June 17, 2016
Public safety in Harpswell has improved with the addition of three new fully-trained firefighters.
Meriel Longley of Cundy's Harbor, Dan Reynolds of Great Island and Phil Taylor of Bailey Island have successfully passed the Pro Board Certified Firefighter I & II program, taught by Tri-County Fire Attack School, qualifying them to enter burning buildings to fight fires and perform other dangerous public safety duties.
"I'm
excited to announce the graduation of Harpswell's three newest
firefighters," said Benjamin A. Wallace Jr., chief of the Cundy's Harbor
and Orr's and Bailey Islands fire departments.
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| Meriel Longley, Dan Reynolds and Phil Taylor |
"In
addition to the training required of all our first responders, Dan, Meriel and
Phil have completed an intensive six-month training program designed to teach
them the skills needed to safely operate at fires and to identify hazardous
materials incidents, culminating in national certification as Firefighter I
& II," Wallace said. "All three are capable, bright folks who
have shown a selfless commitment to public safety and serving their
neighbors."
Wallace said
there has been a critical shortage of such qualified structural firefighters in
recent years and the addition of the three new members significantly improves
fire protection in town.
"Our
volunteer fire companies live and breathe through our community-minded
firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, and other volunteers. These three
have met the call," he said.
Longley, 32,
joined the Cundy's Harbor department six years ago. A life-long Cundy's Harbor
resident, she is also a trained paramedic who works in Freeport in addition to
volunteering locally.
"This is
a way to give back to the community," she said.
Reynolds, 26,
of Great Island, joined the Orr's and Bailey Islands Fire Department last year.
A Freeport native who currently works for Bath Iron Works, he had some prior
firefighting training while serving aboard research ships and decided to
volunteer shortly after moving to town.
"I have
had a variety of family members involved with volunteer fire and EMS, and I had
some previous responder training from my work in the marine industry and
through a Mass Casualty Incident response team I was on in college,"
Reynolds said. "It's something I've thought about on and off over time,
but never quite gotten around to doing, so when I saw signs up around town, it
seemed like something I could do to get a bit more involved in the community as
a new arrival."
Taylor, 63,
also joined OBIFD a year ago. A former military and civilian pilot, who
primarily flew helicopters, Taylor has lived part time on Bailey Island since
1997 and moved to town permanently after retiring a couple of years ago. He and
his wife, Liz, are the parents of two adult sons, Alex and Eric.
"Finding
that the need for volunteers was most crucial in the fire department, I joined
because I saw it as an opportunity to give back and serve the community,"
said Taylor, who is also a member of the OBIFD Board of Directors.
Taylor said
the six months of training, which included both classroom and hands-on
instruction, was mentally and physically challenging, but ultimately a
rewarding experience.
"The
training I received at the Tri-County Fire Academy in Topsham was superb,"
he said. "The best part was being exposed to what I now categorize as the
science of modern firefighting. The lectures and practical training prepared me
to be competent and confident in my abilities to participate at a fire scene or
other emergency that I may confront with my fellow department members.
"I found
that there were many parallels between my experience as a corporate pilot and
the elements of maintenance, training, and task standardization," Taylor
said. "The training that I was exposed to allowed me to learn the most
about firefighting in the shortest period of time so that I could quickly
become of use in a time of need."
Reynolds also
said he found the training challenging and demanding, especially the time
commitment. But he urged others in the community who may be thinking of
volunteering not to be put off by that requirement.
"Not
everyone who volunteers has to attend firefighting training," Reynolds
said. "There are many opportunities to participate at whatever level or
experience that you can bring to the table. Everyone is appreciated for
whatever time and effort that they can contribute."
Wallace, the
long-time Cundy's Harbor chief who took on the same role at OBIFD this year,
said staffing at those two departments and Harpswell Neck Fire and Rescue
remains critically low and new volunteers are still urgently needed.
Volunteers
can serve in a variety of capacities. The biggest commitment and most extensive
training is needed to become a trained Emergency Medical Technician or a
structural firefighter. But there are many less-demanding roles which no not require
as much training, such as exterior firefighters, ambulance and fire truck
drivers, pump operators and ground support personnel, in addition to people to
help keep the trucks and other equipment operational, clean the stations, stock
supplies, keep up with paper work and volunteer for a variety of public events.
"I think
it’s important for people to understand that there's a lot more to being an
emergency responder than being an EMT or structural fire fighter," added
Reynolds. "There are so many tasks that need to be accomplished for any
kind of an incident, and I really think there’s a task for everyone. The time
commitment is completely what you make it out to be, but everyone is helpful,
so I'd encourage everyone and anyone to come how they might be able to get
involved."
The Cundy's
Harbor Volunteer Fire Department serves all of Great Island from the Brunswick
line to Stevens Corner Road on Route 24. OBIFD serves Orr's, Bailey and part of
Great Island south of Stevens Corner road and east of the Ewing Narrows bridge
on Mountain Road. Harpswell Neck Fire and Rescue serves all areas off of Route
123, including Mountain Road west of the Ewing Narrows bridge.
More
information about the three departments, including how to join as a volunteer,
is available at www.harpswellfireandrescue.org, or by leaving a message for
Wallace at 207-844-8105.