GOFFSTOWN - Monday's meeting of the Board of Selectmen marked the swearing in of an unprecedented number of new firefighters.

“This is a very exciting time for the Goffstown Fire Department. I don’t think the Fire Department has ever done something like this,” O’Brien said. “We have the opportunity to change the culture of our Fire Department in one hiring.”

The department gained five full-time and seven call firefighters. An eighth call member could not make the ceremony. The new call firefighters boost the size of that force to almost 60 people, and the full-time hires nearly double the number of regular-duty firefighters.

A new chaplain for the department was also sworn in. Three of the five full-timers filled vacancies. The other two are for new positions that are partially funded through a federal Homeland Security grant.

O’Brien said hiring people was one of the most important things he could do for the town as a fire chief.

“It’s so important for us to make sure that we have the right person doing the job,” he said. “We feel that we really hit a home run with this group.”