Maine Fire Chiefs,

Please take the time to respond to this important survey if you haven’t already done so.

The Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal has been working with the University of Maine, Maine Fire Chiefs and Maine Fire Protection Commission along with other Maine fire service personnel to develop a survey to be sent to fire departments throughout Maine. The purpose of the survey is to better understand the challenges Maine’s fire departments are facing in personnel recruitment, retention, training, operational sustainability, and response capacity in a shifting fire suppression and hazard response context.  A link to that survey is below. 

While long, it is the first of its kind, and with your participation we will be able to:

• Visualize and describe your data! Departments that participate will see visualizations of both individual and regional data trends related to risk, response, mutual aid, and more…
• Describe the statewide fire workforce, where it needs support, and what kinds of resources could be targeted to best meet those needs.
• Highlight current and future operational challenges facing the fire service beyond staffing.
• Help policymakers understand the critical role of the fire service in mitigating disasters.
• Receive feedback directly from you on how sustainable operations can best be supported.

On behalf of the organizations mentioned above and the entire Maine fire service, let me thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this very important survey. For questions or concerns related to this request, please contact the Office of State Fire Marshal via Richard Taylor ([email protected]). For questions or concerns related to how this survey is relevant to the day to day operations of Maine Fire Departments feel free to reach out to Deputy Chief Johnston from Skowhegan ([email protected]). For technical assistance with the survey link or for any data entry related queries reach out to the University of Maine ([email protected]).

You are invited to participate in this survey by Dr. Marcella Sorg, a faculty researcher, and Alexander Rezk, a Research Associate and Doctoral Candidate at the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine, in partnership with the State of Maine’s Office of State Fire Marshal, Maine Fire Chiefs, and Maine Fire Protection Commission. With your help, we hope to assist local, state, and federal stakeholders and policymakers in defining need and crafting solutions to these key challenges. A full copy of the informed consent is included as a pdf attachment to this email.

Be Safe,

Shawn Esler, State Fire Marshal

Office of State Fire Marshal

45 Commerce Drive, Suite 1

Augusta, Maine 04330

Office 207-626-3870

Arson hotline: 1-888-870-6162