An Open Letter to the Volunteer Firefighters of Plymouth, Maine

Many people in the community sleep peacefully in their beds at night, never knowing the commitment made by volunteer firefighters. They brave the hazards of burning buildings to ensure no loss of life (human or animal) whenever possible—often at the expense of their own lives. For this, they receive no financial compensation.

On behalf of people everywhere, we wish to extend our highest gratitude for all you do for all of us, whether using your skills as an emergency medical technician (EMT or EMS) when someone needs an ambulance or traffic control. Sometimes, something as simple as traffic control while others fight the fire is praiseworthy, you go out of your way to help without expecting anything in return.

You go out at all times of the day and night to do whatever you can to help people within the community, and we can never thank you enough.

You never hesitate to risk your lives to save our homes, our lives, and even the lives of our fur babies without any promise of financial compensation.

What’s more, it isn’t just getting up in the middle of the night to fight a fire; this takes training. Chimney fires are plentiful in the winter in Maine. Therefore, all firefighters need some training on ladders.

By volunteering, you do so much for so many and give up so much at the same time. You give up your free time to do this, and we appreciate the sacrifice you make. To know that you are willing to give up your free time with your loved ones to be there to help someone else's loved ones is incredible.

We've seen you run into a burning building to save a family's dog, even though that is not something you had to do. You, the community volunteer firefighters, are the true everyday heroes of the community.

Yes, there are other frontliners and first responders worthy of community praise, like law enforcement, nurses, and doctors risking life and limb daily, but few are genuine volunteers without compensation like volunteer firefighters.

Remember that night in the cold of February when you joined the volunteer firefighters across Penobscot County to help fight the flames in Bar Harbor at the Bluenose Inn, and it turned into a three-day event? We sure do. This massive undertaking involved fire stations in a dozen or more communities. Many of those were volunteers too.

You never hesitate to take on outreach programs to help educate our youth about community service at our schools. That community service awareness helps create new volunteer firefighters for the community. You are always so patient and willing to answer any questions that the community's children might have.

Your efforts, many times behind the scenes, are not known by all, but it is honorable and much appreciated. Things like begging another fire station (Milford, Maine) that you knew received a new boat for their old boat to help your community is appreciated by all when that service is needed. Sometimes, the only way of getting to a wildland fire is by boat.

You do so much for the firefighters that work out of the stations you volunteer with, and many more people should know and thank you for it. It is simple work, but it is honorable work you do in your free time.

These efforts may not seem all that important to you, like hosting a firefighters family dinner or BBQ at your home, a cornhole game at the station, or sponsoring a fishing derby to further camaraderie, but these are essential tasks that many are not willing to give up their free time to do.

We, the people of the community, are forever in your debt and can never thank you enough for all that you do. Thank you for giving your free time day or night without expecting anything in return.

Forever Grateful, Your County & Community members