Rockingham Fire & Rescue Rockingham Fire & Rescue

Command Staff

Deputy Chief

Tony James — 52-C2

Scott Bingham — 52-C3
Andrew Malshuk — 52-RC3
Wade Masure — 52-C4

Michael White — 52-RC4
Ben Masure — 52-C5
Sara Dunbar — 52-RC5

Mike Wheeler — 52-K1
Art Smith — 52-K2

Our History

Fire and emergency medical services in the Town of Rockingham are built on nearly two centuries of local service, sacrifice, and commitment to community.

That history begins with the Bellows Falls Fire Department, founded in 1825. As Bellows Falls developed into a dense industrial, railroad, commercial, and residential village along the Connecticut River, organized fire protection became an essential part of community life.

Generations of Bellows Falls firefighters responded to major fires and emergencies that helped shape the village, including the 1907 Island House fire and the Great Bellows Falls Fire of March 1912, which devastated portions of the downtown business district.

The department’s history also includes profound sacrifice. On December 29, 1981, Bellows Falls firefighters Terry Brown and Dana Fuller lost their lives in the line of duty during the Star Hotel fire. Their service and sacrifice remain an enduring part of Rockingham’s public safety history and continue to be remembered by the generations of firefighters who have followed them.

Fire Protection Across Rockingham

The tradition of community fire protection expanded throughout the town through the Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department and the Saxtons River Volunteer Fire Department.

The Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department reported that it was formed on August 16, 1970, serving the community until November 1, 2025.

For more than 50 years, the Saxtons River Volunteer Fire Department protected the Village of Saxtons River and surrounding areas, continuing the rural Vermont tradition of neighbors training together, responding together, and protecting one another in times of need.

Together with the Bellows Falls Fire Department, these organizations developed generations of firefighters, officers, and volunteers whose service helped create the foundation of fire protection that exists in Rockingham today.

The Growth of Emergency Medical Services

In 1989, Saxtons River First Response Rescue added a dedicated emergency medical response mission to Rockingham’s public safety system.

Serving the community from January 1, 1989, through October 31, 2025, Saxtons River First Response Rescue provided Advanced EMT-level first response care, emergency medical support, and EMS training.

In 2024, the Vermont Department of Health recognized Saxtons River First Response Rescue as Vermont’s First Responder Service of the Year, recognizing the organization’s professionalism, dedication, and commitment to rural emergency medical services.

The Creation of Rockingham Fire & Rescue

After years of study and public discussion concerning staffing, equipment, facilities, response efficiency, coordination, and the long-term sustainability of emergency services, Rockingham voters approved moving forward with a consolidated fire and rescue model at Town Meeting on March 1, 2025.

The consolidation process followed an AP Triton feasibility study examining the delivery of fire and emergency services throughout Rockingham. The new model was intended to improve coordination, make more effective use of personnel and equipment, reduce unnecessary duplication, strengthen operational capabilities, and create a more sustainable emergency services system for the entire town.

The transition continued throughout 2025 as the Town of Rockingham worked to bring its existing fire and emergency medical organizations together under one municipal structure.

From those efforts, Rockingham Fire & Rescue emerged as the Town of Rockingham’s unified municipal fire and emergency medical services department.

Advanced Emergency Medical Services

As part of the transition to a unified municipal Fire/EMS system, Rockingham Fire & Rescue established an Advanced EMT-level emergency medical response service.

This capability allows appropriately licensed department personnel to provide Advanced EMT-level prehospital care while working in coordination with transporting ambulance services and other regional emergency medical resources.

The continuation of Advanced EMT-level care carries forward the EMS mission established by Saxtons River First Response Rescue while integrating emergency medical response directly into Rockingham’s municipal emergency services structure.

Today, EMS is a major component of the department’s overall emergency response mission and operates alongside fire suppression, rescue, and other public safety functions.

One Department. Generations of Service.

Today, Rockingham Fire & Rescue carries forward the traditions, experience, and history of the:

• Bellows Falls Fire Department
• Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department
• Saxtons River Volunteer Fire Department
• Saxtons River First Response Rescue

Rockingham Fire & Rescue represents a new chapter in nearly two centuries of emergency service in the Town of Rockingham, one coordinated municipal Fire/EMS system built upon generations of volunteer service, professional leadership, community support, and personal sacrifice.

Operating from multiple stations throughout the town, members of Rockingham Fire & Rescue work together under one coordinated department to provide:

• Fire suppression and fireground operations
• Advanced EMT-level emergency medical response
• Rescue services
• Motor vehicle incident response
• Hazard and emergency mitigation
• Fire prevention activities
• Emergency preparedness
• Department training and professional development
• Mutual aid assistance to neighboring communities
• Other emergency and public safety services as needed

Although the organization, equipment, technology, and capabilities of emergency services have changed dramatically since Rockingham’s earliest firefighters first answered the call, the fundamental purpose of the department has remained the same.

Building for the Future

The creation of Rockingham Fire & Rescue was not simply a consolidation of existing departments. It created an opportunity to build a modern, sustainable emergency services organization capable of meeting the changing needs of the community for generations to come.

As the department develops, its focus remains on strengthening operational readiness, maintaining reliable emergency response, supporting and developing its personnel, improving coordination between fire and EMS operations, and making responsible investments in equipment, apparatus, facilities, communications, and technology.

The department will continue working to develop a unified organization in which personnel from different stations and emergency service backgrounds train, respond, and operate together as one team.

Rockingham Fire & Rescue is also committed to maintaining strong relationships with neighboring fire departments, emergency medical services, law enforcement agencies, emergency communications centers, healthcare partners, and other organizations that contribute to an effective regional emergency response system.

The future of emergency services will continue to bring new challenges. Changes in call volume, staffing availability, technology, training requirements, community demographics, and the complexity of emergency incidents will require the department to continually evaluate how services are delivered.

Rockingham Fire & Rescue will continue adapting to those challenges while preserving the traditions and values upon which Rockingham’s emergency services were built.

Nearly two centuries after organized fire protection began in Bellows Falls, the mission continues:

Neighbors serving neighbors when help is needed most.