Retired Air Force Colonel Named NH Fire Chief

SOMERSWORTH, NH—The city's next fire chief will be George Kramlinger, a former Dover firefighter and retired Air Force colonel.

Kramlinger will replace the retiring Keith Hoyle on March 2, City Manager Bob Belmore announced Tuesday. Belmore said Kramlinger will bring "a wealth of leadership, command, and technical expertise" to the city.

"We are pleased to have Chief George Kramlinger join the City of Somersworth management team," Belmore said in a statement. "I'm confident that his ability to lead people, prioritize resources, and increase effectiveness will enhance public safety and build upon the Fire Department's solid reputation for operational excellence."

Hoyle, 67, is retiring after eight years as the Hilltop City's fire chief. Belmore described Hoyle's time at the helm "highly successful."

Kramlinger, of Dover, most recently served five years as the fire chief and emergency management director for the Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, Fire Department.

"It is an extreme honor to be selected as the city of Somersworth's next fire chief," Kramlinger said in a statement. "The Somersworth Fire Department has a great firefighting reputation and excels at community involvement. I am very excited to become part of this proud tradition and work with the City's management team to serve the community."

Kramlinger wasn't immediately available for an interview before this story went to print.

Kramlinger joins SFD at a time in which the city is working on plans for a new station on the same property as the current station on Maple Street.

He is a familiar figure in area firefighting circles because he serves as a senior staff instructor at the New Hampshire Fire Academy.

In that role, Kramlinger teaches entry level firefighter qualification courses, including those held at various Seacoast area fire departments. He also teaches fire officer, fire instructor, hazardous materials, firefighter survival, rapid intervention team and fire suppression courses.

His resume also includes time as the director of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and as a firefighter, engineer and EMT in Dover.

He spent 26 years in the Air Force, during which he was a "decorated" fighter pilot, according to Belmore.

Kramlinger is also a structural collapse technician, a flood/swift water rescue technician and a hazardous materials specialist on the New England-based Federal Emergency Management Agency, Urban Search and Rescue Task Force.

He is a graduate of the Hazardous Materials Operating Site Practices and Chemistry for Emergency Response courses at the National Fire Academy.

He holds a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy and master's degrees in military/strategic studies from Air University and the U.S. Naval War College.

Kramlinger will start in Somersworth at an annual salary of $100,000, according to Belmore.

Hoyle's ending salary was roughly $103,000.

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