30-04-2025
Merrimack mourns death of former Fire Chief Charles Hall
There aren't many Merrimack firefighters left who worked for late Chief Charles 'Charlie' Hall, but his legacy runs deep in the fire and rescue department and his stories will endure, Shift Capt. Mark Bickford said.
Hall joined the department in 1974 and was chief from 1979 until his retirement in 1999. He no longer lived in Merrimack and died earlier this month in a nursing home, Bickford said. Chairman Finlay Rothhaus announced Hall's passing at last week's Town Council meeting, where residents and officials observed a moment of silence in Hall's honor.
On Wednesday, Bickford shared his memories of Hall, saying the town owes a great deal to the man who greatly enhanced the fire service in town, pushing through unprecedented changes during a period of sharp growth in town. From the time Hall joined the department to the day he retired, the population of Merrimack grew from roughly 9,000 residents to more than 25,000.
Hall was the town's fifth chief but only the second full-time chief, taking over for Herbert Duxbury.
'He oversaw the modernization of the fire department. He increased staffing and was way ahead of the curve,' Bickford said.
In 1987, the town added 10 firefighters to the department to address the growing needs and to reduce the work hours for firefighters from 56 per week down to 42.
During his tenure, Hall presided over the expansion of the South Merrimack Station to include living quarters in 1987 and a major renovation to Central Station in 1998, which doubled the space for apparatus and equipment. Hall is also credited for helping bring advanced technology for firefighter health and safety, fire officials said.
Beyond that, he was just a good guy and a wonderful resource, Bickford said.
'You couldn't ask for a better guy. He was a true gentleman,' he said. 'He knew the names of everyone's wife and kids. He knew birthdays. He was an absolute joy to talk to. And he loved the fire service. He was an old-school chief with modern thinking, which is really rare.'
Bickford said Hall loved his crews and was well-spoken.
Hall served for 40 years in the fire service and was president of the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs. In 2014, he was honored by Merrimack officials with the Public Safety Lifetime Achievement award.
An obituary and details about Hall's death were not available Wednesday. Bickford said Hall had initially moved to Maine to live with family, but had moved back to New Hampshire recently as his health deteriorated.
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