Whenever a large fire erupts in Lewiston, Fire Chief Paul LeClair is at the scene. When he’s not directing resources at the scene, he’s often the first person to answer questions about the size and scale of the fire, its cause and its losses. The Sun Journal wanted to learn more about LeClair and the responsibility he carries.

Name: Paul M. LeClair

Age: 57

Hometown: Lewiston

Single, relationship or married? Married, wife Terri

Children? Daughter, Andrea

Were you one of those kids that always wanted to be a firefighter? No. Growing up was all about sports, school-related activities and working a part-time job. I only considered firefighting as a career after my time in the Marine Corps.

How did you become a firefighter? I became a firefighter by competing for a position through the city of Lewiston’s Civil Service testing process. The first step required passing a written exam. It reminded me of the SAT testing in high school — a grueling two-hour exam in a room full of competitors. A passing test score cleared the way for the physical agility test and an interview. I was hired in March 1981, and my first duty day was at the Lisbon Street fire substation. Back then, training was on the job and trial by fire, literally! Today, OSHA requires we do things a bit different.

What’s it like to go into a burning building? Entering the building with a hose line requires a great deal of confidence, knowing you have what you need to control the situation. In some cases, you and your crew have a sense of where the fire is, based on the information provided by the emergency caller. All that information allows you begin a process of evaluation and elimination. In most cases your adrenaline is high and you are working hard to remain focused and control your breathing. If it is a rescue situation or the fire’s location is unknown, the feeling is more anxious. Putting the fire out and limiting damage to the property is a rewarding feeling.

There’s a lot of science in modern firefighting. Do you have a scientific background? Like most firefighters today I earned my associate degree in fire science. The technical courses in the program included subjects like chemistry, hazardous materials, fire behavior and a number of other science electives. All are helpful in understanding the influences of combustible materials and how they react under certain conditions. There are a number of other practical courses available to firefighters through Maine Fire Training and the regional Fire Attack schools.

When you have a cookout, are you always the one at the grill? Most of the time. We have a gas grill. There’s no open burning at my home address. My wife and I both like to cook and we each have our specialties. I still have a tendency to make more than is necessary. So goes the fire department theory of more is better; water and food!

TV and movies have often glamorized fighting fires. Are there misconceptions about the job among the general public? I would say what you see on TV and in the movies from an exterior point of view is fairly accurate. The scenario changes when entering a building involved in fire. TV does its best to represent what firefighters encounter. However, it is nothing like what you see on camera. Visibility can be limited, heat and flame create untenable conditions, communications are difficult and time is not on your side. Safety for the firefighter, the crew and the public is first. Having an appropriate amount of equipment and personnel on scene to manage the task are both very important benchmarks. I feel TV and film work around those concerns at times.

The job of a fire chief is largely administrative. Do you miss riding the engines or grabbing a hose? I do miss the hands-on part of the job, however there are a number of other task that need the attention of chief officers. Managing an incident scene requires that the assignment of equipment resources and personnel be accomplished in concert with the progression of the fire. There are a host of other critical decision-making processes the incident commander must follow. The chief and assistant chief are on scene to provide guidance and direction as needed. I do get to use the siren in the chief’s car when responding to fire. However, I really miss the AIR HORN!!!!!!!!!!!!

There’s a huge responsibility that comes with leading the effort at a fire scene, particularly when people from the public or your own crews are in harm’s way. How do you manage the pressure? I rely and count on the members of the Lewiston Fire Department to each do their job. It’s a team effort, and our success at any incident scene is dependent on safe practices, good communications and following our operating procedures.