Gregory Seymour, Keene’s Deputy Fire Chief, will serve as the City’s next Fire Chief, effective September 1, 2026.
Seymour has more than two decades of fire and emergency medical services experience and has served the City of Keene since 2014. He joined the Keene Fire Department as a Firefighter/Paramedic and advanced through positions of increasing responsibility, including Lieutenant/Training Officer, Lieutenant/Operations, Captain/Shift Commander, Acting Deputy Fire Chief, and Deputy Fire Chief of Operations.
“Greg has demonstrated a deep commitment to the Keene Fire Department, its members, and the community they serve,” Ferland said. “His operational experience, proven leadership, and extensive knowledge of the department’s opportunities and challenges position him well to lead the organization forward. We have discussed several priorities for his first year, including strengthening communication within the department and with the City’s management team. A key goal of the department’s recent strategic planning process is greater consistency in standards and expectations across shifts. Greg has already played an important role in developing and updating those standards. As Chief, he will continue that work in partnership with the Deputy Chief and the department’s officers, with an emphasis on clear expectations, collaborative leadership, and supporting captains and other officers in carrying out their responsibilities. I am confident that he will provide steady, thoughtful leadership while maintaining the high standard of service our community expects.”
The appointment follows a competitive selection process that included interviews with a panel comprising Councilor Powers, Councilor Chadbourne, Fire Chief Collette (Williston VT), Keene Police Chief Steve Stewart, Human Resources Director Darcy Newport, and Deputy City Managers Rebecca Landry and Andy Bohannon.
As Deputy Fire Chief of Operations, Seymour has provided executive leadership and oversight of the department’s daily emergency response, staffing, personnel development, operational readiness, and policy implementation. He has also supported strategic planning, budget and grant development, staffing analysis, and long-term apparatus and equipment planning. Since 2025, Seymour has played a key role in the addition of eight firefighters to the department, increasing staffing by two firefighters per shift. His work has emphasized incident management, firefighter safety, organizational consistency, and coordination with municipal departments, labor representatives, and regional public safety partners.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been selected to serve as Keene’s next Fire Chief,” Seymour said. “It is a privilege to lead a department whose members I trust, admire, and deeply respect. Their professionalism, dedication, and commitment have shaped my career and remain the driving force behind the department. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside them in this new role, build upon our proud tradition of service, and work together to move the department forward. In partnership with our City leadership, labor representatives, and community partners, I look forward to strengthening organizational trust, developing future leaders, and ensuring that we continue to provide exceptional fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to the Keene community.”
Seymour’s regional emergency services experience includes serving as a Critical Care Paramedic with Cheshire Medical Center, a paramedic with Rescue Inc., and a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Brattleboro Fire Department. He holds an associate degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University, a Critical Care Paramedic Certificate from Creighton University, and a Paramedic Certificate from Greenfield Community College. He is also a New Hampshire Level III Firefighter, Hazardous Materials Technician, and nationally registered and New Hampshire-licensed paramedic.
