WOODSTOCK — A new “enhanced mutual aid” agreement between Woodstock and Greenwood firefighters has been a big help to both departments, according fire chiefs in the two towns.

The new agreement puts two firefighters in one of the fire stations for 8 hours every other day. The manned fire station is responsible for covering fires in both towns.

On Tuesday, there were two Greenwood firefighters on duty from 8-4 at the Greenwood Fire Station. On Wednesday, there were two Woodstock firefighters scheduled to work at the Woodstock Fire Station.

Newly-elected Greenwood Fire Chief Al Curtis was filling in Wednesday for a Woodstock firefighter who was out sick. Curtis said equipment at both stations is better-maintained, response time has improved and the fire stations are looking better.

“Everyone on both departments considers it a win-win,” Curtis said.

Greenwood voters approved the mutual aid system at the town meeting in May. Woodstock voters approved it in March. The departments began taking turns manning their stations on July 1.

Lately, Woodstock Fire Chief Geff Inman said, firefighting equipment was falling into disrepair and response times were increasing for the Woodstock and Greenwood fire departments. Maintenance requirements from Maine’s Bureau of Labor Standards were getting more stringent, and departments found not up to code face hefty fines.

Not only are the two departments the first on scene during a fire call, but they respond to PACE ambulance calls, as well. Curtis said having four people on scene makes moving injured people easier, and allows firefighters to drive while PACE personnel administer medical attention.

Woodstock firefighter Ken Ruff said that because local mills have closed, volunteer firefighters have been forced to travel farther for work, and it takes longer to get back to town when they receive word of a fire.

Mills used to be full of volunteer firefighters, Ruff said, so many that when there was a call, the mills would close until they returned. Now, firefighters are coming from workplaces in Oxford and even Lewiston to respond.

Having firefighters able to respond right away allows them to assess the situation, Curtis said. If the fire is minor or a false alarm, they can tell other firefighters not to drive up. If the fire is major, they can call additional departments to the scene more quickly.

The firefighters on duty don’t sit around, Inman said. They ensure the water pumps, respirators and other equipment are working, which there was little time to do before the stations were manned.

“We’ve had an enormous amount of work done in the stations already,” Inman said. “Things that just needed to get done.”

Ruff said last week, he found a pump in a truck wasn’t working. “If we had a fire that day, we wouldn’t have found out until we were on the scene,” he said. Instead, he was able to repair it.

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