Maine’s fire and EMS services are in increasingly dire straits, researchers find
Maine’s Volunteer Fire Service Faces a Crisis as Calls Surge and Crews Age
By Maine News Now Staff
Howland – A Hybrid Hub
A longtime firefighter who also doubles as a mechanic, Derek Dawes stood earlier this month in front of an aging ambulance that has been retrofitted with tools to service the district’s trucks. The scene unfolded at the Central Maine Highlands Fire & EMS District 1 station in Howland on October 15. The vehicle, once used for patient transport, now serves as a mobile workshop for the department that hopes to keep its fleet running despite tight budgets.
Burlington – The Collapse of a Community Department
Six years ago, Burlington’s fire department became unsustainable. Its volunteer base evaporated when the town’s younger residents moved away and an entire multi‑generational firefighting family relocated. What remained was a department led by John Smith, then in his mid‑60s, and a single other volunteer. “I was really afraid for myself and for him, and the fact that people thought they were getting something that they weren’t,” Smith later recalled. “We were not a good service at that point.”
The collapse forced Smith, who now serves as a selectman, to help stitch together a new regional entity. In 2024, he and neighboring towns formed the Central Maine Highlands fire district—the state’s first of its kind. The district now employs paid firefighters and paramedics, a model that Smith says has dramatically improved response quality. As a taxpayer, Smith pays $268 each year for fire and EMS services, and he says the paid staff “make such a difference” even if they are a few minutes farther away.
Statewide Study Documents a Growing Peril
On Friday, the Maine State Fire Marshal’s office and the University of Maine released the results of a two‑year investigation that paints a stark picture. According to Shawn Esler, the state fire marshal, the findings “finally document the freight train that we’ve seen coming for the last 20 years.” The research, which surveyed 219 fire departments, code enforcement officers, and municipal administrators—and included interviews with 25 fire chiefs—revealed that 94 percent of departments still rely heavily on volunteers. However, the pool of volunteers is shrinking, and a large share of those who remain are approaching or past the age where they can safely perform physically demanding tasks.
The data also shows a troubling staffing shortfall. Forty‑seven percent of responding departments reported being too understaffed to handle at least one emergency call in the past three years. In many cases, the only qualified responders are few and far between. “You just go up the road 15 miles, and there’s a town that may not respond because nobody’s in town that day,” said Augusta Fire Chief David Groder, echoing a sentiment that resonates across the state.
Emergency call volumes have risen sharply. The study found a 78 percent increase in fire and EMS incidents between 2014 and 2024. Departments are also being called to handle gaps in health‑care access, turning traditional fire agencies into “the backbone of the community,” according to University of Maine research associate Alexander Rezk. “Without reform, if things continue as they are, we’ll be coming to a point of dysfunction,” he warned.
Training Gaps and New Hazards Amplify Risk
Training deficiencies compound the staffing problem. In several counties—Oxford, Franklin, Hancock, and Waldo—only about half of the firefighters are certified to attack structure fires. The situation is barely better in Washington, Knox, and Sagadahoc. In remote areas such as the Down East coast and the western border, training sites can be hours away, leaving departments with personnel who can respond but lack the expertise to fight a blaze effectively.
Modern hazards further stretch limited resources. Factories, solar farms, battery‑storage facilities, natural‑gas pipelines, and data centers demand specialized knowledge that many departments have never received. The tragic explosion of a sealed silo at a Searsmont lumber mill in May exemplifies the danger. Investigators later determined that water applied to the initial fire likely contributed to the blast, killing three people, including two firefighters.
“Fires are growing exponentially faster than they did in the past, and burning hotter, and they’re way more toxic than they were in the past,” said Kennebunkport Fire Chief Todd Zsiga. The lack of funding for new training programs leaves firefighters unprepared for these evolving threats.
Demographic Shifts and Economic Pressures
The aging of the volunteer force is unmistakable. Survey data shows at least three out of ten firefighters are over 50, and many are no longer able to perform interior firefighting duties. In Southwest Harbor, Jennifer LaHaye began her firefighting career more than 20 years ago at age 18. Even with dedicated leadership, she said, “There’ll be times when we have an alarm and one person is going in the middle of the night.” The National Fire Protection Association recommends at least 15 responders for a residential fire, a standard that is increasingly unmet.
Economic factors are also driving people away from volunteer roles. Rising housing costs have forced many Coast Guard families, once a reliable source of volunteers in Southwest Harbor, to relocate to Bangor—over an hour’s drive away. “People are having to work more hours and more jobs to afford to live in many places in Maine,” Rezk noted, which erodes the time available for unpaid service.
To retain personnel, some departments have turned to modest compensation. Southwest Harbor created two career positions and now pays volunteers a per‑diem for each shift, a move LaHaye described as a necessary adjustment. “It’s kind of crazy to think that we expected that they do that and not get compensated for so many years.”
Regionalization as a Potential Remedy
The experience of Central Maine Highlands shows that paid, regional models can deliver better service, but the transition is not without resistance. “Ten years ago, regionalization was a swear word,” Esler observed, though attitudes are shifting. Some towns cling to local identity and control, yet Esler believes change is inevitable.
York County’s new regional training center, opened this year, is one example of collaborative investment. Chief Roger Hooper, who leads the academy, said that having dedicated staff to handle routine calls frees up volunteers and makes recruitment easier. “You’re not wasting their time,” he explained.
Smaller communities are experimenting with paid positions as well. In Rome, Fire Chief Gary Foss partnered with neighboring Belgrade to fund a daytime shift. Without that position, many calls would go unanswered, he said, though he remains concerned that one paid employee may not be enough.
Researchers and fire officials agree that regionalization, while initially costly, can lead to economies of scale—centralized equipment purchases, shared administrative overhead, and more efficient fundraising. They also urge employers to work with fire departments to allow staff time for training and response.
Looking Ahead
A comprehensive report from the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal is slated for release next year, and the current findings have already sparked unease. “This isn’t going away,” Rezk emphasized. The challenge, he said, is whether Maine’s communities, legislators, and taxpayers are prepared to address the looming shortfall before the system reaches a breaking point.
For now, the state faces a clear choice: invest in modernizing fire and EMS services—through regional structures, better training, and fair compensation—or risk a future where many 911 calls go unanswered. The freight train is already on the tracks; the question is whether Maine will apply the brakes in time.
