New Boston cut the ribbon on its new fire station Saturday morning, rolling out a much bigger, modern home base that town officials say will sharpen local emergency response and better protect the nearby New Boston Space Force Station. The facility is several times larger than the town’s aging firehouse and now has the space and gear for crews to live on site, clean up safely after calls and run major incidents from an emergency operations center.
The project was financed with a $9,285,576 federal grant through the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program, according to the Department of Defense. That competitive FY2023 program signed off on 17 projects across the country aimed at strengthening civilian infrastructure that supports nearby military installations.
Inside the New Station
Town project materials list the new firehouse at roughly 17,000 square feet, while contractor listings put the build closer to 18,000 square feet, a footprint several times larger than the old facility. As outlined by the New Boston fire station project site and a contractor project page, the layout includes four apparatus bays, administrative offices, an emergency operations center and full living quarters.
Fire Chief Brian Dubreuil told the New Boston Beacon that crews moved into and began operating out of the station in late January. He said the living quarters include a full kitchen, bunk rooms, showers, fitness space and a decontamination room, features that mark a big upgrade from the cramped setup firefighters had been working out of for years.
Backing Up a Space Force Site
The new station will be the primary local responder for the federally owned New Boston Space Force Station, which lists its site at 317 Chestnut Hill Road. EPA facility records show that address for the installation, and local military leaders have noted that the installation relies on neighboring departments for emergency response. Maj. Cher Ron McLemore told WMUR that the base does not maintain on-site emergency services and depends on partner departments for fire, emergency and HAZMAT coverage.
Officials said the federal award capped years of advocacy and planning. “The town had spent six to eight years trying to secure funding for a new station,” Lt. Rick Riendeau told WMUR at the dedication, which drew U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan and Rep. Maggie Goodlander to the site. The grant itself was won in 2023 and construction began after a 2024 groundbreaking, officials say.
Beyond faster response times, town leaders also highlighted the station’s Emergency Operations Center, a multipurpose room intended to host CERT and coordination during larger incidents, along with public-facing space for training and community meetings. For project background and renderings, the town’s project pages and contractors list detailed plans and timelines, and the Department of Defense release explains the award that financed the build.
