By Abigail Ham
The Keene Sentinel
CHESHIRE COUNTY, N.H. 鈥� Interim Chief Mark Kreamer is now officially the chief of Cheshire EMS, county officials announced Monday.
Founded in 2022, Cheshire EMS is a county-run ambulance service based in Swanzey with contracts with 19 towns.
Kreamer succeeds former Chief Charles McMurrer, who resigned in November.
He said it鈥檚 meaningful to him as a local resident to be appointed to lead Cheshire EMS. 鈥淚鈥檓 extremely excited to be in charge of the ambulance that could theoretically respond to my home,鈥� he said.
Kreamer, 44, of Westmoreland, was appointed interim chief in November after a year as a shift medic with the service. He started his EMS career in Massachusetts, then spent several years as a lieutenant with Peterborough Fire and Rescue before joining Cheshire EMS.
As chief, Kreamer said his priorities include increasing opportunities for training, both internally as well as courses like first aid and CPR for the community, and improving relationships with other first responder departments in the area.
鈥淲e have a great opportunity to be a centralized resource for a lot of the surrounding departments,鈥� Kreamer said.
County leadership praised Kreamer鈥檚 service to Cheshire EMS in a news release Monday announcing his appointment. He will be the agency鈥檚 third chief in three years. The first chief, Michael Spain, stepped down in October 2023 to move closer to family, according to the county.
鈥淐hief Kreamer has been a tremendous asset to our EMS system,鈥� County Administrator Chris Coates said in the release. 鈥淗is leadership, professionalism, and passion for emergency medical services have been evident from day one.鈥�
Cheshire County Commission Chair Terry Clark said Kreamer鈥檚 鈥渁bility to lead with integrity and dedication鈥� made him 鈥渢he ideal choice to guide Cheshire County EMS into the future.鈥�
For towns that contract with Cheshire EMS, including Westmoreland, the cost is expected to rise in coming years as the service鈥檚 subsidization by American Rescue Plan Act funds runs out. Part of Kreamer鈥檚 role will be to manage relationships with towns as those costs go up.
鈥淲e want to be fiscally responsible enough where it鈥檚 not too much of a burden on the taxpayers. At the same time, it is a service that has to exist and to deliver that level of care ... there is a cost to that,鈥� he said.
Kreamer said he has already met with some local fire departments and attended town meetings in an effort to clearly communicate with partners.
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