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Regional mutual-aid compact outlines dispatch, HAZMAT and radio upgrades that benefit Henniker
Summary
The Capital Area Mutual Aid Fire Compact described centralized dispatch, a HAZMAT team, recently purchased foam caches and a planned $1.25 million radio upgrade; staff said Henniker receives services but shares in compact costs (2026 fee cited at $52,959).
Keith Gilbert, chief coordinator for the Capital Area Mutual Aid Fire Compact, told the Henniker meeting that the compact coordinates fire response across 24 communities and operates a centralized dispatch in Concord.
"We serve 24 communities, 1 ambulance service, and the central New Hampshire HAZMAT team," Gilbert said, describing mutual-aid dispatch, a 12-site simulcast radio system and run cards that predefine resource requests during incidents.
Gilbert said the compact has secured grant funding that benefits member towns and listed recent equipment distributions, including class B foam pails and response trailers and a bariatric patient-lifting setup available to communities. He said the compact is working on a $1,250,000 radio-system upgrade as part of a larger multi-million-dollar need.
Gilbert also provided a finance snapshot: the compact has obtained more than $5.2 million in grants over the past two decades and Henniker’s 2026 compact fee was shown as roughly $52,959 on the compact chart displayed at the meeting. Officials framed the fees as part of a regional approach to provide services many towns could not operate alone.
The presentation emphasized that many Henniker-area fires require mutual aid for manpower and specialized resources and that regional coordination helps move resources where they are most needed during busy fire periods.
