Wilmot Fire Department

The Wilmot Fire Department is made up of about 20 firefighters. The department runs about 200 calls a year, including first responder for medical calls. New London Hospital Ambulance provides transporting services from its medical center, but it also has an unstaffed ambulance housed at the Wilmot fire station. Wilmot is a member of the Kearsarge Mutual Aid System.

The department currently operates two engines, one tanker, one rescue, and a utility/chief car.

The town of Wilmot, New Hampshire was incorporated in 1807 from land belonging to New London, Warner, and Hill, and is located in the center of the state, on the west side of Merrimack County. The town’s current size is 29.6 square miles and is bordered by Grafton and Danbury on the north; Andover on the east; Warner and Sutton on the south, and New London and Springfield on the west. About 1,400 people call Wilmot home.

Wilmot is a rural town home to the tallest peak in Merrimack County, Mount Kearsarge. Additional recreation opportunities are available via Winslow State Park. Wilmot is accessible via local roads, including NH Route 11 and US Route 4.

Wilmot Fire Department History

From the time Wilmot was established to 1942, there was no formal fire department for the town. Local residents suppressed fires when possible and were supplemented by the New London Fire Department; occasionally, the departments from Franklin or Andover were called in to assist. The department purchased its first apparatus in 1942, a used American LaFrance from an unknown location. Truck 1 was housed in a converted wood frame building located on Wilmot Flat that was finished in 1944.

By the early 1950s, the American LaFrance was no longer on the roster and had been replaced with a 1937 Chevrolet pumper. The department had also purchased a used 1935 Ford tanker (possibly a converted oil tanker) from an unknown seller; called Truck 2, its pump was rebuilt in 1952, and the pump and body were moved to a 1952 Ford chassis in 1955. Four years later in 1959, the Chevrolet was replaced with a 1954 GMC that was built out by members of the department.

In 1963, the department replaced the GMC after it developed terminal transmission issues. They found a 1953 Studebaker tanker with 500 gallon tank that was up for sale in Pembroke, and purchased it for Truck 1. The following year, they were gifted a two-wheel box trailer that was used to haul forestry equipment. In 1966, the department acquired land to construct an addition to the station and also was loaned a 1943 Ford pumper from the state forestry department as a third apparatus. Three years later, in 1969 they refurbished the Studebaker with a 1,000 gallon tank.

This truck was removed from service in 1971, making the 1943 Ford Truck 1. The following year, they made a number of apparatus updates. The first was the purchase of a 1956 Ford F900 pumper with unknown size pump and 750 gallon tank. This replaced the Ford and it was returned to the state fleet. The second addition to the fleet was a 1952 10-wheel GMC from Civil Defense surplus. It was outfitted with a 1,300 gallon tank and unknown size pump for forestry purposes. It was assigned to Truck 3. Another surplus Civil Defense rig became available in 1974; a 1963 Ford van, it was turned into the Rescue Wagon.

In 1975, Wilmot partnered with the New London Dispatch Center for dispatch services. In 1977, the department acquired three more surplus Army vehicles:

An unknown year Jeep Power Wagon
An unknown model 4×4 troop carrier
An unknown year 10 wheel GMC (this likely replaced the one from 1972)

In 1978, the department purchased its first-ever brand-new apparatus, a GMC/Middlesex with unknown size pump and tank. This replaced the 1952 Ford tanker and was assigned to Engine 1. In 1984, the department sold the Jeep. Three years later, they bought a used International chassis to create a new, second tanker. It carried 1000 gallons of water.

In 1992, the department replaced the 1956 engine with a used rig from New London (New London town report says it was Engine 2, but there’s no info on this rig online). This rig likely became Engine 2 for Wilmot. By this time, the department had more than outgrown its current station and began looking for a location for a new, larger building. They were gifted land from a resident located right off of NH Route 11, and in 1995 the department built a three-bay station with member labor.

The department operated with the same fleet until 2002, when a new International engine was delivered. Built by Valley with a 1500 GPM pump and 1000 gallon tank, it replaced Engine 2’s GMC/Middlesex (it was originally Engine 1, so it had been reassigned at some point). The next year, the department bought a new Ford pickup for Utility 1, with a main focus of forestry work. Its forestry kit was built out by Donovan and included a 125 GPM pump and 200 gallon tank. In 2007, they took delivery of two new apparatus. The first, Rescue 1, was a Ford F-550/Valley. The second, Tanker 2, was an International/Valley with 500 GPM pump and 1750 gallon tank. While Tanker 1 remained on the roster at this time, at some point down the road it was sold off. This may have happened in 2016 when a new Spartan/Valley engine was delivered for Engine 1. It was equipped with a 1750 GPM pump and 1500 gallon tank. Perhaps it also replaced the old rig from New London?

The department also had a Ford Explorer at some point during the 2000s and 2010s. This was replaced (along with the pickup for Utility 1?) in 2020 with a new Ford F-150. Assigned to Utility 1, it—along with its outfitting—was donated by an unknown benefactor.