How did the Central Maine Highlands Fire and EMS District #1 come to be?
Beginning in approximately 2016, many small municipal volunteer fire departments in Maine began to shutter their doors. As was with much of the state, the central Maine area was not immune and faced an unprecedented challenge caused by a confluence of economic and societal factors. Inflation was rampant, costs of commodities and essential services were rapidly escalating, and volunteerism was at an all-time low, among many other contributing root causes. As stand-alone municipal entities, these evident threats to the common welfare were frankly not within the immediate ability of any one department to control. The smaller departments did not fail; they simply were faced with an insurmountable combination of factors they could not overcome, alone.
In spring of 2023, the Board of Selectmen of Howland, the primary oversight authority for the Howland Fire Department, and as informed and advised by the department Chief, identified this challenge had befallen the larger region and took action. An initial open public forum was advertised and people from many local communities attended. The picture painted was bleak, yet very transparent and honest. It was evident the organizational and operational models needed to be adjusted, in order to maintain services in the region. An individual in the audience raised their hand, and reminded those attending of a Patrick Henry quote from 1799; “United we stand, divided we fall”. It resonated with all in the room.
Shortly thereafter the Howland Board advertised a second public meeting, whereat a notional steering committee was recommended, agreed to, and before the meeting adjourned, a neutral and independent Committee Chair was nominated and appointed. This led to the initial formative discussions amongst the eight Towns and two Unorganized Territories which would ultimately be proposed, pending Public approval, as willing partners in the first in State history regionalized Fire and EMS service.
Over the course of the next six months the Committee Chair led a series of open meetings, all of which were advertised and included opportunities for Public input, with his charge to the steering committee to focus on two primary objectives. First, to determine the feasibility and legal authorities of a regional service, and second, to draft a baseline “Charter” agreement, for eventual presentation to the Public for approval by vote. In October of 2023, the Committee Chair determined these two objectives had been reached, and announced the required next steps were the sole responsibility of the remaining representative municipal steering committee members to coordinate and shepherd.
Over the next two months, four additional open Public Hearings were advertised and held by the team, whereat the regional citizenry was presented with opportunity to evaluate the merits of the draft proposal, to debate pros and cons, and to offer feedback for the team to consider. At the conclusion of this round of hearings, the team made all final revisions to the draft document and coordinated the necessary municipal voting process, as close to simultaneously, across all eight participating Towns, with the Commissioners of both Penobscot and Hancock counties serving as representative voters on behalf of the Unorganized Territories covered by the proposal. In July of 2024, the People’s votes were tallied, and the Central Maine Highlands Fire and EMS District #1 was approved for organization. Individual participating municipal volunteer Board members were appointed, within the authorities of the Charter agreement, and the Board began its work in reorganizing all aspects of operational and budgetary models of the essential service.
While the Board continues to successfully navigate anticipated hurdles associated with the creation of any new organizational model, and while much more work will be required to adjust to emerging challenges, it should be noted that on July 12, 2026, the team rightfully celebrated its second full year of cohesive operations. Further, while not widely known just yet in the public, the rest of Maine, and in fact higher federal authorities, are looking at this model as a viable option to explore, in order to address similar challenges they are facing in their regions, and across our Nation.
The remaining history of Central Maine Highlands District #1 remains to be written.
History written by Steering Committee Chair Mathew McIntyre