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Hooksett reviews $5.24 million Fire & Rescue budget; chief flags staffing and vehicle repairs

5959289 · October 16, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Town Administrator Andre Garen presented a $5,238,414 Fire & Rescue budget — up $109,469 (2.13%) — while Fire Chief David Nado described rising mutual-aid needs, overtime pressures and an unexpected ladder/engine repair that may cost $20,000–$30,000.

Town Administrator Andre Garen opened the department briefing by identifying the presenters and the proposed totals for the Fire & Rescue budget. "My name is Andre Garen, town administrator," he said as he introduced Chief David Nado and Regina Howard and summarized the request: a proposed Fire & Rescue budget of $5,238,414, an increase of $109,469, or about 2.13 percent over the prior year.

The increase reflects personnel and benefits costs, including contract-driven wage changes and health insurance. Garen told the committee the town’s health-care costs have been rising sharply: the most recent increase is 14.5 percent, following double-digit increases in prior years. He said the town will update the budget after a scheduled PrimeX…

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