2008 Island Firefighters' Forum

On Friday, April 18, the Island Institute held its fifth annual Island Firefighter's Forum, convening professional and volunteer island firefighters and representatives from Maine Fire Training and Education (MFTE), the Maine Forest Service Fire Protection Division and Lifeflight Maine to discuss firefighting challenges on the islands.  

This event has become a valued opportunity for participants to gather and discuss common concerns, share strategies and become educated on new developments concerning training services.  After islanders at the 2003 forum related the financial, travel and other requirements that made it difficult to obtaining the off-island training necessary for Firefighter 1 certification, MFTE began rewriting their curriculum and initiated a Basic Fire School program consisting of 75 hours of training that can be completed on-island.  Within the past year, island fire departments have successfully worked with MFTE to develop training programs specific to islanders' needs.  The organization is also working on developing online course offerings.  

Nearly 30 participants, representing 12 of the 15 year-round islands as well as the city of Portland (which directly provides services to Peaks Island and Cliff Island in Casco Bay), gathered this year to discuss the impacts of the 2007 Patriot's Day Storm - which included a FEMA-funded timber-cleanup effort on Long Island and a weeklong, 24-hour Rescue effort on Chebeague Island - and the training programs recently undertaken by fire departments on Islesford (the village on Little Cranberry Island), Isle au Haut and Islesboro and MFTE and their availability to other island departments. 

The forum resulted in many participants making plans for training exercises, fuel-removal projects, and other activities over the next year to ensure that the connections established at the forum continue.