Junior Fire Muster returns to JFK Arena June 3 after COVID hiatus

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Photos by Stacy Harrison

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MANCHESTER, NH – Students from across the city will gather at JFK Ice Arena Saturday for the return of the Junior Fire Muster for the first time since COVID-19 interrupted the kind of fun and games that can actually lead a kid into the future.

Participating students – mainly fifth-graders, although this time around there will be some fourth-graders in the mix – have been practicing for the competition which pits school against school in three relays – the dry hose race, the midnight alarm and the bucket brigade. 

Deputy Fire Chief David Fleury says the annual community-centered event is one way fire departments build bridges that might bring them future firefighters.

“We have members of the fire department who volunteer to coach at each elementary school and the kids practice the skills, and then the first Saturday in June we go to JFK and each of the schools participates in the three events,” Fleury said.

It’s a party atmosphere that includes a DJ and medal ribbons for the winners of each competition. Another layer of fun: one school is selected at random for a schoolwide ice cream party courtesy of the Puritan Backroom and Firefighters Local 856.

The public is encouraged to come out and root for their neighborhood school team – the competition goes down June 3 at 1 p.m. 

In addition to the Junior Fire Muster, Manchester Fire Department also recently held a Middle School Firefighter Challenge at Southside Middle School, a more challenging competition that pits the city’s four middle schools against one another.

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“We do it every spring for the middle school kids – at least we did prior to COVID. This was our first year bringing it back,” Fleury said. He credits District Superintendent Jenn Gillis with seeing to it that Manchester middle schoolers had a chance to put their firefighting skills to the test.

“It’s something they were doing at Goffstown back when she was assistant principal at Mountain View Middle School and after she came to Southside, she asked us if we thought it was something we could do here,” Fleury said. 

He and District Chief Hank Martineau went over to observe the Goffstown students competing and got excited about starting the tradition in Manchester. 

“We told her we could absolutely do it here. The middle school challenge is more difficult and mirrors our old entrance exam test from 20 years ago,” Fleury said. Although scaled down in a way that is more appropriate for eighth-graders – a mix of fun and physical challenge. 

Both the junior muster and middle school challenge are events that firefighters volunteer their time to support as coaches for the teams. 

‘It’s a big effort and commitment and we’re lucky our guys are willing and able to do this every year,” Fleury said.

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A third-generation Manchester firefighter himself, Fleury says the commitment to fire service often does run in families, but mainly it comes down to two important traits.

“Part of it has to be in your blood and the other part has to be in your heart, to want to give back to your community. It’s definitely not for everybody but for me, it’s never felt like a job,” Fleury said.  He will have 24 years of service to the city in August. 

“I have never woken up once and said to my self ‘I gotta go to work.’ I look forward to it every day, and I don’t think everyone can say that about their job,” he says.

A lot has changed in 24 years. Like similar positions within the city including police and public works, recruitment and retention has become a challenge.

Manchester School of Technology runs a fire program, which helps. 

“Kids can walk out of MST with level one Firefighter and EMT and graduate with that, so it’s definitely a path into fire service,” Fleury said. Because different fire departments have different requirements, those who exit MST after completing the firefighter program can be hired right away by fire departments outside of Manchester and gain the level of experience needed to one day to work for the city. 

Although right now the city is operating with a full complement of  191 firefighters, there are retirements on the horizon and vacancies that will be difficult to fill.

“We’re losing firefighters to other departments – a lot of it is monetary. They find they can work in other towns where the wages are a little higher, and with changes to the retirement system it’s deciminated our pool of applicants,” Fleury said. 

When he took the entrance test in 1999 there were 400 applicants trying to get into Manchester Fire Department.

“In 2023 we don’t even have a test any more. We take lateral transfers. The game has changed in 20 years and it’s only getting worse – you could talk to fire chiefs in any city or town – same with police and I’d even throw teachers into that same category,” Fleury said of the shrinking pool of candidates.  

Which is another reason why the return of the fire muster and junior high competitions are so important. 

“If we don’t do it we’re going to lose out. We try to attract firefighters at a younger age and these competitions are one way of doing that,” Fleury said. “Unfortunately, it’s a problem that will only magnify in the future. But we hope the positive interactions with the kids will help.”

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