Londonderry Fire Chief Bo Butler gives his emotional resignation to the Town Council on Oct. 7. Courtesy photo

LONDONDERRY – Rather than eliminate two firefighter positions, Fire Chief Bo Butler fell on the sword for his department as he submitted his two-week resignation to the Town Council on Oct. 7.

“It’s not that I can’t give the order to drop services — I won’t give the order,” said Butler, his voice filled with emotion. “I’m providing you my resignation tonight as chief of the Londonderry Fire Department.”

The announcement came just 13 months after Town Manager Michael Malaguti promoted him to the department’s top rank.

Butler said that during Town Meeting in March, 70 percent of residents voted to approve Article 15, which called for the appropriation of $495,000 to hire four firefighters. This ensured that 13 firefighters would be on duty at all times.

Since then, the department’s overtime line item has soared $200,000 over budget.

“Given circumstances that are outside of my control, I’m flying through those monies appropriated by the taxpayers,” said Butler.

Yet, he maintained that his firefighters always come before monetary value.

“Firefighters will always come first,” he said.

Following his announcement, Butler asked the firefighters in attendance to try to remain calm.

“I know the natural reaction right now is anger,” he said. “The community will rise to the occasion, but it takes this sacrifice to get there.”

After Butler left the meeting, Battalion Chief Bruce Hallowell recalled responding to a five-alarm building fire that broke out in Derry on July 27, 2022.

While on the fourth floor, Hallowell became disoriented and began calling for help over the radio.

“I ultimately ran out of air in suffocating smoke,” he said. “I was 30 seconds from cardiac arrest, we were 30 seconds away from a line of duty death.”

However, Butler heard Hallowell”s desperate mayday transmissions and ran into the inferno.

“He found me and led me out of the building,” said Hallowell. “The man that just left here, he saved my life.”

Had Hallowell died in the fire, he would have left behind a wife and four children under the age of 10.

“That’s the job we’re talking about,” he said. “That’s the reality of not staffing, even at 13, we’re still well below where we should be.”

On Sept. 27, 2023, Butler was awarded the Class 2 Medal of Valor, one of the highest accolades that a firefighter can receive.

Christopher Schofield, president of the firefighters union, said Londonderry officials have “chosen not to follow the wishes of the community.”

“Instead, they have unfairly placed blame on Chief Bo Butler for circumstances outside of his control,” he said. “The Town Manager has now mandated that Chief Butler reduce staff from 13 to 11 members per shift, despite the clear directive from the voters. They have also threatened him with disciplinary action if he does not comply.”

Schofield also said that last year, Malaguti and Finance Director Justin Campo implemented a town-wide budget freeze, which caused the department’s Central Engine Company to close.

“Despite these cuts, the town ended the fiscal year with a budget surplus of nearly $600,000, which will likely be deposited into the undesignated fund balance,” said Schofield. “This surplus was achieved at the expense of the community’s safety and the well-being of all town employees.”

In a letter to the town, Malaguti maintained that Butler was never threatened. He also dispelled the notion that Butler was pressured to reduce the number of firefighters from 13 to 11 per shift.

“This assertion is entirely made up,” he said. “We informed the chief that his overtime budget is trending $200,000 over budget just one quarter into the fiscal year and we answered the chief’s questions about possible strategies to address this trend.”

Malaguti said he and Town Council Chairman Chad Franz learned of Butler’s intent to resign 10 hours before the council meeting.

“While the details of that conversation are private, we asked the chief to reconsider and for more time,” said Malaguti. “When he indicated his mind was made up, I asked the chief to remain a full-time member of LFD in some capacity.”

He also maintained that he has provided Butler with the “highest level of guidance, direction, coaching and support.”

“It is noteworthy the chief did not say otherwise,” said Malaguti.

Malaguti said he was successful in increasing the department’s budget by more than $1 million since becoming town manager three years ago. Within that figure, $126,497 was for overtime.

He also said 22 firefighters have been hired since February 2022.

“It took six years and two months to hire the 22 firefighters before that,” said Malaguti. “We have more than doubled the pace of hiring since I took office. While LFD has been plagued by unfilled positions for years, the Town Council and I have supported filling each vacancy and we have retained these new employees.”