The town of Harpswell owes a debt of gratitude to the first responders of its three volunteer fire and rescue departments. It also needs more first responders, whether they be paid employees or volunteers from the community.
The volume of necessary (and often lifesaving) service these volunteers provide is sometimes overwhelming. A case in point was the period of June 24-26, when calls came in back to back and overlapped.
When calls stack up quickly, volunteer departments don’t have the luxury of sending fresh crews to each crisis. There is a finite roster of firefighters, medical personnel and drivers. Within that roster, there is a much smaller number of active volunteers who actually and repeatedly show up. Thus, the same individuals often go from one call to the next, even if it takes them through the night and into the next day. All three departments pull together.
On the dates in question, Harpswell Neck’s ambulance was out of service when a medical call came in. The Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department covered. While in progress to Mid Coast Hospital, a call came for a structure fire on Great Island. Cundy’s Harbor responded to that call.
As firefighters arrived on scene, OBIFD received a medical emergency call. That had to be covered by Cundy’s Harbor because OBIFD was still on its earlier medical call. When OBIFD had finished its trip to the hospital, it was diverted to the fire scene to support firefighters.
Throughout that night, calls came in about every two hours. On the morning of June 26, Rescue 3 from OBIFD was dispatched on its fifth call since 6 p.m. the evening before. That means that often the same volunteers are up all night on multiple calls. These responders are heroes, and we need more of them.
Jan Skillings-Goff, Secretary, Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department Board of Directors
