New Hampshire fire chief who died 1954 set to be honoured

CONCORD, N.H. – A New Hampshire fire chief who died in the line of duty in 1954 is going to be added this September to the state’s Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Concord.

Chester Brickett had been chief of the Winnisquam Fire Department, which serves Belmont, Sanbornton and Tilton.

The 51-year-old had responded to a fire in Laconia on Jan. 14, 1954. On his return, documents say Brickett was “stricken behind the wheel” and died on his way to the hospital.

The cause of death was ruled a heart attack, but it wasn’t until this year it was ruled a “line of duty death.”

A Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid co-ordinator researched documents, including an old leather-bound book of meeting minutes from the Winnisquam Fire Department, saying Brickett died in the line of duty.