By Tyler Maheu
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT – “This is the single greatest job in the world, and I say that with purpose and I say that with meaning,” Claremont’s new Fire Chief Jim Chamberlain said recently.
Chamberlain, 38, took over the department’s helm on May 1 from retiring Chief Bryan Burr. For the 2003 Stevens High School graduate, it is a dream come true.
“I knew at a very young age that I wanted to not just be a firefighter, but be one with the city of Claremont,” he said.
The new chief has deep family ties to the department, with both of his uncles and his father serving on the force. Due to this, Chamberlain has been around the fire station since his youth.
After graduating from high school, Chamberlain attended Laconia Tech for Fire Science. Upon graduating in 2007, he came back home to fulfill his dream. He started as a call team member and quickly moved up by applying to be a full-time firefighter, earning that job by the end of 2007.
Sixteen years later, he has taken control of the department.
“Like everything else, I always had career aspirations of one day being the fire chief,” he said. “I’ll be honest and say it came a little sooner than I was anticipating, but if you wait for everything to be perfect, you’ll never do anything.”
A captain at the time, he took the chance to apply for chief as an opportunity to “if nothing else, go through the process.”
He went through the interview process, and was offered the job on an interim basis. That term runs from May 1, 2023 to Nov. 1, 2023. He will be evaluated on a number of criteria including team morale and code enforcement prior to being offered the full-time position.
As chief, Chamberlain has many goals he hopes to accomplish.
“My goals are to slowly but surely create a change of culture within the fire service,” he said. “There is no secret that the fire service has been a primarily male driven career, and it’s not just Claremont, but the fire service in general. My plans are to create a fire department that is more inclusive.”
He said he hopes to accomplish this by updating the department’s infrastructure, including bathrooms, to be more gender-inclusive.
“My goal is to slowly start moving that needle of change, that culture change, that I think the fire service needs as a whole,” he said. “I’m so passionate and pleased that I am given the opportunity to start that culture change.”
Another point of emphasis for him is the autonomy of his personnel.
“I want to give officers and personnel autonomy to make decisions if it’s in their realm to do so,” he said. “I am looking to include personnel in decisions on the department’s direction to help create buy-in and engagement.”
In addition to the culture change, Chamberlain is looking forward to the upcoming Washington Street traffic light project, projects at the Claremont airport, and applying for Assistance to Firefighting Grants.
“I want to be very aggressive with accruing grant funds to upgrade equipment,” he said.
Overall, he said it is his job to be responsive to both the department’s and community’s needs.
“My message is that we’re here for Mrs. Smith,” Chamberlain said. “Mrs. Smith is the everyday community member that we serve.”
He said that this could be the 90-year-old woman who needs her AC put in, or the child that comes to the department and wants to sit in the firetruck.
“I am very passionate about that part of our field,” he said.
Chief Chamberlain has hit the ground running, and is ready to start executing his plans.
“I have big visions, and will be relying a lot on personnel to help me get to the finish line and make those goals a reality,” he said.
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