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Brattleboro fire chief deploys for 13 months

First responders and town officials gathered at Centra Fire Station in Brattleboro to say goodbye to Fire Chief Jay Symonds before he leaves for approdimately 13 months of military service with the New York Army National Guard on Friday, Oc…

By Brattleboro ReformerPublished Oct 5, 2026, 5:36 PMUpdated Oct 6, 20264 min read

Brattleboro Fire Chief Symonds in a red polo shirt speaking in front of a backdrop with fire department logos.

" data-large-file="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/jay-symonds-brattleboro-fire-chief-1200x780.webp" /> First responders and town officials gathered at Centra Fire Station in Brattleboro to say goodbye to Fire Chief Jay Symonds before he leaves for approdimately 13 months of military service with the New York Army National Guard on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Photo by Kristopher Radder/Brattleboro Reformer

This story by Kristopher Radder was first published in the Brattleboro Reformer Oct. 4, 2026.

BRATTLEBORO — The meeting room at Central Fire Station was filled with firefighters, first responders and town officials Friday morning as Brattleboro Fire Chief Jay Symonds prepared to leave for 13 months of military service.

Symonds, who has served as Brattleboro’s fire chief and emergency management director, was scheduled to depart in early October for an approximately 13-month deployment with the New York Army National Guard.

Assistant Fire Chief Charles Keir addressed Symonds during the gathering, thanking him for his service to both the community and the country.

“Stay sharp. Look after your troops, and know that we are proud of you today, tomorrow and every day that you’re away,” Keir said. “May you go with courage and serve with honor and return safely.”

“Thank you for your service, Chief,” Keir said. “Thank you for your service to the community and to our country.”

Symonds said the support he has received from people around town has made an impression on him and his family.

“Walking down the street, people saying, ‘Hey, good luck on your deployment,’” Symonds said. “It’s really impactful to me and to my family, and we all really appreciate it.”

While he will be away, Symonds said, the Brattleboro Fire Department and the people he serves will remain on his mind.

“Know that while I’m deployed, you will all be in my thoughts as well,” he said. “I appreciate your thoughts and support, but I will be thinking of you every day.”

Symonds said he will miss being part of the department and the daily interactions that come with his job. He also joked that he would be keeping an eye on things from afar.

“I will be hovering a little bit,” Symonds said. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

The transition to interim leadership has been in the works for months.

Symonds said he, Town Manager John Potter and Peter Lynch began planning the handoff several months ago, working to document projects, responsibilities and other information that had largely been kept in Symonds’ head.

“There’s a lot of things that are in my head that are written down on paper, and trying to get all those things down on paper and sharing those with Pete so that there’s that continuity between the two of us,” Symonds said. “It’s like I never left.”

Lynch, a longtime member of the Brattleboro Fire Department and former assistant fire chief, will serve as interim fire chief and emergency management director during Symonds’ absence.

Symonds said the transition has been stressful, in part because he is simultaneously preparing for his military service, handling responsibilities at home, and making sure the department is prepared for his absence.

“I want to keep an awareness of what’s happening while I’m gone, so that when I come back, it’s like I never left,” he said.

Symonds said he also plans to remain involved in some town business when his military duties allow.

That includes participating in the development of the town’s fiscal year 2028 and fiscal year 2029 budgets. He has also offered to help with projects that require research if he has the time to do so while deployed.

He serves with the New York Army National Guard and is a command sergeant major with the 204th Engineer Battalion. This marks his 29th year of military service.

Symonds originally served as a heavy equipment operator, working with bulldozers and excavators, before his military career evolved into project management.

The deployment means leaving behind a job and community that Symonds said he cares deeply about.

“I’ll miss the people,” he said. “I’ll miss all the fire department personnel that I work with. I look forward to seeing them every single day.”

He said he will also miss interacting with other town department heads, residents, other fire departments and fire chiefs.

“I have a passion for fire service and emergency services,” Symonds said. “Being able to get out there and take care of people and be a part of the solution is something I really enjoy.”

“Going a year without that is, you know, I’m going to miss those things,” he said.

Despite the time away, Symonds said he is already looking forward to returning to Brattleboro.

“I truly look forward to getting back here and getting back into the position and back to the work that we started,” he told those gathered at Central Station.

After thanking the first responders and town officials who came to see him off, Symonds kept his final message simple.

“I look forward to coming back,” he said.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Brattleboro fire chief deploys for 13 months.

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Brattleboro fire chief deploys for 13 months

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