For close to four decades, Fire Chief Ed Walker has been on call. Whether mid-conversation or awoken randomly any night of the week, Walker was up and out of the house responding to a dangerous incident.
For Walker, retiring from the Peterborough Fire Department is bittersweet. He looks forward to retired life, but during his last days at the station, his fear of missing out grew.
“I won’t worry about being woken up at two o’clock in the morning or having my phone ring because something’s gone wrong or somebody has a question, and that’s a huge life change,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed doing this for 40-plus years.”
In the end, Walker has no fear about his department surviving without him and can’t wait for some peace and quiet.
“I really don’t know what I’m going to do, but I know what I’m not going to do. I’m not going to have a pager. I’m not going to have a second cell phone,” he said.
Deputy Chief Brian Wall talks about Fire Chief Ed Walker’s contributions during his retirement party. Credit: JOSH DALE / Courtesy 
Attendees of Fire Chief Ed Walker’s retirement party sign in. Credit: KIERA MCLAUGHLIN / Ledger-Transcript 
Cake celebrating the retirement of beloved Fire Chief Ed Walker. Credit: KIERA MCLAUGHLIN / Ledger-Transcript
Four decades of fighting fire
Before meeting Johnny Hampson at the University of Maine in Orono, Walker only knew a little bit about firefighters from his time in the Boy Scouts.
This all changed one night, when Hampson invited him to an open meeting at the fire department on campus. Looking for something to do in addition to his school work, Walker found this was the perfect fit.
“By the end of September of 1982, I was a firefighter,” he said.
After graduation, he joined the fire department in his hometown of Weston, Massachusetts, where he worked his way up to fire chief in 2002.
After 23 years with the fire department, he became the director of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy.
In 2014, he rejoined the fire service in Peterborough, a town he visited often with his old friend, Hampson, back in college. Hampson grew up in Peterborough and still works at the fire department.
“It’s been a great 12 years,” Walker said.
Throughout his time as chief in Peterborough, Walker has been awarded New Hampshire Emergency Manager of the Year in 2016, served on the Monadnock Family Services board of directors for fiscal 2025 and participated in Leadership New Hampshire Class of 2025.
On top of that, he was a great boss, according to Brian Wall, deputy chief.
“I’m going to miss him. It was lots of fun to work with him,” he said.
Wall has worked closely with Walker during his 12 years with the department and feels sad to see him go.
“It’s going to be a major hole in this department. He responded to everything day and night,” he said.
Lasting impacts
The new fire station has been an ongoing project for more than two decades, starting before Walker’s time here, and he plans to see it finished.
Even though Walker’s last day was Friday, he will continue to work on the fire station project on a part-time basis. He hopes to create less work for the new fire chief and allow some continuity with the project.
“I don’t think it would be fair for a new fire chief,” he said.
Proud to get this lofty undertaking done, when reflecting on his time in Peterborough, Walker focuses on the day-to-day service provided.
Whether an emergency requires a fire engine, tanker, fire truck or ambulance, Peterborough can respond as needed and Walker is proud of that.
“We’ve been incredibly fortunate because through the support of our administration, our select board and our voters, we have been able to build an ambulance service over the last decade and a half that is able to meet the demands of the people we serve, as well as provide some backup and support for the towns around us,” he said.
While it definitely hasn’t always been easy, Walker said he feels confident with the direction the department and town is going in.
“What sets us apart is our ability to focus on the things that are important to our patients and our residents, not fighting for survival,” he said.
What now?
After 12 years in the town of Peterborough, Walker has no plans to leave.
“It’s too cool an area and I’ve built a lot of friendships here, so it’s well worth staying,” he said.
His future plans are uncertain, but he wants to stay involved in the community any way he can.
In the past, working with nonprofit or volunteer groups proved difficult given his unpredictable schedule, but he hopes to have more time now.
“I’m hoping to have an opportunity to get involved a little more in some of what’s going on in the community,” he said.
He’s also thought about going back to being an EMT.
“I love the ambulance side. I love the patient care,” Walker said.
In the end, Walker will miss the job and his coworkers but feels excited to leave on top.
“I’d much rather leave when people are asking me, why am I leaving? Instead of why am I still here? And I’m happy with what we’ve done,” he said.
The town has held competitive interviews for the new fire chief position but has not found a replacement, according to Seth MacLean, assistant town administrator.