To meet MRI study recommendations, a study that called for additional police and fire positions in Bedford, the Bedford Police and Fire departments added many new positions in 2007.

“These studies,” former Town Manager Keith Hickey said in 2006 about the study, “recommended an increase in staffing for both departments amounting to 25 new positions (12 fire and 13 police) over the next four years.”

February
Police Chief David Bailey was released from his acting town manager position, having filled in until Russ Marcoux could take over the job. From November 2006 to February, Bailey had been holding down the positions in town. When Marcoux was welcomed to town, Bailey gave a sigh of relief.

March
Police Chief David Bailey welcomed two new officers, Corey Egan, 23, and Lance Paquette, 26. Egan is graduate of Saint Anselm College and Manchester Memorial High School, and had worked at FedEx for the past four years. Paquette had worked in the detention center in Manchester for four years and served in the Army Reserves in Londonderry for seven years.

In 2003, his unit was deployed to Kuwait. He an an alumnus of Merrimack Valley Regional High School.

April
The Bedford Fire Department outfitted each of its ambulances with new equipment after a nearly $4,000 donation from GMAC-Carlson real estate company.

Two bone drills and continuous positive airway pressure devices were bought with the funds.

July
Bedford hired three new firefighters on July 1 through funding from a $310,000 Homeland Security Grant, known as Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER.

Firefighter/Paramedic Dave Sherwood, 36, came to Bedford from the Merrimack, Mass., Fire Department.

Corey Fecteau, 33, is a firefighter/ EMT-intermediate, and a hazardous material technician. Jason Shelton, 30, firefighter/ EMT-intermediate, had worked in Goffstown and New Boston.

August
Six new officers were brought on board to the Bedford Police Department. Officers Aimee Lapointe, Scott Norris and Michael Cherwin were sworn in Aug. 6, and Jared Westholm, Patrick Gilligan and Stefan Swiadas took their oath July 30.

Westholm, 23, of Merrimack, continues a family tradition of law enforcement. His father, Detective Lt. Larry Westholm, had been with the Merrimack Police Department for 30 years.

Gilligan, 26, of Nashua, came to Bedford from the Hillsborough Country Sheriff’s office.

Swiadas, 22, of Goffstown, had transferred from one town department to another, having been employed with the Bedford Public Works.

Lapointe, 27, of Bedford had been employed with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office as a court officer, and Rockingham Regional Ambulance Service.

Cherin, 26, of Manchester, has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Franklin Pierce College.

Norris, 26, of Tamworth, brings two years of law enforcement, having served with the Madison Police Department.

September
In a Sept. 10 swearing-in ceremony, Bedford police Lt. Dan Douidi was promoted to captain, Patrol Sgt. Robert Gagliardi was promoted to administrative lieutenant, and officer Devon Kimball to sergeant.

December
The Bedford Police Department added new officer Alejandro Jaime, 33, of Hooksett.

In a brief ceremony, Jaime was sworn in by Town Clerk Wanda Jenkins on Dec. 10. “I’ve been training to become a police officer for almost two years and I’m excited to be here,” he said.