Mount Vernon

Fire & Rescue Department

7 Belgrade Road
Jason D Beckler Mount Vernon, Maine 04352 Tel. Emergency 911
Fire Chief Non Emergency
207-293-2114
Proud to serve since 1925

April 13, 2024

RE: OSHA Updated Emergency Response Standard

To whom this may concern,

The Mount Vernon Maine Fire and Rescue Department is a professional volunteer call paid department. Serving a town of 43
square miles with a year-round population of 1,800 and a summer population that doubles. We operate with automatic
mutual aid with 5 towns and are incorporated as the Lake Region Mutual Aide Co. We do automatic response for Structure
Fires including Chimney fires, High hazard calls, Car accidents / fires, wildland fires, and many others. We work and train
together often so it’s as if we are one department. The Lake Region Mutual Aide covers nearly 250 square miles. Mount
Vernon meets and trains as a department at least four times each month doing all the required mandates, and more. We are
Volunteers who have trained and become Fire or EMT certified in our “spare time”. All hold other jobs that pay our bills We
are call and training paid so that the cost of responding to calls and training is minimized. This also allows the members to be
covered by workers compensation should they become hurt while participating in department activities. Mount Vernon Fire
and Rescue responds to an average of 250 to 300 calls each year. Recently we have seen an increase in all calls, but mostly
medical. This year we are approaching 350 calls, and our year end is in July. We are a basic EMT service non transport Rescue
Unit that has 25 to 30 minutes wait time for an ambulance and is 25 minutes to the closest hospital. Our community relies on
our services heavily. Mount Vernon currently has 13 firefighters, and 3 rescue members. We are making it but it’s a daily
struggle. The proposed standards will not make our situation safer or better. It’s a difficult time to just keep the members we
have let alone recruit with the time requirements to be a trained member. Adding unreachable goals, and restrictions will
force fire and rescue members out of the fire service either because of a lack of time and burn-out trying to meet unrealistic
goals. We are trained to the current standards; we are constantly training using new techniques. We are not stagnant in our
training, and we work safely. In the proposed standards It will require our firefighters to be certified FF1 and FF2. Because we
 Mount Vernon
Fire & Rescue Department
7 Belgrade Road
Jason D Beckler Mount Vernon, Maine 04352 Tel. Emergency 911
Fire Chief Non Emergency
207-293-2114
Proud to serve since 1925

are Volunteers and have other jobs many choose not to take the “END Test to be Pro Board Certified”. These firefighters are
Trained and pass every level without a certificate. Why would you do that you ask… well time, and money are key factors. As A
fire Chief in Maine I have the ability to say once they complete trainings that they are able to do the job they trained to do.
Some firefighters never wanted to be interior certified, they want the basic fire course, driving and pump training to be a truck
operator. This new requirement will force volunteers out! They will not want or have the time to start over. Regarding the
Officer training requirements. Currently as a Chief who joined the fire Service in 1998, I am trained FF1 and FF2 not Certified I
have the required NIMS training, CO, Flammable gas, Ice water rescue, and many other specialized trainings that serve the fire
service well. (my regular job: Propane and Natural gas Tech over 500,000 btus, Oil over 15 GPH and Solid fuels, HVAC,
Plumbing, Electrical Licensed trades worker). I will not have time to do 200 hrs. of officer training to be certified to be a fire
chief. Its not realistic for a volunteer / call paid Fire or rescue member. The budget increases this proposal adds are staggering.
We simply do not have a tax base to support this. The increased training, or the required vehicle replacement at 20 years. We
have 3 fire trucks, with a 30-year replacement schedule, every ten years we replace a 30 year old truck. This program will
require us to shorten this schedule. It takes us 10 years to pay for one truck now with a bond and the cost of trucks has
skyrocketed. The proposed building requirements are not physically even possible at my station. The buildings do not have the
Physical land to pull this off or the facility capabilities. The special entry for turnout gear wash area with shower room, gear
storage room would require us to build a new station in a completely different location. That is an unrealistic undue burden on
the citizens we serve. It also does not work to store the in-service turnout gear at the station. Not only do we not have enough
seats for each firefighter on the truck there is no room for turnout gear on them either. Each Firefighter has their assigned
gear with them to respond to calls from work or home. The gear is stored in the new style gear bags that seal providing no
unnecessary exposure to carcinogens. The programs for health being proposed may be the most reasonable and sensible
changes to implement but not without an increase in operational cost. We have a requirement now for annual evaluations to
wear an SCBA. The proposal is asking for all firefighters to be evaluated, this I could do with added budget increases. The
proposal saying we will need a program in place for physical fitness. (The closest gym is 20 miles away. It requires time and a
 Mount Vernon
Fire & Rescue Department
7 Belgrade Road
Jason D Beckler Mount Vernon, Maine 04352 Tel. Emergency 911
Fire Chief Non Emergency
207-293-2114
Proud to serve since 1925

membership, or we build a fitness room in that new station ill need to build if I can still be chief. Preplanning of buildings sure
I can do that; just be reasonable with the time I must get it completed. Replacing turnout gear or SCBAs every ten years is a
significant expense on the taxpayer. I currently must get my interior firefighters the newest gear and rotate older gear that is
safe to use to the non-interior members. I currently have $4000.00 per year for Turnout gear in my budget, it’s what we can
afford without significant increases. As you know that money will not completely outfit one firefighter. I do not qualify for
grants that have Federal money attached to them. Why? Because of the stipulation that we must as a town be NIMS
compliant. Even though I push my firefighters to do the training not all town required officials have it. Most of them are
elected volunteers too. I currently do not have time to do the trainings and the National Fire Incident Reporting so again we
don’t qualify for grant funds. I choose safety of my members over reports. These are just a few of the changes I know of out of
the 600-page document that is difficult to decipher. Most of which are unrealistic and, unattainable by any of the Lakes Region
Mutual Aide Departments. If this proposal passes, I have no doubt fire departments will be forced to close. Most
Municipalities will not choose to work illegally running the risk of liability and fines. The taxpayers here simply cannot afford
what LA County CA. has. The damages to property and lives lost in rural America will increase drastically due to the lack of
volunteers and Fire stations.

Respectfully Submitted

Chief Jason Beckler

Serving since 1998

Cell Phone (207) 578-3629

 Mount Vernon
Fire & Rescue Department
7 Belgrade Road
Jason D Beckler Mount Vernon, Maine 04352 Tel. Emergency 911
Fire Chief Non Emergency
207-293-2114
Proud to serve since 1925