BRADFORD, Vt. — The Selectboard has appointed a new fire chief, after a period of turmoil within the department.
Nate Brooks, who has been with the Bradford Fire Department for seven years, began a three-year term as chief on Jan. 1 after being recommended by other firefighters.
During his time with the department, Brooks has held every other position, including captain, assistant chief and deputy chief, he said. He previously served 11 years of service at the Woodsville and Newbury Village fire departments.
The Selectboard started overseeing the fire department, which was previously a self-governed nonprofit, in the spring of 2025. The intention behind this change was to bring the department up to National Fire Association standards regarding training mandates and recordkeeping, Selectboard Chairwoman Meroa Benjamin said in a Friday phone interview. Town departments are more closely monitored by the Selectboard.
“I would say that my working relationship has been good with (the Selectboard),” Brooks said by phone. “We’ve been able to come up with plans and make things work.”
Since the board took over management of the department, staff payroll has changed, as firefighters are now considered Town of Bradford employees, subject to screening by the board. Firefighters previously working as volunteers now make minimum wage, said Brooks.
The change also gave the board jurisdiction over officer appointments, which ultimately lead to the replacement of former Chief Ryan Terrill.
Terrill had held the position for just over 12 years when the Selectboard informed him in April that it intended to replace him.
“This whole thing from the spring, I don’t think anybody thought it was going to happen the way it did,” said Brooks.
At a meeting at the Bradford Fire Department off Carson Lane on April 29, Terrill handed his letter of resignation to Benjamin. With him, a majority of the 14 firefighters also stepped down.
In an emergency meeting of the Selectboard on April 30, Benjamin announced in a spoken statement that Tony Stockman — one of the few firefighters who did not resign — was to serve as interim chief effective May 1.
In the same April statement, Benjamin explained that this change in leadership was sparked by unresolved issues in the department regarding membership, equipment servicing, building maintenance, and bylaw procedures, among other concerns.
A recommendation by Stockman led the Selectboard to reappoint Brooks to the department, Benjamin said. The department as a whole later recommended him as chief.
Brooks had left the department toward the end of 2024, Terrill alleged in a Friday phone interview, after the Association of Members — which previously governed personnel matters in the department before the Selectboard took over — fired Brooks due to what Terrill described as an internal staff issue.
Brooks declined to comment on the matter.
Terrill said he does not have confidence in Brooks’ leadership.
“Having worked with him for a number of years on the department, I just don’t think he’s a strong leader or works well in a team setting,” Terrill said.
In response to Terrill’s criticism, Brooks pointed out that all 18 current members of the department voted unanimously to nominate him as the next chief.
The department’s roster has grown since the spring.
“We’ve had very good responses to each and every fire call because — especially during the workday — we had an issue because so many of our firefighters worked out of town,” Benjamin said Friday.
Of the former firefighters who stepped down in solidarity with Terrill, Brooks said one staff member returned and two have expressed wishes to return, though he declined to name them.
“It’s kind of a personal matter. I can’t speak too much on it, but I think you’ll see some of them come back,” said Brooks.
In the future, Brooks said he wants to keep the fire department moving forward to provide a high level of care for residents and proper conditions for staff.
“Anything we can do to streamline something, make something better, make something safer, we will continue to do that over the next couple of years,” Brooks said.