MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester Fire Department is mourning the loss of former Fire Chief Andre Parent, who died April 7 at the age of 62, following what colleagues described as a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Parent dedicated 36 years to the fire service, including more than three decades serving the city of Manchester. He retired as chief of department on Sept. 1, 2022, closing out a career marked by steady leadership, deep relationships, and a commitment to both his firefighters and the community.
“Chief Parent was a genuinely nice guy,” said retired Fire Chief and Ward 2 Alderman Dan Goonan, who succeeded Parent in 2022. “I was proud to work closely with him and call him a friend. He was someone I trusted and could always count on — he was steady, reliable, and just a good person. He loved his family and the friendships he built over the years. He’ll be missed.”
Former Mayor Joyce Craig also reacted to the news Tuesday, on behalf of herself and her family.
“Mike and I extend our deepest condolences to the Parent family and the men and women of the Manchester Fire Department. I was honored to nominate Andy for the position of Fire Chief, recognizing his leadership skills, integrity and unwavering commitment to serving others. Andy led by example and commanded MFD with distinction. Chief Parent’s service, bravery, and commitment to protecting others embodies the best of our first responders. Andy’s impact on our community will never be forgotten,” Craig said, in a statement.
According to Fire Chief Ryan Cashin, Parent made the decision to retire in part to spend more time with his family, including his wife, Joan, and their grandchildren, months before his wife, Joan, died of cancer in March 2023.
Parent himself was diagnosed with cancer roughly 14 months ago, Cashin said.
That timing reflects a growing and troubling reality in the fire service.
“He didn’t know he had cancer until after he retired,” Cashin said. “But under New Hampshire’s presumptive cancer law, this will be ruled a line-of-duty death. Even when the diagnosis comes after someone leaves the job, it’s still linked to the exposures they experienced while serving.”
Parent’s death is, unfortunately, far from an isolated case. Cashin noted that roughly two-thirds of firefighter deaths in 2024 were attributed to occupational cancer — a statistic that continues to alarm fire service leaders.
“It’s almost an epidemic,” he said.
The risks are often invisible but unavoidable.
“Every single fire can be considered a hazardous materials incident,” Cashin said. “When synthetic materials burn, they release carcinogens at levels that are considered dangerous with every exposure.”
Modern construction and furnishings — filled with plastics and manmade fibers — burn hotter, faster, and more toxically than in previous generations. At the same time, even protective equipment has come under scrutiny, with concerns about PFAS chemicals, known carcinogens that can become more dangerous when exposed to heat.
“There are parts of the job that simply cannot be mitigated,” Cashin said.
In response, fire departments across New Hampshire — including Manchester — have increasingly prioritized cancer screening and early detection.
“Early detection is everything,” Cashin said. “The sooner we find it, the better the chances of successful treatment.”
Manchester has already implemented expanded screening efforts, and in at least one case, those screenings identified cancer early enough for a firefighter to receive treatment and become cancer-free.
Now, a statewide initiative is underway to expand those efforts, announced yesterday by Gov. Kelly Ayotte, the first of its kind in the country to bring in all three screening methods, blood tests, ultrasound and lung CT scans.
The new program aims to provide baseline and annual cancer screenings for firefighters across New Hampshire, with strong early demand.
“Our goal is to get every firefighter in the state screened and establish that baseline,” Cashin said. “This needs to become standard practice.”
Cashin said he visited Parent Saturday as he was receiving hospice care at home — where he had expressed a wish to be surrounded by family.
As the department prepares to honor Parent’s life and service, Cashin emphasized that his legacy extends beyond his years as chief.
His priority is ensuring the safety of his brothers and sisters in fire service.
“As chief, my number one job is firefighter safety,” he said. “That includes their equipment, their training, and their physical and mental health. Andre understood that. He lived that.”
Parent’s death, he added, serves as both a loss and a call to action.
“We owe it to him — and to every firefighter — to do better when it comes to protecting them from the risks they face every day.”
The Manchester Fire Department said it is working with the Parent family to finalize arrangements for a wake on April 13 at Lambert Funeral Home and services on April 14 at St. Joseph Cathedral.
For more information: Firefighter Cancer Support Network