This month, as part of the Fire Department updates, we are going to begin shift profiles, and the first look will be at A-shift. This group is led by Capt. Brian Dubreuil and Lt. Rick Gagne. The firefighters are Mark Ackerstrom, Daniel Newman, Mike Kiernan, Keith Hines, Jeremy Penerian and Fred Larson.

Dubreuil has been with the Merrimack Fire Department since 1994 and was appointed to his current position of captain in November 2010. Dubreuil is assisted by Gagne who has been here since 1997 and was appointed lieutenant in October 2010.

Ackerstrom was appointed to the department in 1987 and attaining the rank of master firefighter in 1992. As the senior firefighter on the shift, Ackerstrom helps guide the shift as they are performing their ancillary duties or when training evolutions are taking place.

Newman became a full-time firefighter in 2005 after five years as an on-call firefighter. Newman is one of the most dynamic members of the department and can be counted on to help train and mentor newer and more inexperienced firefighters. Newman is also a captain in the Army National Guard and has served multiple deployments overseas including 2010 in Afghanistan.

Kiernan also served as an on-call firefighter for six years before his appointment to a full-time firefighter’s position in 2006. Kiernan is also a valued member of the Army National Guard and serves as a sergeant. Kiernan has also served multiple tours overseas including Afghanistan with Newman in 2010.

Hines has been serving as a full-time firefighter since 2008 after being an on-call firefighter for a year.

Penerian was appointed to a full-time firefighter/paramedic position in 2008 after serving with the Laconia Fire Department. Jeremy was actually hired with Hines and they did a considerable amount of training together as probationary firefighters.

Penerian is also a mentor to our newest firefighter Larson.

Larson started with us back in October and previously served as a member of the Auburn Fire Department.

A-shift, along with responding to any type of emergency imaginable, is also responsible for ancillary duties such as radio and communications equipment maintenance, battery upkeep, and calibration and repairs to our air monitoring equipment.

Each group is required to maintain the equipment and inventory in our fire apparatus and A-shift takes care of Engine 1, Rescue 2 and Ambulance 2.

Like any shift of firefighters, this group has a unique personality and strives to help people in the community at every opportunity.

This year they helped out by building burn buildings for our open house and are putting together a citizen’s fire academy that will hopefully kick off next spring. Please stop and see A-shift sometime, they will be more than happy to show you around the station.