Mark Boynton: 'Amherst is a Special Place'

Amherst Fire Chief Mark Boynton, who will soon become fire chief in Townsend, Mass., has expressed thanks for the local support over the years and praise for his public safety colleagues in New Hampshire.

Boynton, in an official letter of resignation to Amherst Town Administrator James O'Mara, addressed his four years at Amherst Fire Department.

"Amherst is a special place. My wife Cindy and I plan to stay in town. Our daughter has really blossomed here, and we want to remain part of this community," Boynton said in his remarks. "I would be remiss if I did not publicly thank the brave and dedicated men and women of the Amherst Fire Department. They do so much for the town, for so little. Rarely do you see people putting it all on the line for the satisfaction of giving back to a community they love. My life has been enriched by the friendships I have made in this department."

Boynton previously worked for the Keene Fire Department, where he rose over 20 years from firefighter to deputy chief. His last day in Amherst as fire chief is May 13.

Boynton and Dwight Brew, chairman of the Amherst Board of Selectmen, further discussed the improvements in Amherst in recent years, according to part of the press release from O'Mara below:

"When I arrived in Amherst, we set goals for the department, most of which have been accomplished. The first priority we focused on was the safety equipment and staff. I want to make sure they were properly 
protected when responding to calls."

Boynton made the Board of Selectmen aware of the deficiencies, and some new equipment was immediately purchased. Boynton’s replacement plan for the safety equipment was agreed to by the Board of Selectmen, then put into effect. 

Boynton acknowledged, "The ranks of the on-call staff had dwindled to about thirty when I arrived; a dangerously low number. So Deputy Chief Conley, the senior officers, and I began an aggressive recruitment campaign." Today 
the number of on-call staff has increased 65% and reached a high of 50 members. 

Another accomplishment new to Amherst is the unprecedented amount of grant monies that have come into the town. In four years over $500,000 in combined state and federal grants has come to Amherst. These funds have been used to upgrade the emergency communication system, install emergency backup generators, and purchase a message board benefiting not only fire but police, EMS, and DPW as well.

Boynton was instrumental in the establishment of the Souhegan Cooperative Communication Network involving the towns of Amherst, Bedford, Derry, Milford, Merrimack, and Hudson. Through grant funds, a regional 
communication network has been built enhancing communication for Amherst and the region.

Amherst Board of Selectmen, Chairman Dwight Brew said, "Chief Boynton has been very progressive in his view of how fire protection should be delivered in town, and it is always important to be looking ahead to future needs.”

Brew continued, “I won’t be saying this for the first time; we are all grateful for Mark’s aggressive pursuit of grant monies. His efforts have saved the taxpayers of Amherst a lot of dollars. We all wish him well in his new position.” 

Under Boynton’s command, Amherst became the first fire department in the nation to utilize mobile technology in fire apparatus using iPads. At no cost to the taxpayers, through a partnership with Zco Corporation to BETA 
test this new product and generous donations from Amherst Walmart, firefighters have access to real-time data while responding to calls on iPads or smart phones. Using this mobile technology, developed right here in New 
Hampshire, Amherst and Bedford Fire Departments are also the first in the nation to share this real-time information further enhancing emergency response in times of mutual aid.