The Town of Brattleboro is pleased to announce the appointment of Jay Symonds to the role of Fire Chief of the Brattleboro Fire Department. Symonds brings an extensive record of experience in fire and emergency medical services, disaster response, and leadership. Symonds will begin his new role on April 7, 2025.
“Chief Symonds has a track record that matches the excellence of the team at the Brattleboro Fire Department,” said Brattleboro Town Manager John Potter. “He’s joining our community with decades of experience as a paramedic, firefighter, educator, and member of the National Guard.”
Symonds previously served with the Manlius Fire Department in upstate New York as a lieutenant and public safety coordinator, overseeing staff EMS education and recertification. Throughout his career, he has held various leadership roles, including five years as Assistant Fire Chief of the Sherburne Fire Department, also in upstate New York.
“My dynamic background includes working with government agencies, mediating challenges, and ensuring effective communication between multiple groups and organizations,” Symonds said. “Those are some of the skills I’ll be bringing to Brattleboro as Fire Chief.”
His career in the fire service, which began in the mid-nineties, runs parallel with his service as an engineer in the New York Army National Guard. Following his deployment to Afghanistan in 2010-11, Symonds was awarded a Bronze Star for excellence in leadership while in a combat zone. He has firsthand experience in disaster relief, including responding to major flooding events that have occurred throughout the past 20 years in New York State. Symonds has since advanced to the rank of Command Sergeant Major.
“I have substantial training in leadership, and interact with diverse government agencies and people,” said Symonds of his work with the Army National Guard. “I’ve developed my leadership capabilities across numerous difficulties with strategic needs, whether it was through deploying to Afghanistan or providing emergency management for disasters like Hurricane Sandy and Tropical Storm Irene.”
Assistant Chief Charles Keir said that with flooding fresh on the minds of Vermonters, Symonds’ experiences in emergency management will provide staff with real-world examples as part of their ongoing training.
Chase Ibey, Union President of Brattleboro Professional Firefighters Association L4439 said the union “looks forward to working with Chief Symonds and continuing the growth of the Brattleboro Fire Department in providing the best service possible for our community.”
Having previously worked for a municipal EMS provider organization, Symonds emphasized that communication will be vital to his role at the Brattleboro Fire Department as it matures into one of the leading all-hazards response teams in southern Vermont.
“I’m a problem solver, I seek to be a line of communication between the public and the fire department,” Symonds said. “As firefighters and EMS providers, we are providing a service of paramount importance to the public. If a public concern arises, I will work with them to find a solution.”
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230 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Date: March 20, 2025
230 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Brattleboro Appoints Jay Symonds as Fire Chief
Date: March 20, 2025
Brattleboro.gov
(802) 251-8151
