History of the Fire Department

Lee Fire & Rescue Department
Chief of Department Scott M. Nemet - Jeff Liporto, Deputy Fire Chief
20 George Bennett Road, Lee, NH 03861
Phone: (603) 659-5411 Fax: (603) 659-9611
“Protecting Yours Like It’s Ours”

Fire Department History

For more than 50 years, the Lee Fire Department has stood ready to assist the citizens of Lee. Ours is a tradition that began in the late 1940s with a group of men dedicated to helping their neighbors in times of need. Those were tumultuous years for a fledgling department beset by enough intrigue to fill a dime store novel. After a while, it became apparent to the members that a new method of operation was essential if the Department was to properly serve the townsfolk. Tired of constantly worrying about resources, they decided to approach the town and ask for help.

During the 1950 Town Meeting, residents voted to accept the Department’s equipment and to fund its operation. Interestingly enough, while the townspeople voted to accept the resources of the Department, the town did not provide funding for a station. Undaunted by this turn of events, members of the Department set about to build their own station with lumber cut from town property. It was this "can do" spirit that laid the foundation for future members.

Since its inception, the primary mission of the Department has been fighting fires. Hundreds of acres of undeveloped land made the town susceptible to forest and wild-land fires, and this - combined with residential and commercial building fires - was of principal concern to the early volunteers. As the town grew and surrounding communities developed, an increase in motor vehicle traffic meant the Department was responding to rising numbers of motor vehicle accidents. For years, these accidents dominated the Department's call volume. Over time, the Department’s mission has expanded further to include hazardous materials mitigation, water rescue, ice rescue, and medical emergencies.

Today’s Lee Fire & Rescue is technically referred to as a "Combination Department." The Department consists of full time and part time staff as well as paid On-Call members. In 2004, the residents voted to accept the first full time staff for the Department. As the calls have changed throughout the years so has the availability of the On-Call members. Today’s On-Call members are busier then every with family and full time job responsibilities. The full time and part time staff assists the Department in staffing the daytime hours where many On-Call members are not available. In 2014 the Selectmen hired the first full time Chief who is responsible for the planning, administering and supervising fire prevention, fire suppression, disaster preparedness and emergency medical services for the Town. Currently there are two full time and two part time members who cover the hours of 6am to 6pm Monday through Friday and twenty-five On-Call members.

As the challenges facing the fire service continue to increase in number and complexity, and as our town continues to grow, members of the Lee Fire & Rescue Department will build upon the foundation of service set down so many years ago by a group of men and women dedicated to helping their community. Going into the second half of a century of service, it is our mission to maintain the commitment of those who served before us by continuing to help our neighbors in times of hardship.

Professionalism  •  Integrity  •  Teamwork  •  Courtesy  •  Dedication  •  Compassion