet and for serving also as the town’s Emergency Management director, selectmen stated in their announcement.

Selectmen also lauded Todd’s role in creating a regional Community Emergency Response Team, a citizen-volunteer group that helps coordinate post-disaster operations such as the recent rain and wind storm aftermath.

Todd said he plans to continue as an instructor at the New Hampshire Fire Academy and serve as a special state deputy fire warden.

The process of choosing Amherst’s next fire chief will begin shortly, selectmen said.

– DEAN SHALHOUP