Squad Needs Neighborly Help ; Fire and Rescue Volunteers Are Sought to Answer the Call in Lyman and Dayton.

By DEBORAH SAYER News Assistant —

If you are seeking ways to make a positive difference in 2008, the Goodwins Mills Fire-Rescue Department has some opportunities.

The department needs volunteers to provide fire, rescue and emergency medical assistance to the 5,600 residents it serves in Lyman and Dayton.

“My New Year’s wish is that people would be willing to give of their time to their communities, neighbor helping neighbor,” said the squad’s community relations director Normand Bilodeau. “That’s what it’s all about. Right?”

And Bilodeau would know. He has served on the fire-rescue squad nearly 30 years, working his way through the ranks from rookie to former department chief (2002-06).

“I started out not knowing anything about fire service,” said Bilodeau. “It was really a great learning experience – a challenge, but rewarding.”

A semi-private entity, the station is headquartered in Goodwins Mills, a village abutting the towns it serves. An open house will be held at the station on Saturday.

The squad is headed by two full-time members, who staff the four- bay station from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, plus a 46- member volunteer force that assists with everything from downed tree limbs and accidents to fires and open-water rescues.

While that may seem like a generous number, the issue is the volunteers’ availability, Bilodeau said.

Fifty years ago, most volunteers were self-employed locals who could respond to a call for help at a moment’s notice. Today’s service members are commuting longer distances for jobs and aren’t as readily available.

As the towns’ populations rise, so does the need for assistance. But the number of volunteers needed is declining.

For those who do respond to the call, expectations are high.

“In 1979, we had around 75 calls per year and 80 people on the roster,” said Bilodeau. “In 2006, we had 554 calls for service. The mandates placed on us by state and federal entities for training and time commitment are a lot.”

A volunteer driver must commit to 50 hours of training to learn driving procedures and use of equipment. Firefighter and emergency medical technician courses require more than 200 hours of class time, plus practice.

The department pays for training, nearly half of it up front and the remainder reimbursed once staffers meet a two-year commitment. And volunteers are asked to sign up for a minimum amount of service hours each month, including annual training to stay current in their skills, for which they are paid a stipend.

The department has re-instituted its junior firefighter program for ages 14 to 18.

It is also working with town officials to offer round-the-clock service within the next two years, including living quarters at the station for personnel.

“People don’t think they need us until they need us,” said Bilodeau. “We want to continue to provide the service on a volunteer basis for as long as we can and that takes more people.”

News Assistant Deborah Sayer can be contacted at 282-8228 or at:

dsayer@pressherald.com

[Sidebar]

FIRE-RESCUE OPEN HOUSE

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Goodwins Mills Fire-Rescue Department, Route 35, Lyman

HIGHLIGHTS: Tours, demonstrations and a visit by Smokey the Bear for children.

(c) 2008 Portland Press Herald. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.