It all started in the September 2009. The Waldo County Firefighter Training Committee was formed. The committee members consisted of Brooks Chief Jeff Archer, Montville Chief John York, Morrill Deputy Chief David Wight, Searsmont Chief James Ames, Searsport Chief Jim Dittmier, Liberty Chief William Gillespie, Thorndike Chief Peter Quimby, and Dale Rowley, Waldo County EMA.

The training committee, with the assistance Walter Morris and Phil Meunier of Maine Fire Training and Education, developed and implemented firefighter-training classes for Waldo County firefighters. The Waldo County Firefighter Training Committee’s mission is to provide certified local training, professional development and teamwork. In the past, the majority of trainings were at weekend attack schools held in Winslow, Bethel and Gorham twice a year.

The logistics of attack schools for volunteers developed into a concern with cost, personnel coverage and time away from family. Providing local training would allow for flexibility of year-round training that could be scheduled to meet the needs of local fire departments and students.

A major benefit of allowing volunteers to train locally is the ability to spend more time with family without having to travel across the state to attend classes. The cost of providing local training would also produce savings. Funds raised are invested in Waldo County training programs and training facility improvements. This will enable us to provide more training opportunities at a saving to fire departments and taxpayers.

Four classes where chosen based on requests from fire chiefs, firefighters and recommendations from MFT&E. The classes chosen were Strategy and Tactics for Initial Company Operations, Preparation for Initial Company Operations, Scene Support and Basic Fire Attack School. The classes were held at the Waldo County Technical Center and at the Waldo County Firefighter Association training building.

On June 5, the Basic Fire Attack School ended the first Waldo County Fire Academy with live-burn fire training. One hundred twenty firefighters from all over Waldo County have completed 3,860 hours of hands-on and classroom training since January. If firefighters were paid for training at $12 an hour, it would have a value of $46,320.

The success of Waldo County Fire Academy could not have happened without support from local businesses, community, Waldo County fire departments, firefighters’ families, and MFT&E. Over $10,000 worth of supplies, material and labor were donated to support the Waldo County Fire Academy.

The Waldo County Firefighters Association and the Waldo County Firefighter Training Committee thank the following businesses and community members for their support of the Waldo County Fire Academy: Viking Lumber, EBS of Rockland and Belfast, Buxton Service, Robbins Lumber, Sprowl Building Components, Doak’s Machine Shop, Thompson Oil, Belfast Variety, Morrill General Store, Webber Energy, State Sand and Gravel, Lucas Construction, Ames Farm Equipment Repair, Maine Fire Training and Education, Phil Meunier, Walter Morris, Mike Drinkwater, Tom Johnson, Waldo County Fire Departments and Ambulance services, EMA-Dale Rowley and Olga Rumney, Chris Downing, Director Waldo County Tech Center, Drew Fales, Mark Hannibal, and students from Waldo County Tech Center, Pegi Quimby, George Stone, Clyde Rolerson, Brian Simmons, Bub and Juanita Raven, Kyle Gibbs and family, Gene Newton, David Oliver, Unity House of Pizza, Town of Morrill, Morrill Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Village Soup, and David Oliver.