Pepperell Select Board Interviews Two Fire Chief Finalists, Decision Expected Next Week

PEPPERELL -- August 18, 2025, Pepperell Select Board publicly interviewed two New Hampshire fire chief candidates Monday, with a hiring decision expected by the week of August 25. Select Board members Mark Sanderson and Chuck Walker questioned Eric W. Lambert of Allenstown, NH, a retired 23-year Hudson firefighter now serving as part-time Allenstown fire chief, and Donald Waldron of Manchester, NH, a 27-year lieutenant paramedic with the Londonderry Fire Department who holds a master's in public administration and completed the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer program. Lambert highlighted operational budget creativity, describing how he grew Allenstown's ambulance billing revenue from roughly $180,000 to $334,000 annually after transitioning to a new billing company, and finished a $400,000-quoted station renovation for $95,000 through donations and in-house labor. Waldron cited multiple successful FEMA grants, including a department-wide SCBA replacement, and presented a personal mission statement with five core values to each board member. Both candidates were pressed on Proposition 2 1/2 constraints, EMS staffing shortages, and the possibility of regional fire service consolidation. Sanderson noted on camera that assessment center results, reference checks, and background checks would precede any offer, and that the board cannot deliberate on candidates outside a public session.