Public Relations

Community Involvement

This fall, members of the Laconia Fire Department participated in Lakes Regional General Hospital Senior Safety Day. Our firefighters visited homes of elderly residents in our community to check and/or install smoke detectors and batteries. They also checked and gave information about carbon monoxide and CO detectors. Additionally, they distributed injury prevention and fire safety literature as well as checked homes for fire safety practices.

Deputy Roffo and I continue to work with the State of New Hampshire in setting up the Annual CPAT testing held at the Laconia Ice Arena. Each year over 200 current and prospective firefighters test their physical endurance by taking this nationally recognized firefighter skill hands-on test.

Refugee Population

I continue to stay in contact with members and representatives of Laconia's refugee population as the emergency services liaison. This past fall, we held a classroom fire safety lecture with the help of an interpreter from the Bhutanese community. Following this, I performed home visits with individuals and families to look at their homes and apartments to see that fire safe practices are followed. We also discussed injury prevention and health and safety practices. These visits were very popular and welcome, and I enjoyed meeting so many friendly and interesting families.

Health Liaison

Also, under the public relations aspect of my job, I am the Vice President of the Board of Directors of Genesis Behavioral Health and the emergency services liaison to the behavioral health community. We have had the Director of Genesis come to our station to talk to our members about how state budget cuts affect community mental health services and how some of the extra burden will fall on local EMS and police officers. Through this position I have been able to link some of our community members with services such as help in hoarding situations. In this upcoming year, I plan to visit the group homes of Genesis to pass along a fire safety and injury prevention program.

Teaching Classes

The Chief Officers of this department continue to teach classes for the incoming CERT Teams (community emergency response) and are also guest lecturers for the Fire Science program at the Lakes Region Community College.
Members of the Laconia Fire Department each year continue to be involved in the New Hampshire Camp "Fully Involved," which is one of the largest and most popular girl's fire camps in the country. Young women ages 14-19 come to New Hampshire in August at the New Hampshire Fire Academy to test their courage and learn some hands-on firefighting skills. This popular program has attracted young ladies form across the country and other continents!

This past spring, as in previous years, I enjoyed getting involved in the elementary schools' literacy project. I read to the second graders of the Elm St. and Pleasant Street schools and spent some time discussing my love of reading books and answered questions about being a firefighter. I look forward to these presentations every year.