PARIS — The Paris Fire Department has established the September schedule for per diem firefighters, along with a list of duties to be carried out each week.

Town Manager Philip Tarr presented the information to the Board of Selectmen on Monday night. Chief Brad Frost has assigned 13 people to weekday shifts, with 10 people coming from within the department.

“We tried to make it available to our own people, and fortunately we had a number of people who have the types of jobs where they get a day off during the week or something like that and are able to fill in,” Tarr said.

The three people from outside the department are Mark Blaquiere of the Oxford Fire Department; Mark Tripp of the Rumford Fire Department; and Dana LaPlante, assistant chief of the Harrison Fire Department.

At a special town meeting July 26, voters approved the appropriation of $90,995 to fund the staffing of the fire station for one year with three firefighters during the day on weekdays. The firefighters will work between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. for 246 days of the year at $11 per hour. Most of the firefighters chosen will fill one or two shifts each week.

Fifty thousand dollars of the expenditure will be taken from a reserve account related to the former fire station on Pine Street, with the remainder coming from taxation. Assessor Gerry Samson said taxes will not increase because the funds will be taken from a little-used overlay fund. The fund is set aside for abatements and other expenses related to assessments, and whatever is not used is transferred to the town’s general fund.

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The decision to hire per diem firefighters resulted from fears over inadequate daytime coverage during weekdays due to volunteers making lengthy commutes to work outside the area. Frost has said station coverage is not an issue during nights and weekends.

Frost said many of the volunteers work with rescue services or as full-time firefighters in Auburn and have two or three days off each week.

“They’re giving up either one or two of their jobs and coming here to work at a lesser rate,” Frost said of the firefighters who will work per diem shifts, “and that’s certainly commitment to the community, and I really appreciate these guys doing that.”

Hiring from within the department also saves on equipment costs. Frost said it costs about $2,000 to buy a set of gear for a firefighter, and the department would have had to spend much more money if it hadn’t been able to hire mostly from available personnel.

When they are not responding to emergencies, per diem firefighters will keep the station clean and do chores such as lawn maintenance and trash and snow removal. Other tasks differ from day to day and include checking the fire engines, breathing equipment, and extrication tools for any issues.

Tarr also praised Frost for his fundraising and grant work. In a report Frost submitted to the town, he said he has collected $595,499 toward equipment upgrades over the last five years through such agencies as the Paris Firemen’s Relief Association, Maine Emergency Management Agency, and Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation. The town has had to match $42,701 in the same period.

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“He’s an outstanding chief, and he works hard,” Tarr said.

Resident Robert Jewell said the use of per diem firefighters will likely create more management responsibilities for Frost. He said he did not expect Frost had put in extra money for himself as compensation, but suggested it might be appropriate to do so.

“Brad needs to be fair to himself, that’s all I’m saying,” Jewell said.

Tarr also said at Monday’s meeting that Buckfield has invited Frost and a member of the Board of Selectmen to take an area-wide look at what is needed in fire protection. Tarr said the Buckfield Fire Department is having similar concerns about daytime coverage.

mlangeveld@sunjournal.com


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