Director Pope has a solid background in public safety administration and emergency management, with strong emphasis on homeland security and defense. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Safety Administration, summa cum laude, from Granite State College, and a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from the US Naval Postgraduate School.

Prior to assuming his present post, Director Pope served as Chief of the City of Concord, NH Fire Department, where he was responsible for 117 employees and a regional dispatch center that handled 20,000 emergency calls per year. He developed the Emergency Management Master Plan for Concord, the State’s capital city.

Chief Pope came through the ranks in the Concord Fire Department, having served as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Lieutenant, Acting Captain, Battalion Chief, and Division Commander. He has attended numerous programs at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD, and has received specialized training and education in incident command, chemical agent response, executive planning, command and control of major fire operations, interpersonal dynamics, management of emergency medical services, emergency response to hazardous materials, urban fire operations, accident investigation, team-based continuous improvement, and many other subjects.