Strafford’s Fire Chief Brown
The Right Woman for the Job
By John Freitag

Jane Brown is beginning her second year as Strafford's fire chief. (Herald / Tim Calabro)

Last month, Jane Brown was elected to a second year as chief of the Strafford Volunteer Firemen's Association.

While it is a bit unusual to have a woman in this role, Brown is uniquely qualified. She is an eight-year veteran with the department and before being elected as chief, served as a captain. Her husband, Kris Brown, is a Strafford dairy farmer, and a longtime fire department member, who served as chief for five years.

Jane joined the department after their daughter, Amanda, grew old enough to be by herself if there was a nighttime call. She is also an EMT and works part-time for the Upper Valley Ambulance Service. She says she has always enjoyed challenges and is not afraid of hard work, two qualities that have served her well.

The job of fire chief has gotten more complicated in recent years, requiring much more reporting and administrative work than in the past.

Strafford Volunteer Firemen’s Association President Calvin Benjamin says that Jane does "a great job as chief," adding that the fact that she is also an EMT and a part of the FAST Squad "is a huge benefit for the town."

Jane says the challenge for a small town department is both the amount of training that is now required, and the fact that there are relatively few calls, so it is hard for people to keep up to speed and motivated. She notes that Strafford has a core of dedicated volunteers and some good new people coming on.

Strafford residents are grateful for her dedication and service in what is one of the most demanding volunteer jobs you could imagine.

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