MANCHESTER, NH – Early in October, Ryan Cashin was confirmed by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen as Interim Chief of the Manchester Fire Department, following the retirement of Andre Parent. His appointment became permanent this September, again by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Once confirmed, he received a standing ovation by those in attendance in recognition of his hard work and dedication.
Cashin began his service in March of 1999, rising through the ranks as he went from lieutenant to captain to deputy chief to, finally, chief. He comes off as personable, professional, and knowledgeable about his work and the community as a whole.
“I basically worked my way through the ranks,” Cashin said. “On the Fire Department, the way that works is, there are very lengthy exams for promotions for lieutenant and captain. Probably a mandatory six months of studying. It’s a very competitive testing process. As you move your way up the ranks as chief, it’s just a constant way of bettering yourself whether that’s through education, training, or any other attributes that I could try to bring into my career and try to make myself better.”
Like many at the Fire Department, Cashin’s service has been rooted in compassion and empathy. A number of firefighters are routinely involved with volunteer and charitable efforts on their own time, continually looking for ways to give back to the community. While I waited at the station, I observed a lady in a motorized wheelchair ask to receive a charge at the fire station before it ran of energy. The fire department was happy to oblige her in what seemed like a routine process.
Cashin’s tenure at the fire department has not been without its challenges, however. Recently, the Calef Road fire station was shut down. There are plans in the works to construct a new building to serve as Station 9, which Cashin hopes will open in July 2023. The previous station, which was 60 years old, had significant flooding issues and no longer accommodated the larger, more modern vehicles in use by the department. The newer vehicles “barely fit” in the old building.
In addition, Manchester’s Safe Station ended in October of 2021. Previously, people looking for help with substance use issues could simply walk into a fire station and receive an Uber or Lyft ride to a treatment facility. Following Safe Station’s closure, Cashin was instrumental in developing what he calls a “mobile Safe Station,” or Unit 1.
Unit 1 is a Community Response Unit that will report to scenes when people call 211, a 24/7 hotline for the Doorways program. Instead of having people come to the fire station, now firefighters, also trained as EMTs, go to the people, whenever they may be.
“So far, I have nothing but positive things to say,” Cashin reflected.
“I have a great command team. I’ve had some great interactions with other city department heads. Every single department head has been open, willing to have a conversation, and really positive about their experiences. I’ve had great conversations with the mayor, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on any issues that we need to address. Overall, it’s been a very positive first month,” Cashin said.
“Moving forward, one of the goals we have is to drastically increase the amount of technology we are going to use in the Manchester Fire Department,” the chief said. “That entails everything from dispatching software to reporting software so we can accurately track all the data throughout every single response the fire department goes on. It’s also going to include updating computer hardware in the fire stations. One of my goals is to have a tablet on every single fire truck so that the company officers and the firefighters have instant access to any files, databases, any pre-plans, or any inspection hazards that may go on with any building in the city.”
“It’s the best job in the world,” Cashin concluded. “I believe this city is one of the best places to work in the entire country.”
