By Tyler Maheu
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — After 35 years as a member of the Claremont Fire Department, Fire Chief Bryan Burr is hanging up his gear.
Burr was born in Claremont and is a third-generation firefighter. He graduated from Stevens High School in 1979, and at the time, firefighting hadn’t occurred to him.
“When I was in high school, I was more of a techy kind of guy,” Chief Burr said. “I was really geared to go into the machine shop industry.”
However, due to an economic downturn resulting in shops closing in Precision Valley, Burr entered the car industry, like his father. Ten years in the field elapsed and Burr sought a change, coincidentally finding the solution in the Eagle Times.
“I really never saw this coming down the pike, but the story started with looking at the Eagle Times, and I saw that they were looking to fill six firefighter positions,” Burr explained. “I agonized over whether I should apply for a position and, quite frankly, on the 11th hour of the last day to apply, I came in and filled out the application.”
He began as a call firefighter on Feb. 1, 1988. One year later he became full-time, moving up in rank to Lieutenant in 2005 then to Captain in 2007. In 2013, he took the position of Code Enforcement and Life Safety Inspector before becoming Fire Chief on Jan. 1, 2018.
His accomplishments include implementing CO monitors and thermal image cameras for all firemen and establishing a program that outfits all Claremont homes with smoke detectors regardless of income.
“We have spent a ton of time working together over the years, so I am speaking out of heart first for myself and Golden Cross,” Claremont Mayor Dale Girard said. “His leadership and skills have been a great asset to the community. The leadership he’s brought to the fire department, airport, and work he has done for the community, have been so important. He’s been able to move the department in a positive direction, and he will be greatly missed by the entire city.”
Burr said his 15 minutes of fame as a firefighter was on Jan. 1, 2002.
“We answered the call of an 11-year-old boy up to his neck in water in the Sugar River,” he said. “We were very fortunate. We were able to deploy ice-rescue equipment and formulate a plan to rescue him.”
Burr reached the boy first, bringing him across the ice to safety. A photographer was on hand, and the photo ended up in the Associated Press, followed by a story in the New York Post.
“It was one of those feel-good stories after the tragedy of 9/11 that the nation needed,” Burr said.
The story snowballed. The department received a call from Good Morning America, resulting in every major national network arriving at the station. “It was crazy,” he said.
Despite enjoying his shot at fame, he cherished his time with the other firefighters most.
“I’ve worked with so many great people who became my friends both in and out of the station,” he said. “Becoming fire chief was a major highlight. My goal was to make sure we stayed safe and that we didn’t injure any firefighters, or worse, and that we didn’t tragically lose any firefighters.”
Burr proudly stated that throughout his tenure he accomplished this goal.
He is looking forward to his upcoming vacation and continuing his duty as the Claremont Airport Manager. He is proud to have served the city he grew up in.
“It allowed me to stay in my community, the one I grew up in…to work with some fantastic people and learn a lot of things I never thought I’d be able to learn. You get to make an impact on people’s lives. That’s really the culmination when you leave the fire service, or EMS service, it’s did you make an impact on people. So, I hope I did,” he concluded.
New Fire Chief Jim Chamberlain takes his post on Monday, May 1.
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