Chapter 227-L provides for the appointment of forest fire wardens and special deputy wardens and details their responsibilities under the direction of the Division. The chapter details state fire surveillance and suppression responsibilities as well as state fire control payments on lands of federal, municipal, and unorganized places.

Local fire departments statewide have fire suppression responsibility under RSA 227-L:11. The exception is in the unincorporated towns where the State assumes responsibility. When a fire grows beyond local capabilities, the Division assists local fire departments. With local approval, the Division is prepared to call in extra suppression equipment, such as helicopters, and has the ability to work through in-state, regional, national, and even international mutual aid systems to bring sufficient resources to fight wildfires. In most cases, fire suppression costs are shared 50/50 between the State and the town.

The Division's Town Tools resale program supplies fire fighting tools and protective gear to local fire departments at federal bulk rates. The Division participates in the USDA Forest Service, State & Private Forestry Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) program where federal property is loaned to the State Forester for fire suppression purposes and passed through to local fire departments. The Division currently has FEPP. loan agreements with 110 volunteer fire departments for more than $1.9 million of federal forest fire suppression equipment.

A network of fire towers provides statewide fire detection supplemented by contract surveillance aircraft when fire danger increases, and by mobile patrols in unincorporated towns in northern New Hampshire. The Division broadcasts the daily fire danger twice a day for the benefit of the public, local fire departments, and fire wardens involved with issuing fire permits.

The Division's Forest Rangers provide the nucleus of the forest fire training cadre for the local forest fire wardens and fire departments. Training of structural firefighters, in wildland fire fighting, is done through the instruction they receive as a mandatory part of their fire suppression training at the New Hampshire Fire Academy. Training of out-of-state wildland fire crews is done annually to maintain a core group of about 150 qualified fighters for this duty. The Division staffs and maintains support functions for a mobilization center at the Manchester airport that funnels specially trained fire fighters from all New England states and New York throughout the country where help is needed.