Town Holds First Basic Fire School

What started as a casual conversation between Chief Ben Wallace and Assistant Chief Aaron Despres from Cundy’s Harbor, led to the launch of Harpswell’s first Basic Fire School this summer.  Despres was concerned that there were volunteers who could be engaged at a higher level of expertise and to a greater benefit for the community, but who did not have the time needed to complete Firefighter I training at a Fire Academy.  What followed was a meeting between the operational leadership of Cundy’s Harbor Fire Department and Orr’s Bailey Islands Fire Department (Wallace is Chief of both departments), and a training coordinator from the Maine Fire Service Institute.  After the meeting, municipal firefighter Meriel Longley took on the role of pulling together the logistics of the program.

Interim Fire Administrator Frank True and municipal firefighters Meriel Longley and Parker Bradbury are the instructors.  Sometimes the Basic Fire School Training is merged with other training of the volunteers.  Through this course, which has been offered at no charge, students will gain at the very least a knowledge of how to assist at the scene outside of a structure on fire.  If they complete the full course, they may also become eligible to become interior firefighters.  Basic skills include hose and equipment use and maintenance.  They also become adept at using ladders and the other basic tools of the firefighting trade.  Vehicle and pump operations are a separate skill set that is taught through other programs, such as Emergency Vehicle Driver Training and Basic Pump Operator Training. 

At the time of this writing, Basic Fire School is still in session.  “However, if the inaugural edition of the Fire School is deemed a success, Wallace said, we will explore offering it again in the future.”