New chief waited for his chance

Goyette, a lifelong resident of Adams, has bee a health and physical education teacher in the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District for the past 26 years. He said that he first got his start with the Alert Hose Company in 1979 as an apprentice -- then known as a sub -- because his uncle Ernest Bissaillon was a long-time member. He eventually became a full fledged volunteer firefighter when he went to college in Slippery Rock, Pa. (ADAMS -- With the retirement of Fire Chief Stephen Brown, Paul Goyette was elected to replace him earlier this week and said on Friday that he looks forward to running the Adams Fire Department.)
By Ryan Hutton
Posted: 05/21/2011 10:47:52 AM EDT



ADAMS -- With the retirement of Fire Chief Stephen Brown, Paul Goyette was elected to replace him earlier this week and said on Friday that he looks forward to running the Adams Fire Department.

Goyette, a lifelong resident of Adams, has bee a health and physical education teacher in the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District for the past 26 years. He said that he first got his start with the Alert Hose Company in 1979 as an apprentice -- then known as a sub -- because his uncle Ernest Bissaillon was a long-time member. He eventually became a full fledged volunteer firefighter when he went to college in Slippery Rock, Pa.

"I met up with a couple guys, college students, who were on the local fire department and that was the real start," he said. "Kind of like how Williamstown has college students on the fire department, that’s what we did. When I got back from school, my uncle being a member and the tradition of the Alerts was something I wanted to be a part of and give back to the community."

Goyette became a full-time member of the Alerts in March 1983 and when former Chief Stephen Brown took over 15 years ago, Goyette became his fourth assistant and an engineer with the Adams Fire District. Over the next decade and a half, Goyette rose through the ranks from firefighter to second assistant foreman to first assistant foreman and then foreman behind Brown.

"I wanted to accomplish more,"


Goyette said. "I wanted to be able to not only learn in my fire fighter role but I also wanted to start working with command. Work more with why the fire starts and the techniques to put it out. We also do much more than put out fires and I wanted to learn all of that, too. It was a progression for me."
Goyette said working with Brown was beneficial and he thanked the former chief for allowing him to learn and experiment while in the department.

"There’s no question that between [Brown] and Billy Chittenden, they really brought this department to another level," he said. "Steve is extremely meticulous and detail oriented and I hope to emulate a little bit of that on both the fire side of it and the administrate side.

"It may have made a few people upset with him through out his 15 years as chief, but it was because he did it right. He put a lot of time in down here."

Goyette said he does have a few new ideas he wants to try but added that any changes to the department are not a comment to the way Brown ran things -- he just feels that any chief wants to put his or her own stamp on a department.

"We’re going to stay status quo for a while and then ease into a few changes," he said. "Just subtle things. Nothing drastic. [Brown] set the ground rules and the standards and I agree with them. There’s some little tweaks I want to do to put my stamp on things, but not yet."

Goyette said the Adams Fire Department and Alert Hose Company are well-oiled machines, adding that the forefathers of both took the time to organize them well.

"I’m looking forward to working with the members but the bottom line is that after every call, I want everyone to go home safe," he said.