Hal Phillips’ recent letter (“Maine should move away from volunteer EMS model” Dec. 22) struck me as interesting given my paternal grandfather coupled his St. Regis Paper first shift responsibilities with those he took on as the Bucksport Fire Chief.

While I agree Maine is uniquely challenged with an aging, geographically sparse population, I also have a hard time giving up on the community driven themes within my childhood. For example, just three days after Phillips’ letter was published, I had my own issue. Doing some chainsaw work around the house, an ash tree snapped and knocked me out. If it weren’t for Will Tierney and those of the Long Island Volunteer Fire and Rescue team, who found me at my property and transported me safely on the town boat to Maine Med, I wouldn’t be here.

Yes, Colin Woodard’s “People on the Front Lines” series on Maine’s EMS is concerning. I harken back to what Eric Wellman said, “They [first responders] evaluate themselves and don’t really want to work in a hospital or behind a desk, they want to be mobile and in an environment that’s changing, same as people who are in the military and fire and police services.”

Though hard for this Morse High School “Shipbuilder” to admit, even Brunswick High School sees the need and wants to fill the void and is training it’s students to fill important jobs as certified nursing assistants and emergency medical technicians.

From Newfield to New Gloucester, Maine might see within itself the community it always was and could be again.

Darren L. Redman

Long Island

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