Chief Shawn Esler of the Waterville Fire-Rescue Department, pictured here on the scene of a fire in downtown Waterville last year, has been appointed the new state fire marshal. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel file

WATERVILLE — Waterville fire Chief Shawn Esler will become the new state fire marshal Oct. 3, succeeding Richard McCarthy, who retired last month after a little more than a year on the job.

The surprise announcement came at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting from Waterville City Manager Bryan Kaenrath who said the Mills administration selected Esler for the position. Kaenrath praised Esler for his service and said he couldn’t say enough about his work in Waterville.

“Congratulations to Shawn and we thank you for your leadership,” Kaenrath said.

The fire marshal leads the Office of State Fire Marshal, which acts as the state’s primary enforcer of fire and life safety codes, and represents the Office of the Maine Attorney General in the investigation of all fires and explosions.

Reached at his Albion home, where he was feeding the beef cows he and his father raise, Esler, 35,  said he was excited and honored to have been chosen to be the state’s next fire marshal.

“The fire marshal’s job doesn’t come up very often and I saw that the old fire marshal was retiring,” Esler said. “I also knew of some challenges that the office was facing and I submitted an application just to evaluate where I was in the fire service. I learned that I can add a lot of value to the Office of the (State) Fire Marshal.”

McCarthy announced in July that he was retiring effective Aug. 30.

Esler said he has known McCarthy a long time.

“He is a good man,” Esler said. “I hope moving forward we can carry on some of the passion he has for the fire service. I know, having worked with that office for many years, that they are an extremely high quality staff. I’m very excited to work with the investigative division and the fire prevention division to progress the state forward.”

Esler said that he met with Mike Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, and then was interviewed by Gov. Mills. He said he learned Friday that he was chosen for the job.

Scott Ogden, Mills’ deputy chief of staff, said in an email Wednesday that pursuant to state law, Sauschuck, with the advice and consent of the governor, nominated Esler for the position. The appointment requires confirmation from the state Senate after review by the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, according to Ogden.

He attached a copy of Mills’ appointment letter to Esler.

Meanwhile, Esler said Tuesday night that one of his first priorities as state fire marshal will be to improve the workplace culture in an office of more than 50 employees.

Esler was named Waterville fire chief in 2018 after Chief David LaFountain retired. Esler was hired at the department in 2008 as a firefighter and was promoted in 2011 to lieutenant and then to captain in 2015. He grew up in Albion, graduated from Lawrence High School in Fairfield in 2006 and received an associates degree in fire science from Eastern Maine Community College. Over the years he also attended Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield where he received certification in paramedicine and said he has done thousands of hours of in-service fire work.

As Waterville fire chief, Esler supervises a revolving call force of about 3o firefighters.

Waterville fire Chief Shawn Esler was named Maine Fire Chief of the Year in 2023 by the Maine Fire Chief’s Association. He has been selected as the next state fire marshal, starting Oct. 3. Contributed photo

“There are 37 of us, including myself,” he said of the full-time firefighters and EMS providers in the department. With the additional 30 on the call force, it brings the department to 67.

The department operates four ambulances, a tower truck and two engines, as well as a pickup truck and SUVs.

Esler said leaving Waterville is bittersweet.

“I have loved working for the city of Waterville,” he said. “I believe that with the leadership, right from the city manager all the way down to entry-level staff, the city of Waterville is functioning extremely well. I’m hopeful for the future with Bryan (Kaenrath) at the helm.”

In his resignation letter to Kaenrath dated Tuesday, Sept. 3, Esler said he plans to use vacation time, so his last day will be Sept. 20.

He said that during his tenure, overdue station repairs were completed, aging apparatus replaced, the first full-time female firefighter hired and fiscally responsible growth of the department realized.

Esler orchestrated the department’s transition from being a rescue service that responds to emergencies and treats patients until ambulances arrive to transporting patients to hospitals in city ambulances.

“Born out of sheer need and exacerbated by the pandemic, our new EMS system has been credited with saving multiple lives as well as improving the quality of life of those we serve,” Esler’s resignation letter says.

He said that over the last two years he has readied the department for the future through succession planning and guiding deputy Fire Chief Jason Frost to be the next fire chief. Frost, he said, has spent countless hours with Esler, navigating challenging issues, fostering relationships with personnel, implementing change and planning for the department.

“He is not only knowledgeable and prepared; he is well respected both internally and externally,” Esler said in his letter.

Tuesday night, Esler said he hired Frost 2 1/2 years ago and he is confident that Frost and the department’s leadership team will handle the transition well. He said he recommended Kaenrath promote Frost to fire chief.

In his letter, Esler thanked the fire department, city leadership, council, department heads and others who have supported him through the years: “I hope to continue to be a leading voice for Maine’s fire service and represent the City, the Waterville Fire Department and the State well in my new position. I look forward to adding value to Maine’s finest fire investigation and fire prevention unit.”

Esler also has been part-time deputy chief and paramedic at the Albion Fire Department since 2014. He was a firefighter there from 2004-09, captain from 2009-11 and captain/training officer in 2013-14. He was a reserve officer for the Winslow Police Department from 2011-17.