• Tim Allen of Auburn was promoted to B Platoon chief in February. He joined the city in 1987, was promoted to lieutenant in 1996 and captain in 2001. He’s an Edward Little High School graduate and has attended the University of Maine and the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

• Victor Mathieu of Greene was promoted to A Platoon chief in January. He was hired by the city in 1986, promoted to lieutenant in 2001 and to captain in 2004. He’s a Lewiston High School graduate and has studied fire science at Southern Maine Technical College. From 1982 through 1986, he served as crash rescue firefighter for the U.S. Air Force.

• Scott Hunter of Oxford was promoted to D Platoon chief in October. He joined the city in 1994 and is a 1982 Edward Little High School graduate.

Captains

• Donald Flanagan of Monmouth was promoted to captain in February. He was hired by the city in 1995 and promoted to lieutenant in 2005. He’s a 1992 Wiscasset High School graduate and studied biology and education at Colby College and fire science and para-medicine at Southern Maine Technical College. He’s enrolled in the University of Maine-Augusta’s public administration program. He is a state licensed EMT/paramedic and is assigned to C platoon, company E3.

• Geoff Low of Dixfield was promoted to captain in February. He was hired by the city in 2002. He’s a 1989 Oxford Hills High School graduate and is enrolled in Columbia Southern University working toward a bachelor’s degree in fire science. He’s a state licensed EMT/paramedic and is assigned to A platoon company E3.

• Dean Milligan of Peru was promoted to captain in February. He was hired by the city in 1992 and promoted to lieutenant in 2000. He’s a 1985 Monmouth Academy graduate and is working on a public administration degree at the University of Maine. He’s a state licensed EMT/paramedic. He’s assigned to D platoon company E3.

• Dave Richard Monmouth was promoted to captain in February. He was hired by the city in 1993 and promoted to lieutenant in 2002. He’s a 1987 Lisbon High School graduate and has a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from the Wentworth Institute of Technology. He also has an associate degree in fire science from Southern Maine Technical College and is working toward a bachelor’s degree in that field from Columbia Southern University. He’s worked as a state fire instructor since 1997 and is certified as an EMT-intermediate. He’s assigned to B platoon company E3.

Lieutenants

• Chip Keene of Poland was promoted to lieutenant. Keene was hired by the city in 1995. He is assigned to D platoon, company Tower 1.

• Michael Scott of Auburn was promoted to lieutenant. Scott was hired by the city in 1996. He is assigned to B platoon, company Tower 1.

• Scott Pray was promoted to lieutenant. He was hired by the city in 1997. He is assigned to B platoon, company Engine 2.

• Donald Therrien of Sabattus was promoted to lieutenant. He was hired by the city in 1989. He is assigned to B platoon, company Rescue 1.

• Christian Andreasen of Freeport was promoted to lieutenant. Andreasen was hired by the city in 1996. He is assigned to A platoon, company Rescue 1.

• Douglas Ball of Readfield was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Ball was hired in 1994. He is assigned to D platoon, company Rescue 1.

• John Roy of Auburn was promoted to lieutenant as of June 2007. He was hired by the city in 1995 and is assigned to A platoon company Tower 1.

New firefighters

• Matthew Brochu of Livermore Falls graduated from Livermore Falls High School in 2005. After high school he enrolled at Southern Maine Community College graduating in 2007 with an associate degree in fire science. Currently, he is studying emergency medical training. Brochu is Assigned to D platoon, company Engine 3.

• Christopher Washburn of Keene, N.H., graduated from Keene High School in 2005. After high school he enrolled at SMCC graduating in 2007 with an associate degree in fire science. He is currently studying emergency medical training. Washburn is Assigned to D platoon, company Rescue.

• Dan Aceto of Lisbon graduated from Lisbon High School in 2003. He is Firefighter II certified and licensed as an emergency medical technician. Aceto is assigned to B platoon, company Tower 1.

• Julian Beale of Farmingdale graduated from Cony High School in 1997. He is a licensed EMT-intermediate and Firefighter II and is studying to be a paramedic. He is assigned to C platoon, company Engine 3.

• David O’Connell of Wales graduated from Duxbury High School in Duxbury, Mass., in 1987. He has served in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a licensed EMT-B and Firefighter II. O’Connell is assigned to A platoon company Engine 5.

• Eric Poland of West Paris is a licensed EMT-B and Firefighter II. He is assigned to A platoon company Rescue 1.

• Tom Printup of Poland graduated from Poland High School in 2003 and has an 2006 associate degree in fire science from Southern Maine Technical College. He is a licensed EMT-B and a Firefighter I. Printup is assigned to B platoon, company Tower 1.

Veteran retirements open door to new opportunities

AUBURN – A series of high level retirements at the Auburn Fire Department in the last few months has left plenty of room for advancement.

Assistant Chief Mike Minkowsky said five 25-plus year veterans retired this winter. They include two platoon chiefs with almost 40 years of experience each.

“We’ve been blessed for so long to have people with so much institutional knowledge,” he said. “But they’ve really built the department, and they’ve done a good job training the people that are replacing them.”

Retirees include Assistant Chief Ray Lussier, who stepped down last month, platoon Chiefs Ray Levesque and Paul Blanchard, Capt. Greg Bloom and Lt. Donald Grondin.

Platoon Chief Bruce Goddard, a 36-year veteran, retired a year ago.

Minkowsky said most chose to take advantage of a February deadline through the state’s public employee retirement system that guarantees them a cost of living increase for the next year.

The retirements led to a round of promotions through the department as well as new hires. Minkowsky was promoted from platoon chief to assistant department chief beginning Jan. 2.

“The people we’re promoting bring a lot of education and technical experience,” Minkowsky said. “We’ve lost a lot of institutional knowledge, but that’s been replaced by highly motivated individuals with a lot of skills and a lot of knowledge.”

The department promoted three captains to platoon chief, four lieutenants to the rank of captain and seven firefighters to lieutenants. The department also hired seven new firefighters in the past year.