Sunapee Fire urges residents to call 911, not business line in emergencies

A call to Sunapee Fire’s station phone can go unanswered at the exact moment a medical emergency, fire or gas leak needs immediate help. The department used an April 20 public notice to tell residents and visitors to dial 911, not the business line, because 911 reaches dispatch right away and can move firefighters, EMS, law enforcement and other responders without waiting for someone to pick up a phone at the station.

That warning reflects how Sunapee Fire is staffed. The department describes itself as part-time and on-call, with a part-time chief, one per-diem fire and EMS provider working 12-hour shifts Monday through Friday, and 25 on-call members. Its station phone is (603) 763-5770, but the Georges Mills Station phone is not manned. Even when a firefighter or staff member is on site, they may be tied up with inspections, meetings, training or another emergency call.

The town has been working for months to shore up leadership at the department. A November 2025 selectboard packet said the town would seek a full-time chief position through a warrant article. In March, voters approved $65,000 to hire a full-time fire chief and cover nine months of employment, with the full annual cost set at $166,000 in future budgets. Ted Tillson was appointed as part-time fire chief after John Galloway resigned in January 2025 following 25 years with the department.

Sunapee Fire said the risk is not theoretical. Recent calls about brush fires, medical emergencies, a carbon monoxide alarm, and possible gas or oil spills on Lake Sunapee have come in through the business line or even by someone walking into the station. Those situations were handled because someone happened to be available, but the department said luck is not an emergency plan. The notice directs people to 911 for medical emergencies, fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, motor vehicle collisions, structure fires, brush fires, gas leaks, hazardous conditions, and water-rescue or boating emergencies.

The department’s own operations underline why the public notice matters. Sunapee Fire says it relies on three engines, one ladder truck, one tanker, two EMS response vehicles, a forestry truck, an off-road rescue ATV, two boats and two HazMat trailers. It works with New London Ambulance Service as the transporting agency because it does not have its own ambulance. Its website also says the recent incidents page does not list every call, only larger ones, and one of those entries shows a reported building fire at 98 Garnet Street on Jan. 29, 2026, with mutual aid from Newport, New London and Springfield.