Today we’re sharing stories submitted by New Hampshire current and retired public employees.
Active Fire Fighter – Mark Curtin
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in and went to college in the Boston area. After graduating from Northeastern, I went to New Hampshire to work as a first responder in a state I enjoyed visiting each summer. I started working as part time police officer for two years during the warmer months. I would work as a youth worker and barista during the school years to make enough money to live here year round. I then began working as a volunteer firefighter in two small towns in New Hampshire. When I needed my own health insurance I worked as a victim witness advocate Monday through Friday and then nights and weekends as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. This led me to eventually end up as a career firefighter in Salem, New Hampshire.
What do/did you like most about your job? *
Helping those in emergent need.
How does/did your job affect the community? Would you say what you do/did helps people? *
Working as a firefighter and EMT has allowed me to help people stay alive when they would have died if nobody came to their aid.
Retired Firefighter – Paul DiGeronimo
Tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you’d like to share! *
I was a firefighter/paramedic for the City of Concord for just shy of 30 years. I took the job knowing the risks and the low pay because I wanted to serve the community and the security of having decent retirement benefits for my wife and myself.
What do/did you like most about your job? *
I loved my job and the fact that I was able to help people in their time of need. I also enjoyed my coworkers, who were my second family and the comradery of the fire service. Lastly I enjoyed that every shift was different and brought a new challenge.
How does/did your job affect the community? Would you say what you do/did helps people? *
As I stated before, I feel I was able to help the people of the community who were either sick or injured or just tried to be a friendly face for the families or school children who visited the fire station or who saw us in public.
What does your pension mean to you? *
My pension means everything to me. It validates my commitment to the community and that I was valued by the city and the state. It is the difference between me having to work full time and me working part time to fill in the gaps financially. My body has been worn down by my career. I want the citizens of Concord to know I gave them everything I had physically and mentally. To me the pension is their way of saying thank you for your service.
Will you be able to retire securely or if you have retired, how financially secure do you feel in retirement? *
I feel relatively secure. I appreciate having the pension and the fact that working part time helps fill in the gap financially.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about your dedication as a public employee and the importance of retirement security for you and your family?
As I stated earlier, I gave the citizens of Concord and the citizens of the State of New Hampshire everything I had throughout my career. My pension is their way of saying thank you for your service and keeping their promise to show their appreciation.
Retired State Employee – Constance Cascini
Tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you’d like to share! *
Retired public health nurse
If currently working, where? If retired, from where and how long did you work there? *
Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) for 17 years. Retired since 2011.
What do/did you like most about your job? *
I enjoyed educating healthcare providers, school nurses and parents about the importance of immunizations. Later, I worked with Special Medical Services and then the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Working with underserved populations was an honor and a privilege.
How does/did your job affect the community? Would you say what you do/did helps people? *
I felt all my positions at DHHS were critical to the mission of public health in the state of New Hampshire. Each position fulfilled a need of utmost importance to those receiving our assistance. From administering flu vaccines to snow plow drivers, providing support to parents of multiple handicapped children to assisting women newly diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, these positions touched many average citizens of our state.
What does your pension mean to you? *
My pension and adjoined health insurance coverage for both me and my spouse are critical to both of our retirement incomes. We appreciate the insurance coverage more than anything. It has contributed in a major way to our peace of mind and security.
Do you plan to stay in New Hampshire when you retire or if you are retired do you currently still reside in NH?
My spouse and I plan to continue to reside in New Hampshire during retirement.
Retired Teacher – Linda Garland
Tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you’d like to share! *
I happily worked as secretary to many principals at Concord High School (CHS) in Concord, New Hampshire for 35 years. I also served as resident of our union and as a senior class advisor. I loved my job as well as all the thousands of students whose lives touched mine during my tenure.
What do/did you like most about your job? *
The interaction with students and staff.
How does/did your job affect the community? Would you say what you do/did helps people? *
I believe my presence and interaction had a positive impact. I was always available to talk with students during their day.
What does your pension mean to you? *
My pension allows me to take care of my husband and his medical bills without having to give up our home.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about your dedication as a public employee and the importance of retirement security for you and your family?
Retirement security is the biggest part of my staying at CHS for 35 years.
Active Firefighter – Robert Diehm
Tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you’d like to share! *
I am a husband, father, and a firefighter/paramedic. I have always gravitated toward helping people. From Boy Scouts, to Ski Patrol, to the Fire Service, helping others has always been my goal.
If currently working, where? If retired, from where and how long did you work there? *
I work for the Hanover, New Hampshire Fire Department.
What do/did you like most about your job? *
The opportunity to help those in need has always been a core principle of mine.
How does/did your job affect the community? Would you say what you do/did helps people? *
Being a firefighter/paramedic is one of the most rewarding ways to help people. They call us in their worst moment, and we provide the services they need to the best of our abilities.
What does your pension mean to you? *
I am a college graduate with a business management degree, but the nine to five was never appealing to me. Though I could be making more money in the private sector, the New Hampshire retirement pension program is one of the things that makes this profession actually work for me and my family. If there were changes made to the New Hampshire retirement system that reduced benefits for contributing members, I believe it would be significantly more difficult to attract quality personnel to provide public services. The services police, fire, and EMS personnel provide statewide are often under-appreciated and under-valued. We don’t get paid enough as it is (municipal employees in general) and the deferred compensation benefit of the New Hampshire State Retirement System is one of the few things, aside from true altruism and selfless devotion to helping others, that makes a career in public service considerable.
Will you be able to retire securely or if you have retired, how financially secure do you feel in retirement? *
I have a college education and a mother who prepared me well for a life of working, saving money, and living within my means. If the New Hampshire retirement system were to change, I would no longer feel that the personal danger my profession exposes me to is worth the risk, especially with the reality of this pandemic and the public sentiment that undervalues and under-appreciates public service employees.
Do you plan to stay in New Hampshire when you retire or if you are retired do you currently still reside in NH?
I absolutely love New Hampshire. I grew up in Connecticut and moved up here for college and have no plans of ever leaving, unless of course, the things that make this profession viable were to change, such as continued legislative pressure/changes to the state retirement system.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about your dedication as a public employee and the importance of retirement security for you and your family?
People don’t like to talk about money, and saving money for retirement is a disciplined practice. The reality of the retirement system is that it takes that mental load off of the employee. Someone who, by generalization, may not have sound financial education, shouldn’t have to worry about investment choices. The New Hampshire Retirement System provides an invaluable service to people who risk their lives to put out fires, help people in medical need, provide your vaccine administration, plow and repair your streets, service and maintain your drinking water and sewer systems, keep the peace, run your towns and local governments, etc, etc. Why would we want to devalue that service? Retirement savings is already something we as Americans are terrible at. It cannot be expected that people would do a better job on their own.
