Familiar face in command: Justin Pizon takes the reins as Exeter’s fire chief

EXETER — The Exeter Fire Department has a new chief at the helm, but he needs no introduction.

At a ceremony held during Monday's Select Board meeting with members of his family and the fire and police departments on hand, Fire Chief Justin Pizon was publicly sworn in as the department’s newest leader. He replaces Eric Wilking following his retirement on April 19.

Pizon, who began his career in Exeter as a call firefighter in 2001 and spent the last 8 ½ years as assistant chief, said he looks forward to serving the Exeter community in his new role in the corner office.

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to lead the Exeter Fire Department into the future and build on the successes of those who came before me and worked tirelessly to create an exemplary agency that’s second to none here in New Hampshire,” he said after the ceremony.

A long-time resident of Exeter, Pizon grew up in Hampton and was accustomed to hearing scanner chatter in the background as his grandfather always listened to the scanner.

“As a grandkid who lived about a quarter of a mile down the road, I was at my grandparents’ house a lot. I had an interest in the fire service and the police department because that was always what we heard, the Hampton police and fire departments,” said Pizon.

Pizon lived in downtown Hampton and could always hear the horn blaring whenever crews were rushing off to a fire.

After graduating from Plymouth State College (now Plymouth State University) in 1997 with a psychology degree, Pizon moved to Stratham. While he always found the fire service intriguing, he didn’t seriously consider becoming a firefighter until a chance encounter with former Stratham Fire Chief Bob Law after he had to evacuate from a former Blockbuster video store during a fire call in 1999.

At one point during the incident, Pizon introduced himself to Law and explained how he had an interest in the fire service. Law encouraged him to attend an upcoming business meeting to learn more about becoming a volunteer firefighter/EMT.

“I decided to attend, and all of the members of the Stratham Fire Department were there," Pizon recalled. "I was accepted that night as a new member. There was an EMT class starting right away, and they were really short for EMTs. They said, ‘Do you want to go to EMT school?’ I was like, ‘Well, I’m not a huge fan of blood, but I’ll try it out. Why not?’ Then I went to EMT school and fell in love with it."

Pizon was working at a biotech job in Massachusetts when he became a volunteer firefighter/EMT in Stratham, where he served for a couple of years before joining the Exeter Fire Department as a call firefighter in 2001 and then being hired full-time in 2003.

“I spent an enormous amount of time here, riding on shifts. I’d come here on a Friday night after work and ride with them from like 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.,” he said.

In 2009, Pizon decided to attend paramedic school after getting over his fear of blood and working for several years as an intermediate EMT. Around the same time, he was promoted to crew chief and later to assistant chief in 2015.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Pizon was assigned a lead role in managing the department’s response, including organizing mass vaccination clinics that served the entire region.

After Wilking became chief in 2020 and some reorganization within the department, Pizon became the second-in-command. As Wilking began eyeing retirement, it became clear to Pizon that he could be next in line.

“I learned a tremendous amount from him," Pizon said. "I worked very closely with Chief Wilking and, over the past year, he brought me to almost all of the department head meetings. This was a great opportunity for me to meet a lot of people that I didn’t have a lot of face time with in the past.”

Pizon is taking on the key leadership role at a critical time as Exeter plans to begin work on a new police station with a fire substation on Continental Drive after voters approved the new building in March. He said he’s looking forward to being part of the planning for the new facility, which will improve response times to medical and fire emergencies.

Among other things, Pizon said he hopes to continue expanding the department’s community-based CPR program, which has allowed Exeter to become a training center for the region.

He’s also preparing to oversee the May arrival of the department’s new pumper to replace Engine 5, which is 22 years old.

“This is a very exciting time for Exeter, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunities ahead,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Justin Pizon takes the reins as Exeter’s fire chief