July 27--In a stunning case of better late than never, a New Hampshire fire chief who has been dead for over 63 years is being formally recognized as having died in the line of duty.
The Laconia Daily Sun reports that research efforts by two firefighters have resulted in full honors for Winnisquam Fire Chief Chester Brickett, who died of a heart attack at age 51 while returning from a call in Laconia on Jan. 14, 1954.
Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Chief Coordinator Jonathan Goldman, who also is a team leader with the Granite State Fire Service Support Team, came across Brickett's name on a Facebook page entitled "New England Fire Rescue History On This Date." After seeing a post about Brickett's death, Goldman discovered that the late chief's name was not listed on the State Firefighters Memorial in Concord.
Goldman was eventually joined by Fire Lt. Kevin Nugent, who in addition to serving on the Mutual Aid Association is a former Winnisquam fire chief and had come across Brickett's name years earlier in a newspaper column.
Goldman and Nugent teamed up and began combing through websites, 1950s-era town paperwork and handwritten notes from Mutual Aid meetings to establish the circumstances of Brickett's death.
They eventually came across a leather-bound notebook that contained hand-written meeting minutes from the Winnisquam Fire Department from around the time of the incident. One page read: "This page to be left blank in memory of our Chief, Chester Brickett. Passed away at the wheel of the F.M.C. in the line of duty returning from the home of Herbert Ford, South Main Street, Laconia. Jan. 14, 1954."
That simple note was all the proof the men needed, and they submitted their findings to State Fire Marshall J. William Degnan, who reviewed the material and ruled that Brickett had in fact died in the line of duty.
With one of the highest honors a firefighter can receive now a part of his legacy, Brickett's name will be engraved on the State Firefighters's Memorial in September.
