Out of retirement and into the fire (station) By Sara Parker Monadnock Ledger Staff 5/6/04 

PETERBOROUGH — The town has a new fire chief. Selectmen announced Tuesday night that Joseph P. Lenox III, a retired fire chief from Concord, Mass., has been hired to fill the vacancy left by Bill Naugle.

Selectman Chair Liz Thomas said Lenox was the best of the more than 30 candidates who applied for the job, which has been vacant since last fall.

“The town of Concord, like Peterborough, is also a progressive, full-service community,” said Thomas. “He [Lenox] has demonstrated knowledge to manage an efficient and effective department operation.”

With more than 32 years of experience, Lenox began his career working part-time at the Concord Fire Department in the late 60s. In 1979 he was appointed to a full-time position. In 1991, he was promoted to lieutenant and then as deputy chief in 1996. Two years later he was promoted to chief, where he remained until retiring on Jan. 1, 2003.

During his career in Massachusetts he was a member of the Special Operations Task Force for the State Fire Marshals office and the state’s Emergency Management Team. He also served on the Concord Board of Selectman and as chair of the Concord Local Emergency Planning Committee.

 From the beginning, Lenox said, firefighting was in his blood. A fourth generation firefighter, both his grandfather and great-grandfather served on the Medford, Mass., Fire Department. His father is a retired fire lieutenant and worked in the Fire and Rescue Crash Department for the U.S.

Navy during World War II and the Korean War.

Lenox, whose in-laws Bill and Joan Summers live in Peterborough, agrees that Peterborough is a lot like Concord. He and his wife, Carol, are hoping to move to their new home on Old Street Road soon.

The couple has four children, two of whom will be entering the ConVal School District.

“It’s a unique community. We were going to retire up here after our youngest graduated from high school,” Lenox said.

Lenox, who applied for the position in February, said he was encouraged to apply after talking with former Fire Chief Stephen Black.

As the fire chief, Lenox will be in charge of overseeing all operations at the Fire Department, the budget and fire prevention.

“It’s a very skilled department and a very energized department,” said Lenox of the Peterborough Fire and Rescue. “I think it’s going to be a great career move.”

Lenox will be begin working part-time on May 17 and then start full-time on June 1.