Our employees are multi-skilled. They have become experts in jobs that span a variety of fields and include:

• Leadership, community involvement, business analysis, project management, sustainability

• Governance, legislative support

• Airport management, events and programs

• Elections, records management, licensing and permitting

• Financial management, short- and long-term budgeting, real estate and tax assessment, grant management, purchasing, risk management

• Fire protection, prevention, education, emergency rescue, emergency medical services, emergency management

• Public health, environmental protection

• Architecture, building trades, housing inspections, property rehabilitation

• Human services, youth services, social work, case management

• Communications, information technology, graphic design, photography

• Library services and programming

• Recreation programming, stewardship of natural resources

• Building, grounds, energy conservation

• Parks, cemeteries, forestry and land management

• Community planning, zoning, economic development

• Parking services and traffic safety

• Policing and community protection, crime prevention, public safety, accident investigation, crisis intervention

• Street, sidewalk, bridge, and drainage system design, construction and maintenance

• Fleet management and equipment maintenance

• Solid Waste processing, recycling

• Drinking water treatment and water distribution systems construction and maintenance

• Wastewater treatment and wastewater collection system construction and maintenance

• Specialized law fields, meeting all statutory obligations

• Human resource management, organizational development

Our people are amazing! As one of our employees described:

• We take care of business. We take care of customers, the community, the organization, co‐workers, friends, families, extended families, pets, strangers.

• We save lives and property. We deal with things no one should ever have to know about. We keep confidentiality. We explain, persuade, educate. We build, create, renovate, innovate. We operate plants, tools, machines, intricate equipment. We set standards.

• We have all kinds of backgrounds from all walks of life. We are educated in our fields and are state licensed and nationally certified. We are well rounded, well‐traveled, with a variety of interests and skills not related to work. We volunteer and donate in this community and, if we live elsewhere, in our own.

• We learn from our predecessors, our co‐workers, our mistakes, our experience, by pitching in. We brainstorm and survey how to do it better next time. We network with others to gain insight and information.

• We assess risk versus reward. We attend meetings and have anger directed at us. We make prudent choices with the long‐term future of the City in mind. We help make decisions about millions of dollars.

• We demonstrate our organization’s values. We value everyone, obtain input, inform people, continue to assess things, and establish priorities (even as they shift).

• We trust and are trustworthy. We are professional. We solve problems, knowing that there is nothing more important to our customer at that moment. We don’t publicly complain when something doesn’t go well, but incorporate criticism into better future service.

• We know what’s expected of us or we ask. We want to grow and be challenged. We ask for what we need. We share information so others also can make the right decisions. We resolve concerns before they become issues, realizing that hiding bad news helps no one. We make positive change before people become aware of the need for change.

• We expect high standards of ourselves and demonstrate them. We make things happen. We lead by example. We try to exude positive energy even in stressful times. We work hard and have fun. We have a sense of humor — we have to!

• We range in age from 14 to 80+. We have been hired by the City one, two, sometimes three times. We have between 1 day and 55½ years of experience with the City.

We obviously don’t hold all these characteristics individually, but employees present and past collectively certainly do. We choose the best of the best to join us on our work teams. We understand we're part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just our own contributions. We’re unique, we’re proud to work here, and we don’t rest on our laurels—we get on with the next challenge!

Is a career in law enforcement really that rewarding? The short answer is often, “Yes!” There’s a great deal of personal gratification involved with the job. If you ask a Police Officer why he or she started in this field, the most common reason given will be that it offers “the opportunity to help others and the chance to make a difference.”

Police Officers are problem solvers. While you occasionally will chase people and be called upon to outsmart “bad guys,” in the end, police work is all about problem solving. Officers often work with individuals in conflict to come up with mutually agreeable solutions in an effort to keep them out of the criminal justice system―rather than put them in it. “It’s immensely satisfying to know that my work serves a greater good,” one officer indicated. “The knowledge that what I do will help scores of people in the long run, I hope, is perhaps the greatest intangible reward.”

Police Officers use a high level of diplomacy to work with a variety of different people of diverse backgrounds and to build bonds in the community. They provide safety education, lend a helping hand, show compassion when delivering tragic news, or get dangerous or impaired people off the street on a daily basis. “We have the unique opportunity to show those at their worst a better way. They’re usually a captive audience and, if treated kindly and respectfully, they may improve their choices in the future.”

A Police Officer’s mere presence may save lives about which they’ll never know... Every speeding ticket, fight intervention, or domestic incident response may have been a fatality in the making before it was prevented. Obtaining justice and providing follow-up information helps repair damage done to countless victims so they can move on with their lives.

Police Officers use regular and diversified training to “protect and serve” the community. The work is some of the most varied out there, with many different facets. Officers clear the roads after major accidents, help organize evacuations, and disarm potentially harmful situations―all to ensure maximum safety. On a more personal level, citizens reach out to their Police Departments when a loved one goes missing or they have complaints or concerns. The job is never routine―Officers use a host of skills, sometimes investigating a crime, catching speeders, or working a special detail, serving as K-9 officer or on specialty teams, preparing legal reports, or testifying in court. “For each of the quiet times, there are also swiftly-paced activities. You get in on all the action, because you live it.”

Being on a police force makes a positive impact in the community. A good officer earns the respect and appreciation of the community―time and talent well spent. A desire to help those in need is something most police officers share. Though the idealistic view of the job can vary from the realistic work officers must do, Police Officers work toward those end goals with every shift.

Officers form a unique and steadfast kinship that you won’t find in many other professions. These individuals stand by their brothers and sisters in blue in good times and bad; achievements are celebrated, and tragedies are mourned across the entire network. Police Officers do not do their jobs for the fame or the fortune; they do it for the people, their hometowns, and their country.

“I am proud to serve my community. It’s more than a job―it’s an ongoing, challenging learning experience and a journey in life. It is an honor, a privilege, and an opportunity.”

Note: The Keene Police Department may exercise selective referral sources unique to its needs and make offers based on current standard practice, as identified in Police 063101, Recruitment; 063201A, Selection Process; and 063202A, Applicant Backgrounds. To apply as a Police Officer, visit the Police recruitment page.

Ask a Firefighter/EMT this question, and you’ll get a variety of answers. Predominantly, however, it’s about making a difference in the community. “You do get a sense of accomplishment by helping people on their worst days―maybe saving a house, saving property, possibly helping someone in a tragic accident. Those are things that not everyone gets to do,” one said.

Perhaps the foremost advantage of being a Firefighter/EMT is the opportunity to routinely save the lives of others, a satisfaction that imbues the job with meaning. Firefighter/EMTs constantly are reminded in a concrete way why they do what they do. “I chose to be a Firefighter, because I want to help others and make them feel safe living in their communities,” another responded.

It’s not your average job… You must be physically and mentally prepared. Every day, you have to be ready for anything to happen. You never know what kinds of jobs you are going to do in one day. “There’s hardly a dull moment. I love coming to work.” “It’s a hands-on job where you can work both inside and outside.”

Some qualities of a great Firefighter/EMT can’t be taught. “You have to have someone with a caring heart; you need compassion. You’re going to see things and be involved in things of which you might never have dreamed.” The job involves risks, and you have to be physically agile, a quick thinker in emergencies, and have a propensity to stay calm in stressful conditions. You must be able to deal with your job emotionally, as well as physically.

However, you also have to be well trained. Being a Firefighter/EMT takes constant training, as there are always new techniques that are being brought into the sciences of fighting fires, medical treatment, and other rescue and hazard mitigation techniques.

Firefighter/EMTs also appreciate that they share a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork, developed in the course of relying on each other while performing their jobs well under adverse and tough conditions. This fraternal sense extends both to one’s immediate shift members and to the profession as a whole, with firefighters everywhere sharing a mutual respect for their brothers and sisters in red.

There’s a pride that goes with it. Recognized for their bravery and their contribution to others, Firefighters are considered role models. Everyone thinks you are a hero, even if you don’t believe that yourself. “There is nothing like riding down the street on Big Red and spotting a kid in the car next to you waving his or her little arm off; it’s like being in a parade every day.” They help educate youth in the schools about general fire safety.

Firefighting is a competitive field, because it brings with it a long and honored legacy. “We love our jobs. People depend on us when they’re in dangerous situations, and we help them when they are in dire need.”

Note: The Keene Fire Department may use Fire Standards and Training Authority lists developed annually to determine candidate availability and interview candidates from that list. Individuals wishing to become a Firefighter/EMT, you must pass the New Hampshire Statewide Entrance Examination for Firefighters. Visit the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services, here.

Employees for the City of Keene share a unified vision, in which we strive to ensure outstanding public service. One way to accomplish this is through employee teams to help set the direction in which we want to proceed. Just some of the ways you can get involved are by suggesting improvements to City services, contributing toward a safer work environment, using creative skills to carry out community and employee events, promoting green efforts and sustainable work practices, and helping new employees transition to their jobs so they can fully contribute sooner.

Join an organization where you can move forward and still give back. Be part of something bigger, and bring your ideas. We work with a greater purpose in mind—to provide services and amenities that enhance the quality of life for those who live, learn, and work in, as well as enjoy, the City of Keene.

Be the face of the City of Keene. Search and apply for current career opportunities.