Barnstead fire chief retires after over 40 years serving Granite State

BARNSTEAD — After a lifetime of service — six spent with Barnstead Fire Rescue — Chief Alfred Poulin retired June 30.

“You have to have it in your blood. You have to want to be a firefighter,” Poulin said. And he always did. Poulin was born and raised in Manchester, where his father worked as a firefighter security officer at Grenier Field, now Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Poulin said he used to go to calls around the neighborhood, watching his father and his crew fight fires.

After graduating from Trinity High School, in Manchester, Poulin decided college was not for him, and entered trade school to learn how to build houses. By the time he was 19, he began thinking about finances and retirement, and sought a more reliable career, which led him to take the application test for the Manchester Fire Department.

After 38 years fighting fires in Manchester, Poulin retired on March 1, 2020. A selectboard member, from Barnstead, had approached him about helping their town’s fire department in 2019. Poulin was no stranger to the town, having owned a summer home there since 1987, on Suncook Lake. After serving as part-time deputy chief, 2.5 years later, he became chief of Barnstead Fire Rescue.

Poulin said throughout his time at Barnstead Fire, he knew almost everybody who walked through the door, and fought a few fires for people he knew.

“There was something special about that, and I always did my best to make sure, even after the fire, they are looked at and things are taken care of properly,” Poulin said.

Becoming a firefighter

Poulin began his 44-year career as a firefighter on Sept. 12, 1982, spending his first eight years at Station 7, on Somerville Street, in Manchester. At the time, they used tiller trucks, a specialized fire engine with a wide open cab, two separate steering wheels, a driver in the front cab and a driver in the back assisting in steering through sharp corners. Poulin spent almost four years as a back cab driver.

In 1990, Poulin took the lieutenant’s exam, becoming lieutenant of Station 9, on Calef Road, in Manchester, for three years before moving up to Engine Company 10, Truck 3, as lieutenant of a double-company fire station. Then, in 1998, Poulin became a captain, “traveling on the road” in Manchester, to cover other captains or lieutenants.

Poulin returned to his roots at Station 7, in 2001, this time as captain, working a block away from where he lived. Five years later, he became district fire chief, now referred to as battalion chief. Poulin worked on Shift One, as operations instant commander for the entire city, until 2020.

Serving in Barnstead

Throughout his time in Barnstead, Poulin noted the culture shock from Manchester. Working in the Queen City, Poulin would have 45 firefighters on shift, and 21 ready for backup. In Barnstead, it was two firefighters plus himself, with the next group following behind by about 10 minutes.

“It was very a challenging job,” Poulin said. “But it was exciting. I looked forward to every single morning I drove in. I always had a game plan on what I planned on doing that day, and how to accomplish it. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.”

Poulin said he tried bettering the work environment for the firefighters each year. He had great relationships with the Barnstead Selectboard, assisting in open communication about the fire department’s budget and other issues. Two years ago, Poulin raised the hourly wage for his firefighters, bringing them up to the standard in the Lakes Region. Poulin was reduced their work schedule from 52 to 48 hours a week, so anything more was overtime.

Poulin has always been passionate about standing by crew.

“Your personnel is your greatest resource. You can have all the equipment in the world, and brand new firehouses, brand new trucks and everything, but if you don’t have the personnel, you don’t have a fire department.”

Poulin said one of the greatest difficulties for him during his time as chief of Barnstead Fire Rescue was working with people who would kindle fires on their own property, not being aware of outside burning laws and regulations.

Poulin said throughout his time in Barnstead, he prioritized educating residents about what they can and can’t burn, and when, as well as letting people know they could come to the station for a free permit.

“That’s what we try to do. Every call we went to, we try to educate,” Poulin said. “Every EMS call we went to, we try to treat that patient as if it was our mother and father, or brother and sister.”

Poulin has kept this same perspective for his firefighters as well, going above and beyond to treat each like family, many of them referring to him as "dad."

“When something was going on at home, or they were troubled, I'd give them a personal phone call off duty and say, 'Hey, I'm here just to listen. If you need to talk, I'm always here to talk,'” Poulin said. “And when I left Barnstead, I left the same door open. I said, 'My phone's always on. I'm always here to talk to you guys. Always here to help you. I'll be part of Barnstead for the rest of my life.'”

Plans to hire a new chief are in the works. As of July 7, Poulin said the Barnstead Selectboard has spoken to one candidate about the position. A new chief will be on duty at Barnstead Fire starting July 27, and the new hire will be shared by the selectboard in the coming weeks.

Poulin will enjoy his new retirement for the next couple months on Prince Edward Island. “I still have my scanner on. That’s how much I love the job, I still listen to the calls.”

Poulin’s son, Nicholas, who works for Manchester Fire as a lieutenant for Rescue Company One, made a comment that stuck with him. “He said, ‘Dad, the day you can’t put an air pack on and go into a fire and grab somebody, is the day you should hang up your gear.’ And I really took that to heart.”

After he returns from Canada, in September, Poulin said he like to remain involved in a fire service. He said he will reevaluate, come Labor Day, but has thought about applying to the Fire Academy to train new firefighters, or work as a fire inspector in another small, New Hampshire town that needs him.

“I would love to do the best I can. I’ve always had that attitude, every morning when I put my black boots on and my uniform,” Poulin said. “I was proud whether I worked for the City of Manchester, or if I worked for the Town of Barnstead. I was proud to who I was, and my goal was, everyday, learn something new. There’s always something you can learn, even from the newest firefighter that walks through the door, to the guy that’s been there for 40 years.”