Haddam Fire Member Helps Maine Fire Department

It is often said that when a young member goes through the ranks of the Haddam Junior Volunteer Fire Company then goes away to school or the Military, they take a lot of what they learned and may help someone from time to time. Rarely does a member begin a formal degree program in Fire Science, and have the chance to be a full-member of a fire department while attending school.

As was recently reported in the Maine Journal Tribune by Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells, Eric Jackson is one of 60 students in the Fire Science program at Southern Maine Community College who are “live-ins” at approximately 16 towns in York and Cumberland Counties in Maine. The students live at the fire houses rent free, in exchange for being on-call evenings from midnight to 8:00am and every other weekend. They do respond to calls in addition to those hours when they are available, and they perform routine maintenance and check out truck and ambulance equipment to make sure everything is ready for calls. 

“Their duties change and vary as their training progresses,” said Captain Pete Turgeon who heads the Waterboro, Maine Fire Department live-in program. In Waterboro, the town’s ambulance is handled within the Fire Department. 

Jackson, receiving his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification while still in CT, has been covering many ambulance calls in and around the Waterboro area. He is now qualified to drive and operate vehicles as large as an engine, and is proud to say he is following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps – both of which are Life Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co.

“Living at the fire house isn’t for everyone,” Turgeon said.  “It can be a challenge.” 

Students must keep up on their school work and their duties at the fire house in a professional manner. There are rules they must follow – all must be in by 10:00pm, and no alcohol can be on fire house property. 

“It takes maturity,” said Turgeon. “We’ve had some that couldn’t quite grasp it.  You have to maintain a certain level of expectation. Some make it, some don’t.” 

The live-in offers students a huge advantage over their counterparts in the form of hands-on training. Fire Departments looking to hire are familiar with live-in programs and know the students who have been through it can hit the ground running.

For the departments hosting the students, it is a manpower boost. While the student’s duties depend on what training they’ve had, they’re a help, especially for small departments who rely heavily on a volunteer force. 

The program at Southern Maine Community College is in its 23rd year. Jackson is part of the 8th year of the program at the Waterboro FD. 

“As for the live-in program, I like helping the community and I like helping people” Jackson said. 

During a recent visit to the Waterboro FD, Haddam 2nd Assistant Chief Bob Norton was jokingly told that Waterboro officers wanted to send Jackson back to CT – a move that Norton politely said “no, you wanted him, you can keep him.”

A special thanks to Tammy Wells, Kristen Muszynski and Jeff Lagasse of the Journal Tribune for contributing to this story.

More information on the activities of the and ways you can get involved can be found on our website.

Submitted by: Bob Norton, Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. Public Relations Liaison