Rockingham Fire & Rescue Rockingham Fire & Rescue

Deputy Chief: 

Tony James, 52-C2

Captains: 

Scott Bingham, 52-C3

Wade Masure, 52-C4

Lieutenants:

Ben Masure, 52-C5

Safety Officers: 

Mike Wheeler, 52-K1

Art Smith, 52-K2

Fire and emergency medical services in the Town of Rockingham are built on nearly two centuries of local commitment, beginning with the Bellows Falls Fire Department, founded in 1825. As Bellows Falls grew into a dense industrial, railroad, commercial, and residential village along the Connecticut River, the need for organized fire protection became central to community life. The department’s history includes service through major local fires, including the 1907 Island House fire and the Great Bellows Falls Fire of March 1912, which devastated portions of the downtown business district. Its legacy also includes deep sacrifice, most notably the line-of-duty deaths of Bellows Falls firefighters Terry Brown and Dana Fuller during the Star Hotel fire on December 29, 1981. Their service and sacrifice remain an enduring part of Rockingham’s public safety history.

That tradition of community protection expanded across the town through the Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department and the Saxtons River Fire Department. The Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department publicly reported that it was formed on August 16, 1970, and served until November 1, 2025.  The Saxtons River Volunteer Fire Department served the village and surrounding area for more than 50 years, carrying forward the same rural Vermont tradition of neighbors training, responding, and protecting one another in times of need.

In 1989, Saxtons River First Response Rescue added a dedicated emergency medical response mission to the community’s public safety system. Serving from January 1, 1989 through October 31, 2025, the organization provided Advanced EMT-level first response care, emergency medical support, training, and education. In 2024, the Vermont Department of Health recognized Saxtons River First Response Rescue as Vermont’s First Responder Service of the Year, honoring the agency’s professionalism, service, and dedication to rural EMS. In 2025, the organization also received statewide attention when EMS Chief Nicholas Cushman’s article was published in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, highlighting local EMS leadership on a national platform.

After years of study and public discussion about staffing, equipment, facilities, response efficiency, and long-term sustainability, Rockingham voters approved moving forward with a consolidated fire and rescue model at Town Meeting on March 1, 2025. Public reporting noted that the consolidation followed an AP Triton feasibility study and was intended to improve response, reduce unnecessary duplication, share equipment more effectively, and strengthen operations across the town. The transition process continued through 2025, with the Town of Rockingham posting fire transition documents and identifying Rockingham Fire & Rescue as the town’s municipal fire and rescue department.

Today, Rockingham Fire & Rescue carries forward the legacy of Bellows Falls Fire Department, Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department, Saxtons River Fire Department, and Saxtons River First Response Rescue. The department represents a new chapter in the town’s emergency services history: one municipal Fire/EMS system built from generations of volunteer service, local sacrifice, public safety leadership, and community pride. With responders serving from multiple stations and working under one coordinated department, Rockingham Fire & Rescue is positioned to provide fire protection, emergency medical response, rescue services, prevention, training, and public safety support for the entire Town of Rockingham and its villages. As the department continues to grow, its mission remains rooted in the same principle that shaped every service before it: neighbors serving neighbors when help is needed most.